The Artificial Jungle NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (113)
See it if Ludlam's rarely seen campy send up of Postman Always Rings Twice gets a 'straightened' but limp production by Ridiculous alumnus Quinton
Don't see it if Well staged & intentioned but w/o high camp quotient becomes stodgy & slow Actors work hard w/Chase coming closest The piranhas steal show
See it if you like nice sets and funny, quirky gimmicks.
Don't see it if you're critical of acting or understanding of a genre, which I feel this production didn't fully comprehend.
See it if you want to see this Ludlam revival
Don't see it if you are looking for high end camp and Ridiculous Theatre excellence Read more
See it if ..you think you might enjoy an homage to Thérèse Raquin generously peppered with Mel Brooks’ camp.
Don't see it if ..you don't like farce
See it if your only acquaintance with Charles Ludlam is "Irma Vep" because the guy wrote a lot of plays and this one hasn't dated at all.
Don't see it if you're expecting high camp or something deliriously gay as the current production is more like a noir sitcom with a few good sight gags.
See it if you like over-the-top campy dark comedies with somewhat obvious plots.
Don't see it if you prefer subtle intelligent comedy.
See it if you like campy stylized shows regardless of how well produced they are.
Don't see it if you expect a well-paced, specifically directed show when you see a show that deals with heightened style.
See it if You like over-the-top campy theatre with an unrealistic plot that is heightened by absurdism of the highest order.
Don't see it if You want to see an evenly talented cast that can do justice to the play...
Critic Reviews (15)
“A fun evening of silly entertainment…For this revival, director Everett Quinton...gives us more smiles and appreciative chuckles than guffaws and belly laughs…The cast as a whole does well with their roles, but because the plot itself is predictable, there are only a few surprises. The best of these involve the participation of the marvelous piranhas…They are full of personality, and enrich the production tenfold.”
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“A welcome reminder of the brilliance of Charles Ludlam. But the production doesn't come without some imperfections…The subversive styling of ‘The Artificial Jungle’ holds up all these years later. It's wonderfully ridiculous…The comedy needed to be much sharper. The text was there. The staging faltered...The five-piece ensemble went big and bold with a tinge of reality, and played into the hands of the audience...It may not be perfection but it certainly is cheeky."
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"'The Artificial Jungle' is lovingly and faithfully directed by award-winning actor/playwright Everett Quinton...The energetic, dedicated cast seems to be having as much fun as the audience. All of the players excel at both the fast-paced physical comedy as well as with their dead-on delivery of the script’s endless comedic torpedoes, fired so fast that the audience often doesn’t see them coming."
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"'The Artificial Jungle' plays as 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' done via a Carol Burnett skit, set in a Lower East Side pet store. It is goofy, farcical and very funny. The play, by the prolific Charles Ludlam, is loud and preposterous but doesn't fall to slapstick. It all works because the terrific actors might be playing everything over-the-top, but they take it seriously. They pull out all the stops without ever breaking character. It is this group of professionals that sell this jungle."
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"Essential queer theatre viewing–and one hell of a lot of fun...The director for this production is Ludlam’s husband and muse, Everett Quinton. Quinton is the ideal interpreter of Ludlam’s plays, knowing when to be loyal to what Ludlam had already done, and when to push things even further into preposterousness to keep it fresh. Quinton has a marvelous cast to work with, who seem to truly get it...Hilarious, and highly recommended."
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"It surprised my inpatient mind with plenty of amusement once it got rolling, though it needed to percolate a little sooner...Anita Hollander, as Mama Nurdlinger, is really the stand out actor here...I felt that the male characters of Zachary Slade played by Anthony Michael Lopez and David Harrell as Chester needed to work on keeping it broad while keeping it balanced. It was a pleasure the nonetheless."
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"This is a fearless production, helmed by Everett Quinton. The script is strange, the premise is absurd, and there are puppet piranhas (brilliantly and comically executed by Satoshi Haga). It is uncomfortable in all the right ways, and even if the humor isn’t your typical preference, the talent in, and skilled execution of, this play, are undeniable. It is a delightful, murderous, piranha-filled romp."
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