The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (32)
See it if you didn't know that R. W. Fassbinder wasn't just an amazing filmmaker but a great playwright as well (who wrote truly rich roles for women)
Don't see it if you're uptight when it comes to nudity, strong language or a high camp cultural critique that takes no prisoners.
See it if Sorry to say, but don't see it.
Don't see it if Don't see it.
See it if predictable theater, with a seemingly strong woman falling prey to a femme fatale, losing all she's worked for and going back for more.
Don't see it if dislike performances with an LGBT theme, or to see successful women so weakened by a "pretty face and body" to a point of self destruction.
See it if You want to watch an all female cast be melodramatic and hysterical for 1.5hours... it's a headache inducing, drain of a show
Don't see it if You do not enjoy reality TV dysfunction and conflict shows like Jerry Springer and Maury Povich...agitating and exhausting-- just don't! Read more
See it if you like experimental, avant garde theater focused on women's relationships
Don't see it if you like clear resolution to a story
See it if you want a taste of what off-off Broadway was like in the late 60s and early 70s. Your expectation level is low.
Don't see it if You have anything, and I mean ANYTHING better to do with your time and money. Read more
See it if you want a fun, sensual, avant-garde type of night, without over the top avant-gardeness. Very fun evening of theater.
Don't see it if you're looking for a very tame, family-friendly production.
See it if You enjoy an exquisite set with all female cast. You like LQBTQ themes. The acting is also pretty good.
Don't see it if You can stand the slow progression of the plot and a woman who screams and cries for almost an hour.
Critic Reviews (4)
"Sadly, this production, although imaginatively staged, is neither embraced by a text that is even remotely in synch with its presumed agenda nor is it enhanced by performances that might have effectively answered the call. The acting as a whole is far from awful, but this company has not been guided to express or explore the dark and moody sensuality that made the film or the subsequent stage version so provocative...The overall effect of the experience was close to numbing."
Read more
“A gorgeous and vacuous production that mines the material for high camp with very little sincerity. Under the direction of Benjamin Viertel, Fassbinder’s darkly humorous drama about a woman’s breakdown is a frenetic comedy about a pathetic lesbian…Scenic designer Bryce Cutler and costume designer Emily Chalmers do some dazzling work here…A more restrained directorial approach could have fulfilled the promise of the professional and transformative design."
Read more
"It stands on its own as an interesting and absorbing weird drama involving love, passion, anger and other emotions stemming from the set-up...A problem with the play is that with all the heat generated it is difficult to feel deeply for Petra. That is due to the oddball nature of the work itself, and the aura of strangeness that hovers over events...It falls on the performers to capture our attention and get us to enjoy much of what we are watching, and they certainly succeed at that."
Read more
“This dark comedy is a wild ride that will leave you on edge…Fassbinder's text, translated by David Tushingham, is problematic but Viertel had a plethora of missed opportunities to infuse a genuine and consistent style…As Marlene, Alex Spieth gave an outstanding performance…‘The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant’ is a wild trip through madness that goes off the rails. And it’s a shame because there’s so much good inside."
Read more