Too Heavy for Your Pocket

See it if Great significant story and storytelling. Touching and poignant. Great acting and beautiful set. Important.

Don't see it if you don't care about issues of race and class struggle.

See it if You want to see great performances in an intimate space. Characters are well written & easily draw you into this moving story.

Don't see it if You are looking to see something that is light and fluffy.

See it if While one man risks his life to join the Freedom Riders, his wife and best friends struggle with their relationships. Well acted.

Don't see it if You don't want to see people trying to cope with differences in their values. Intentionally "too heavy"?

Also The civil rights setting was valuable to see in this personal way.

See it if Interesting & uncharted look a civil rights movement via 'common folks' viewpoint Well acted & crafted (on downhome set) w/great soundscape

Don't see it if Despite the class issues influencing the characters, author Holder allows the plot to slide into soap opera Still compelling but unsatifying

See it if you like new plays, interested in African-American playwrights, appreciate well-directed, well-acted productions with integrity

Don't see it if You're not interested in African-American plays, have issues dealing with the freedom riders and civil rights movement, prefer the classics

See it if does a fabulous job of getting atmospherics behind 1961 black middle class life/strong women, weak men; gospel singing animates; strong cast

Don't see it if plot predictable; playwright can't figure out where to take the story in 2nd act; motivation 4 freedom fighting expressed in hackneyed terms

See it if you're looking for a drama about people's relationships set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and the Freedom riders.

Don't see it if you're expecting more of a historical play. This is more of a human play that is set amidst history.

See it if you want to experience the work of a new writer, Jiréh Breon Holder. Also, Margot Bordelon's direction makes great use of the space.

Don't see it if you are not interested in plays with political/historical themes.

See it if you want to see a fine ensemble cast in an earnest well-meaning work about an important topic, with lots of ins and outs and ups and downs.

Don't see it if you'll be confused by tangential red herring plot lines, or a story that, while wrought w/ emotion, doesn't satisfy as it might.

Also With its staid style of storytelling, the piece has the feel of a classic instead of a new work, but there's too much thrown into the mix, which muddies the message.... Read more Read less

See it if Wow! Wow wow wow! What performances! A small story that personalizes an important event in American history.

Don't see it if This show was amazing. Only those with no heart at all could fail to be moved.

See it if You want to see well trained actors like colts out of the barn settle into a mature, touching, heart felt play. Song naturalistically arise

Don't see it if You wouldnt be here if race was an issue.

Also These 4 characters were drawn so distinctively that you feel as if you know them, even if the language and setting were different you know these characters. The acting is wonderful, tho Bowzie was at turns mesmerizing, excessive, pitch perfect. Bowzie is the meat and heart of this play. I wanted his turn in the jail to be less fearful and more uplifting-- its nice that he felt that his children's lives would have been changed by his experience bu I would have liked him to have expressed more personal value. His friend Sallie is our surrogate, having the clarity to see the value in Bowzie's choices, but I found her unsympathetic.
I loved Evelyn and was always riveted to her nuances. I cant wait to see her again. Her character seemed the densest and most dimensional.
Tony had the hardest role but the slow reveal in which he finally opens up to wanting to be seen as a man is perfect.... Read more Read less

See it if if you like well-developed stories about racial issues or about marital relationships, blue collar workers and difficult friendships.

Don't see it if if you do not like stories which examine struggles, whether economical, marital or racial, and you prefer happy easy-going stories.

See it if An intense story of two couples living in Tenn in 1961. Their lives are beginning to be impacted by the freedom demonstrations. Well acted!

Don't see it if If you prefer light dramas or musicals.

See it if if you want to see a show that celebrates an important part of the civil rights movement with criticism

Don't see it if you don't want to see how the author got to know his characters - should be a 75 min one act.

See it if you are interested in US race issues, enjoy characters that one can identify with, care about and analyze, excellent direction and acting.

Don't see it if you dislike serious study of people laboring to overcome difficult problems with interrelationships, minority status and economic struggle.

See it if You like plays with historical context. You like seeing the personal stories of characters lived during these times.

Don't see it if You want more action than words, you have no patience of the small Everyman deciding if or how to put his mark on history.

Also I knew about the Freedom Riders. I knew how hard the struggle for integration was.

But I never felt the palpable fear and danger of joining the rides and marches as much as I experienced it last night.... Read more Read less

See it if Fine acting and staging are sufficient to overcome shallow writing.

Don't see it if Incisive writing is a necessity for you to see or enjoy a play.

See it if you want to see four outstanding black actors in a play written about the black experience in the 1960s but still relevant

Don't see it if you have no interest in the trials and motivations of two black families

See it if you want to see a wonderful, meaningful, well acted play.

Don't see it if you dislike stories about what Afro -Americans suffered in the US in the 1960's

Also Play is outstanding and shouldn't be missed.

See it if you want a play about two pairs of black friends struggles with living in 1961 Nashville. One of them decides to join the Freedom Riders.

Don't see it if if you don't care about seeing a play about black struggles or if you don't know or care to know anything about the Freedom Riders impacts.

See it if you want to discover a new playwright exploring some fresh aspects of the Freedom Rides; want to enjoy a quartet of mostly unknown actors

Don't see it if you're impatient with soap opera elements (though rooted in specifics of time and place, they remain stereotypical); you want a resolved end

See it if you want to see an intelligent, human story of African Americans in 1961 Nashville with interesting characters.

Don't see it if you want a light entertainment.

See it if you enjoy deep full characters and stories about serious political issues.

Don't see it if you are looking for light and fluffy.

See it if You want to see a very VERY well acted new work!

Don't see it if You want to see a perfect product. It’s a pretty darn good show, but could use some material tightening.

See it if you're interested in significant subjects like civil rights, economic struggles, and marital stress. The acting and singing is superb.

Don't see it if you prefer light comedies or musicals. This is a serious play addressing serious issues in a thoughtful way.