[Veil Widow Conspiracy]

See it if A very wordy play that can be confusing at times. Good acting, costumes.

Don't see it if A performance that needs to be cut diwn and reworked.

See it if u have the patience to follow a story-within-a-story-within-a-story that's part historical fiction, part mystery, part apocalyptic fantasy.

Don't see it if you like your storytelling clear & concise; you're not looking for anything too cerebral, narrative-heavy, long-winded & meta.

Also There are -- buried beneath a ton of exposition, plots, and theatrical devices -- some really valuable messages, historical lessons, and weighty views on truth vs fiction. It is unfortunate that so much of this gets lost in the confusing, convoluted structure of the play. Even if you can get beyond the intricate construction, you may still be left feeling like the exercise had no real point in the end & leaves more questions than answers. Nonetheless, NAATC is a solid theatre company that presents well-staged, well-acted, provocative productions. This may not be their most successful, but it is still worth a look.... Read more Read less

See it if you would like to see good actors on a wonderful set dealing with a story within a movie in the future. Best to have knowledge of China.

Don't see it if you want a seamless play: multiple characters played by cast, difficult to understand parts of story, some voices need more projection.

See it if you relate to watching a dated movie plus the director’s commentary & discussing the circumstances under which the movie was made

Don't see it if uninterested in the complicated cultural baggage we bring in interpreting/judging foreign cultures or our own past

Also Great script with the 3 storylines clearly differentiated. The framing story’s 2 characters adequately set up the opposition between the appeal of fiction and the security of fact. The Veil Widow mystery itself is an intriguing whodunnit. The “behind the scenes” section is the most difficult and intense since it unpacks a flurry of perspectives/arguments/examples in enough time for you to hear them but not enough time to evaluate them. I think this uncertainty is beneficial. Many interesting questions around what gets included and what gets suppressed in the creation of a representation.

Art about Art can become tiresome, but I like that [VWC] acknowledges that creative choices—no matter how small—are intentional, often argued over, and passionately defended for the values they assume. The show questions whether the effort is even productive. It also values the ability to question at all.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in ambitious and creative storytelling, theme of truth, exploration of Chinese politics, some parts metatheatrical.

Don't see it if you're looking for a straightforward play or material that is lighter/less dense. Confusing at times, especially in the beginning,

See it if you want the author to tell you what his POV is in the first 15 min and then spend the next 1 1/2 hours explaining why he might be wrong

Don't see it if you want to see a coherent play

Also You can only score this in comparison to Rain Yuting He's "Where is My Mapletown" which manages to make all of the same points much more brilliantly and courageously. And Rain Yuting He does not even have the advantage of having English as her first language.

The author needs to serve his convictions. If he is really concerned about the direction of the country he needs to embrace that concern and not run from it. Rain Yuting He risked jail and even death to produce "Where is my Mapletown". All the author here risked was being accused of intolerance for oppressive regimes.... Read more Read less

See it if Under the metaphoric veil, stories shift because of money, politics, and power. How much do we believe what we're told?

Don't see it if Turducken (3 layers) story a bit confusing, probably can edit one layer out. Weaves educational material about an exploited part in China.

Also Diversity: Asian American cast except for 1 actor.
Ticket from Show Score for $5. Open seating.... Read more Read less

See it if You like shows that are very meta (a Russian doll of a story)

Don't see it if You want to be able to follow what's happening.

See it if you want to see something new and different.

Don't see it if you must know about the world the play takes place in or you don't like story-within-story shows.

Also If you do attend, I recommend getting there early and using the interactive lobby (they have QR codes set up) and reading some info on the region. It helped.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to support Asian artists that are injecting history into plays about the past and future.

Don't see it if You want an engaging story. The device of the movie (and DVD features) within a future piece wasn't very successful and seemed unnecessary.

See it if you'd like to support NAATCO and their important work.

Don't see it if you have a short attention span.

Also wonderful actors can't save this script. The first scene is fantastic and sets up an extremely intriguing world that you don't return to until the end of the play. The script spends the most time in the "movie" portion of this story, which is by far the least interesting.... Read more Read less

See it if you can suspend the need to understand what is going on and why. Interesting premise but too much going on. Good enough acting

Don't see it if you need or want resolution to a plot line. The things that make it interesting are ultimately the things that are confusing and frustrating

See it if Important ideas about culture clashes and political manipulation of mores and metaphors between China and US may draw you to this deep play.

Don't see it if If you need a little more meat on the bones of the political and cultural ideas being hinted at rather than clearly laid out and driven home

See it if You are really interested in Chinese history/stories. To the point that you can ignore mediocre acting.

Don't see it if You are easily confused by jumps in time in a plot.

Also I was really excited about this and the first scene definitely made me think I was in for a treat. But once the scene shifted to the past (1922 and 2010) I lost almost all interest. The acting and writing in the first scene were completely compelling and I wanted to know more. But thereafter there was at least one actor who was so over the top it hurt my brain. And nothing was as interesting.

The production itself was well done - costumes, sets, lighting were all terrific. But the acting just didn’t hold up.

I’d love to see something by this playwright that focused on the story of the 2 people in Brooklyn in 2035 without the rest of the story.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in exploring the notions of "truth," albeit in an unnecessarily complex structure that loses some of the impact.

Don't see it if multi-layered plot structures (esp in a 90 min show) put you off. Worth noting that a 90 min show probably shouldn't feel long...

See it if This play certainly had a lot of potential however it was too long, too preachy, confusing at times and in serious need of editing.

Don't see it if Youlike a more cogent fast paced story.

See it if into an epic, a seamlessly woven tale of China in 1922 and 2010, and future Brooklyn.

Don't see it if looking for something simple...

Also An admirable effort that leaves some issues unresolved. What is the deal with dystopian Bkln? Could the filming restart be presented in a clearer way, giving us a better idea about current China? Still - worthwhile.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in cultures and history told through a play within a play

Don't see it if You're looking for a straightforward story.

Also I don't understand these negative reviews from people that could not understand or follow this play. It is extremely layered and profound. An excellent cast... Read more Read less

See it if You like to be challenged by plays that ask questions. This show has an unusual narrative structure and questions truth vs. fantasy.

Don't see it if You like a clearcut story. The beginning and ending was confusing.

See it if the subject of China-US relations is interesting to you; you want to see a play about a film set in the 1920s; you want multi-levels of plot

Don't see it if you want a clear story (what's the deal with dystopian future Brooklyn? What's going on?)

See it if Questions about the value of storytelling and how stories can be used to challenge, give hope, indoctrinate, or rebel

Don't see it if the play tries to do a lot (3 different story lines/time periods) and thus comes across as muddy; stilted dialogue can feel like a lecture

See it if you're interested in remote cultures and history told through a creative political and philosophical lens

Don't see it if you find the intrusion of the play of ideas on the unfolding drama to be annoying. the playwright has done the necessary homework, but ...

Also that kind of erudition doesn't need to be on display to make compelling drama ...... Read more Read less

See it if A very cerebral play that grapples with ideas of what is real and what memory is. Solid, intelligent acting by a good cast.

Don't see it if You don't like non-liner plays that brings up more questions than answers.

See it if You like puzzles.

Don't see it if You have trouble with enigmatic writing.

See it if It examined the way in which it’s impossible to take action and comment on that action at the same time.It explored nested metaphor,history.

Don't see it if Disconcerting at first to be jerked in and out of the action. Horrific confrontation with how Now parallels some of worst times in history.