The Good Earth NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (82)
See it if You like dramatic family struggles against the local government.
Don't see it if Thick Welsh accents are too much for you.
See it if You like stories about family and connecting with your roots.
Don't see it if You are looking for an uplifting comedy.
See it if You enjoy good acting and an interesting story in which it is not clear what is "right" and what is "wrong".
Don't see it if You have trouble with thick Welsh accents.
See it if Great acting/writing. Creative albeit deja vu staging. Grabbing stories but not sure who author wanted me to root for. Very enjoyable.
Don't see it if Threads left unresolved are not your thing. So many Welsh (?) sung songs left me uncertain if there was something I was missing.
See it if you're interested in historically-based shows -- this definitely inspired me to learn more about the actual underlying events
Don't see it if you're looking for something showy, fluffy, or light hearted. This was pretty intense.
See it if you enjoy straightforward stories about how families and communities can react to outside pressures. A talented company of actors. Good book
Don't see it if Low budget staging with tables and chairs. Interstitial staging between scenes weak. You don't like mood singing during plays. Read more
See it if you're interested in Wales, Welsh songs, family dramas, & more abstract staging
Don't see it if you have difficulty understanding strong Welsh accents. There's a fair amount of UK slang that might be confusing for US audiences too
See it if you enjoy listening to lilting Welsh accents and beautiful acapella singing; you have a good imagination and enjoy avant garde plays.
Don't see it if you love Broadway musicals; you don't like to listen carefully to get the lines; you dislike anything not "real" that requires imagination
Critic Reviews (14)
"This cast is extraordinary. The ensemble work is stunning and the ownership of every moment of the script is absolutely gripping...All breathe incredible passion and specificity into their roles...Under Boulton’s guidance, the small-town culture and the ire at displacement by a faceless entity is palpable...This production is simple and direct, joyous and heartbreaking...'The Good Earth' transports the audience to Wales and makes the experience of one small village resonate around the globe."
Read more
"The performances cannot be faulted…Director Rachael Boulton is instantly relatable as Dina…The dialogue is sharper and funnier than one might have expected from a devised production…Motherlode has created a piece which, for all its emotional manipulativeness, is visually arresting and very well acted. Whether it is a subversively complex take on the eternal struggle between town and country, however, or simply a muddled one will be for the viewer to judge."
Read more
"A strong, polished script that is gripping and moving...The commitment of the cast and their complete belief in the surroundings that they are creating transports the audience through street, mountain and river, council offices to the comfort of home...Although the comedy caricature element of each of their characters is a little overdone, they all bring a depth of emotion and poignancy to their roles...May not be quite perfect yet but has the promise to be a truly great piece of theatre."
Read more
"Through the use of Welsh folk song and the physical theatre sequences throughout, the piece exudes an energy that holds the audience attention to its close. Director Rachael Boulton’s staging and keen eye for composition gives the piece the clarity it needs to serve an individual story to represent universal themes...It was all simply stunning...A hilarious and thought-provoking piece that is not to be missed."
Read more
"An exquisitely constructed piece of theatre that explores the meaning and value of community...The physical relationship of the actors to the simple yet highly evocative setting is a thing of beauty to watch, their movement across the space striking in its detail and precision...Finally, though, what holds this production in the memory is the use of sound and song...The music carries within it the cultural memory of a nation."
Read more
"Loyalties seem to become loaded with a fatal sense of over-sentimentality as the play progresses, and I was left confused by the message...For me, the play’s essence was its intense, no-holds-barred portrayal of the fictional family’s dynamics...'The Good Earth' may refer back to the 1970s, but this drama is far from retrograde in every other dimension...A gripping script is executed impeccably in this launch project. For this tight team, I’d guess that no mountain is too high."
Read more