Too Heavy for Your Pocket NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Stylistically old-fashioned, it feels as familiar and earnest as a pew. And yet its formal conservatism almost seems daring when paired with content that many may find, as I did, illuminating and moving...'Too Heavy' dramatizes questions of class difference within the black community that rarely get broached onstage...When Mr. Holder gets too earnest about it, the play bogs down...Intermittently, a fine production, directed with verve by Margot Bordelon and handsomely designed."
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"Even in the stronger second section of the play, Holder can over-sugar his characters—the domestic quarrels approach soapiness—and Bordelon has the actors perform broadly, which can be startling in a space as small as the Roundabout Underground. But Okafor has a beautiful quality of stern patience, which carries us through the more sentimental sequences. She seems to age before our eyes, her happiness turning into a deep, steady disappointment."
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"Holder is putting his finger on something powerful, something that Fight for Freedom narratives don’t necessarily get at: Protesting is a privilege...Holder’s prose does occasionally tip toward heavy-handedness. But it’s a credit to Bordelon’s deft touch and to Okafor’s raw power that here the notes ring true...As the characters struggle for air, so do we. Inhaling and exhaling in a room together: It’s the simplest reality of theater and sometimes the most important."
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"The play and this production bristle with ideas that bring fresh news to a familiar tale...Director Margot Bordelon’s sensitive staging honors that intimacy in its no-nonsense, fuss-free simplicity and elegance. Most important is the astonishing caliber of the four actors in these roles, each drawn as if by a laser printer, with no small amount of help from a gifted writer who will be amazing to watch as his work grows."
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"Better than any play I've seen on the subject, 'Too Heavy for Your Pocket' examines the role of class in our nation's civil rights struggle...All four actors deliver excellent performances...Director Margot Bordelon balances the conflicting tones of the play through an even-keeled production...We grow to love the four characters, which keeps us invested in a play that occasionally meanders to the point of dullness."
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“Holder artfully entangles the four characters in a web of secrets and resentments...At the same time, ‘Too Heavy for Your Pocket’ is an acute picture of lives transformed by larger social forces...The process by which the characters fight their way toward some kind of solid ground is illuminated by Bordelon's observant direction and four first-rate performances...A lively, powerful piece of writing supported by a band of interesting new talents.”
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"This is an exceptional work, one that will dive-bomb into your head and your heart...Directed with fierce intensity by Margot Bordelon and featuring a stellar cast...'Too Heavy For Your Pocket' is remarkable for the depth of its exploration of a tumultuous time in our history. Playwright Jiréh Breon Holder has managed to captivate the audience by examining issues of race, gender, power, faith, and politics without ever losing sight of his characters."
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"A terrific cast of four, under the sterling direction of Bordelson, must be credited for making this play a thoroughly worthwhile and memorable experience...A compelling narrative that is mainly revealed through a young man with a mission...The action is cleverly staged in and around the kitchen setting that allows for other locations. It is the feeling of home and kinship that pervades even as we see how impulsive decisions, no matter how righteous and well-meaning, alter perspectives."
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"A flawed but interesting work by promising young playwright Holder...The second act, while more dramatic, was also more disjointed. Some of the developments seemed forced and others seemed unlikely. The ending is rather flat...The actors are strong and quite plausible in their roles...Director Bordelon would do well to tighten up the first act. All in all, it was a worthwhile but not wholly satisfactory experience."
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"Starkly relevant...Each member of this remarkable cast gives raw, rich, and natural performances under the smart direction of Margot Bordelon...While Act II descends into melodrama that nearly cheapens the central theme and plot, on the whole, 'Too Heavy for Your Pocket' offers a fresh take on oft-trodden ground, exploring questions each of us must ask of ourselves...'Too Heavy' offers a fresh take on oft-trodden ground...This play is a must see."
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“An engrossing new drama…Playwright Holder has created intricate, recognizable characters and dialogue that bristles with verisimilitude. Under Margot Bordelon’s direction, the four fine actors form a beautifully balanced ensemble…A top-notch production…The artistic intelligence, psychological insight, and native talent on view in 'Too Heavy for Your Pocket' would have demanded expression regardless of the playwright’s advantages and good fortune.”
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