The Comedian's Tragedy NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%

(22 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Clever, Ambitious, Entertaining, Great writing

About the Show

Set in Ancient Greece, this edgy supernatural love story sees Aristophanes struggling with his muse .

423 BCE. The Gods are hungry. The greatest city of her age, Athens has fallen: wracked with plague, war, drink, lust, gods, demons, and a dark fog of nihilism eating away at her light. Censored and labeled a pervert for standing up to the state, a young Aristophanes passes his nights in a haze of booze and sex, spitting into the face of tomorrow with the courage of the damned. When the unlikeliest of heroes emerges, can a guilty soul become Orpheus and sing life back into the ashes?

Member Reviews (22)

Classical figures fill a lively poetic vessel

See it if Matthew Amendt's sheer genius shapes Athens in 423 BCE, where Aris (young Aristophanes) faces war, plague & tyranny but seeks hope.

Don't see it if you don't like classics, brilliant language, profundity & acting that teach us more about the indomitably of the human spirit. Read more

Must see, Great staging, Great acting, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if you enjoy mythic tales based on the stories of old, clever usage of sets and blacklights, or intense acting that draws you into the story.

Don't see it if you do not enjoy small black box productions or would like to see a big-budget show. May be confusing if you don't know Greek mythology.

Entertaining, Absorbing, Intelligent, Great acting, Great writing

See it if You enjoy intelligent writing with great storyline and excellent acting. And if you know something about Greek mythology. Very good play!

Don't see it if You cannot pay attention or if your mind tends to wander. Or if you do not Ike to think.

Great writing, Intelligent, Great acting, Clever, Ambitious

See it if you like language-driven big plays about ideas. You like Greek plays or classics or even classic themes about the meaning of life and art.

Don't see it if You want lighter fare. There are plenty of laughs in this show but the comedy is elevated and intelligent with references to Greek mythology Read more

Almost tragic, Metatheatrical, Very strong leads, Brilliantly written

See it if you love ancient Greek culture, theater history, hybrid forms, a theater of ideas or smart new scripts.

Don't see it if metatheatricality, even when it’s “sincere”, leaves you cold, confused, or both. Read more

Masterful, Ambitious, Entertaining, Great acting, Great writing

See it if you'd like an enjoyable off off Broadway production, well written, wonderfully acted and nicely staged with very different wall art/lighting

Don't see it if you are looking for a lavish production, do not like ancient theater, or cannot sit for two long acts in a very warm theater.

Refreshing, Intelligent, Clever, Ambitious

See it if you are interested in the life and work of Aristophanes presented in a creative and absorbing manner.

Don't see it if you don't appreciate the plots of ancient plays and are not interested in the life of an famous Greek playwright.

Serio-comic, Great writing, Great acting, Clever, Ambitious

See it if interested in Greek history, mythology,theater, language driven plays. Amdent, who is also the playwright & Menzel are exceptional.

Don't see it if you don't want to spend 2 1/2 hrs in an uncomfortably warm theater. However, if you stick it out, you will be amply rewarded.

Critic Reviews (1)

"Matthew Amendt's The Comedian's Tragedy in the style of meta-theater is an ambitious work which is ultimately a failure: it neither offers a compelling reason for its historic plot nor makes it dramatically believable enough to work as a tragedy. With so many facts left to the viewer's imagination, it really needs program notes or a good deal of explanation not given by the narrator Chorus Leader. The unevenness of Bill McCallum's deficient production makes the two and a half hours seem much longer than they actually are."
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Trailer

Creative team