Sycorax, Cyber Queen of Qamara NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (24)
See it if you want to experience a unique story, are a fan of Shakespeare & want to see strong female characters.
Don't see it if you only like Broadway shows that have huge budgets. Read more
See it if you’d like to see an offstage character from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” given free rein in a smart, handsomely produced play of her own.
Don't see it if plays that freely mix the narrative with the dramatic or the fairy tale with the contemporary bug you. Read more
See it if you want to see a really good feminist show with warnings about the corrupting power of power and title.
Don't see it if you are a misogynist or believe that people earn respect through title of position. Read more
See it if you want to see a clever presentation, bringing forth a 500 year-old character to set the record straight: costumes, direction, staging ****
Don't see it if you cannot open your mind to the possibility of this story told by a fictional character in a modern way.
See it if you like good acting, great storytelling and fun, lively direction with great leads and talented supporting casts.
Don't see it if you don't know anything about Shakespeare's The Tempest, don't like stories of Algerian witches and don't like to laugh.
See it if The Tempest 2 w/ metred rhyme. Flouting the constrictive Koran, an Algerian witch justifies her developing powers because all men betray.
Don't see it if Underlying assertion that all males betray and disappoint, especially mates & sons. A woman with special feminist power might threaten.
See it if smart literate and wise interesting tales with a bit of whimsy are for you. Special Praise for actors Sandra Bargman and Nick Giedris.
Don't see it if Smaller shows maybe are not for you
See it if you're familiar with "The Tempest" & can appreciate the back-story of Sycorax, the witch; you like feminist fables; you like indie theatre
Don't see it if you want a big budget show; broad themes of female oppression irk you; if you need more nuanced themes; you like Shakespeare served straight Read more
Critic Reviews (4)
"Ms. Bargman is so hilarious, sly, and overly dramatic though achieving a fully realized characterization that one wishes this was a solo show showcasing her commanding talents. Unfortunately, it’s a problematic play given an ineffective production...Director Joan Kane isn’t able to successfully translate Gael’s fanciful and ambitious scenario to the stage. The off-kilter gee whiz tone is more appropriate for a children’s theater matinee rather than a sensual epic."
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“In this top-notch feminist piece, the witch from 'The Tempest' uses much magic and internet technology to tell her story...Kane has helped develop and stage a novel and relevant play that shows a woman, at the height of her powers, seeking to be herself, worship as she wishes, and simply live without being called a witch. If you want to see a play that gives voice to a maligned female literary character, this is your chance.”
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“This funny, literary, campy comedy is a Wicked-style corrective for a witch with a terrible reputation...The cyber-age spin is amusing but mostly ancillary to the heart of the story...It beats to life through Kane’s taut direction and the gaudily theatrical performances she draws from a fine cast centering on a blazing performance by Capkanis as Young Sycorax...My feelings about the ending remain unresolved, but I strongly recommend this captivating production.”
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“The unvarnished criticism of gender roles in the earlier part of the play, evolves into something thornier by the end, but its cheeky sense of humor is constant, and it combines that sense of playfulness with an almost storybook aesthetic and feel...’Sycorax’ and its long-lived protagonist take on issues from patriarchal oppression to self-aware AIs and still leave room for some laughs...For anyone who has ever wanted to know more about Shakespeare’s mysterious ‘blue-eyed hag’."
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