State of the Union

See it if you enjoy a 'classic' political play which is entertaining

Don't see it if You are used to the high quality of most New York acting

See it if If you like Mr Smith Goes to Washington and The Candidate, hate current politics, want well done story of the 40's with relevance today

Don't see it if if politics bores you, if you need elaborate staging, won't travel to the lower East Side, offended that servant roles are so servile.

See it if you enjoy the political process of yesteryear. this is set in an intimate theater which makes it that much more interesting and entertaining

Don't see it if you do not like a play of substance with great characters.

See it if you are into revivals of a 1945 presidential politics of manipulation and dishonesty relevant to our time. nice lengthy production.

Don't see it if you have enough of our current politics and you do not like long talky plays.

See it if This show is relevant to today even though it was written in the 1940s

Don't see it if you don't like political plays.

Also Another excellent play by the Metropolitan Playhouse

See it if enjoy interesting plays in a very intimate setting. It's fascinating how a play written in the 1940s feels like it was written for today.

Don't see it if you don't like political themed plays. It is also long (2:40), but it holds your attention.

See it if you enjoy classic American political plays of the 20th Century well presented with style and wit.

Don't see it if you are only interested in fast moving contemporary plays

See it if you are really into politics - then and now...

Don't see it if you are not familiar with politics of 1947 or 2018

Also It is supposed to be a comedy of sorts but it isn't that funny. Maybe it was the audience, or maybe what was funny back then is not funny anymore.
And some of it is scary true.
Scenery changes are cleverly done.
Oh, and the costumes - especially the women's - are wonderful.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy an old fashioned political drama that is surprisingly relevant to today.

Don't see it if you are not interested in a traditional drama with a very linear plot line.

See it if You want to see a good old fashioned play.

Don't see it if You don't want to spend almost three hours in a theatre with a talky show.

See it if you enjoy well acted, creatively staged older plays that engage the audience; or if you are interested in a non-musical Lindsay and Crouse.

Don't see it if you dislike a small intimate theater experience or a play that requires thoughtful attention.

Also The dresses are exquisite. The staging is the best yet at The Metropolitan Playhouse.... Read more Read less

See it if You like old time traditional political themes that seem to parallel some of today's issues.

Don't see it if You don't like old time 1940's theater productions

See it if You like politcal centered plots - esp classic plays that still feel relevant.

Don't see it if You're looking for high level production values or modern takes - this is a small classic production of a great play.

See it if you are interested in revivals, enjoy political stories & great writing & acting

Don't see it if you prefer musicals or don't like period settings.

Also The play is set in 1948 with great costumes & sets. A highly principled man tries to deal with the compromises necessary to run for President, a topic that is as relevant today as when it was written.... Read more Read less

See it if Lovingly done, and although true to it’s time, it could be a current political parable.

Don't see it if You don't like a story set in the past. Also, it is somewhat longer than many contemporary plays.

See it if you love small, intimate box theaters where you are a mere inches away from the actors. You love politics!

Don't see it if you need a fast moving plot-line, high production value , or hate politics.

See it if You want to see a rarely performed classic political comedy.

Don't see it if You want something cutting edge.

Also This is a noble effort that falls short. While imaginatively staged in a small space, the cast is uneven.
Michael Durkin, Kyle Minshew and Anna Marie Sell shine as the leads, and Jamal Garrison-Lowe and Jon Lonoff amuse in supporting roles, the other members of this large cast don't rise to their level.

While I applaud Director Laura Livingston's use of a diverse cast as the power players in DC, the doubling as offensive Stepin Fetchit stereotypes domestics defeats any positive spin.
Imaginative set design and solution for such a small space by Vincent Gunn but the snail-paced scene changes added minutes to an already long play. Costume designs by Sidney Fortner were not as successful (when there is a bit of business about fixing a bow tie in a period play and a clip on tie is used, bad move) and Jennifer Reddish's extreme period hairstyle evoked Disney's Maleficent rather than a high powered business woman of the age.

The production attempts to reach high, but comes up short... Read more Read less

See it if See it if you want to see a large, superb cast perform an amusing play that resonates today. For some it may be a history lesson.

Don't see it if Avoid it if you hate politics and don’t have two and a half hours to spend in a theatre.

See it if You enjoy historical dramedy

Don't see it if You have no interest in historical politics

Also Yes, this is dated but that is the purpose of Metropolitan Playhouse. It is very interesting to see the political concerns immediately after WWII and how things differ, for ex. the political clout of labor, and how things are the same, for ex interest group politics and how political campaigns are run.
Also for its time very feminist not only in that it approved of women influencing campaigns and running for Congress but that it showed a semi "open" marriage with both parties having affairs. (Play was judgemental about this but forgiving).
As usual at Metropolitan Playhouse acting was great in spite of several minor flubs of lines at my performance... Read more Read less