Too Heavy for Your Pocket

See it if You revel in great ensemble acting, each with an important emotional story line; are interested in the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Don't see it if You don't have patience for character setup or shows with an intermission; you want a fluffy theater experience.

Also A subtle first act flies floppy and obvious in act two; still compelling acting and balanced ensemble writing provide an emotional core worth experiencing, particularly the development of political consciousness by one character.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a powerful play about the impacts of class and race for African-Americans confronting Jim Crow in the 1960s South. Stellar acting.

Don't see it if you're not open to being absorbed in a compelling and thoughtful story - or are not interested in civil rights and class issues.

Also In previews, play is a bit long (perhaps by 15-20 minutes). Some judicious editing could help.... Read more Read less

See it if You like domestic dramas told within a historical framework. This is good ensemble work & a promising NY premiere for the playwright.

Don't see it if Don't want a layered drama w a good grasp of complex emotions. You don't have interest in the period or patience for a slow-paced story.

Also I found this absorbing. However, it was in early previews and would benefit from having 20-25 minutes cut. The first act particularly was way too long. The play is worth seeing -lots of dramatic tension and an interesting juxtaposition of what was happening in the South at the time with the domestic challenges faced by two couples and their interconnected friendships. The director made some intriguing choices and for the most part, they worked.

Saw this in the Black Box Theatre, Roundabout Underground, in mid-September, 2017.... Read more Read less

See it if Beautiful song in Act II & some poignant moments in Act II make you wish the rest of the play was this good.

Don't see it if Most of play is slow, with monologues & amateurish acting. Way too long at 2 hours 15 minutes; would work far better at 90 minutes.

See it if you're interested in a drama that takes place during the civil rights era.

Don't see it if you avoid deliberately-paced, realistic plays lacking magic realism, fanciful staging, and eccentric characters .

Also Act 1 92, Act 2 68. I admired Act 1’s energy & the author’s ability to have 4 characters credibly onstage (so many plays, no matter how many characters, consist of 2-person scenes). But Act 2 limps. Is it because Bowzie ends up in jail not interacting with the other 3, despite his grim letters (monologues in disguise except for 1 phone call) that no one reads? Or because Evelyn’s kiss seems like authorial contrivance? Or because in 1961 Evelyn wouldn’t know who’s calling & therefore not know it's Bowzie? Or because the night club scene is entertaining but dramatically inert? Maybe it’s that the main plot of Act 1 (Bowzie’s decision to become a freedom rider) devolves into a subplot in Act 2, where the pedestrian subplot of Act 1 (Tony’s infidelity) takes precedence. Act 2 feels desultory & the play unfinished. Bowzie returns a man clearly changed by his experience as a freedom rider-that change would be examined in Act 3, which of course doesn’t exist.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a mix of domestic drama and historical weight, or if you want to watch characters struggle to grow as people.

Don't see it if you can't with so-so Southern accents, slightly meandering writing, or fairly conventional (but still effective) staging.

See it if You love excellent acting and are interested in U.S. history -- and if you want to think about how the past lives on, shaping the present.

Don't see it if you're not interested in thinking about 1961 or the complexities of U.S. history