In its exploration of many retellings of a story from Western China, this new work probes the slipperiness of what we call truth, where reality and fiction each have an angle, and no metaphor comes without an agenda. More…
"[Veil Widow Conspiracy]" is built around nested versions of a story from 1922 Xinjiang in Western China: a political murder mystery dramatized in a 2010 big budget Hollywood film, then amended via DVD extra interviews with the cast and crew, in censorship negotiations with the Chinese government, and finally by two lovers in a futuristic, dystopian Brooklyn, without the means to watch the film, one describing it to the other by memory in the dark.
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... 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... 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... 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.... 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 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 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 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 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 compellin... 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.