When It's You
About the show
Keen Company presents the world premiere of Courtney Baron's one-person play about gun violence in contemporary America. More…
Ginnifer is single, 37, and has just lost her mother to illness. She moves back to her hometown and learns her first love in high school is now at the center of a violent crime. Ginnifer must confront her relationship to the heinous act as well as her changing place in society, all while living in her dead mother's home. Timely and frank, 'When It’s You' tackles one of the most vexing issues our country faces today.
“Reeder powerfully performs this 70-minute solo play…Baron very skillfully imparts all of the pieces of information in precise increments...The result is an engrossing depiction of Ginnifer, as well as a measured but clear support of gun control…The writing though is so accomplished that it could succeed just as a theatrical portrait without that plot point or any political agenda. It’s also a fine vehicle for an excellent actress and it has that with Reeder…'Totally absorbing.” Full Review
"Reeder does an impressive job circling around this subject, mixing in all the other questions, denials, and curiosities that are running scattered around her brain...At times the story, directed by Jonathan Silverstein, could use more drama or try to engage us on a deeper level, but this is also part of the story...I’m not sure if this story didn’t fall a bit short in general, missing a chance to really dig down into something powerful." Full Review
“Baron's script is full of striking observations…The weakness of ‘When It's You’—and it's a pretty big one—is that the pleasures it offers are largely those of fine prose...We follow Ginnifer's progress toward a bleak sort-of realization with avid interest, but the climax that Baron supplies simply isn't as dramatic as it should be...I was never bored watching 'When It's You,' but I also kept thinking it would make an even more powerful novella.” Full Review
“By the time the piece concludes, we can be forgiven for feeling like we've been part of a grief counseling session listening patiently to a member's lengthy account of her trauma and what she's learned from it...The narrative...isn't especially novel or interesting...While not much of a play,...'When It's You' offers Ana Reeder an extended acting exercise in which she offers a lovingly constructed performance, one that fully captures the emotional toll of Ginnifer's experiences.” Full Review
“An intriguing premise, but ultimately, the play’s purpose feels as tangled and unclear as the ‘ball of yarn’ metaphor Ginnifer invokes when attempting to untangle her own life…Ana Reeder’s performance, directed by Jonathan Silverstein, lends the play more nuance. Playing up the guilt and grief felt by Ginnifer, Reeder builds a convincing flow between the many topics she covers. She lends weight to the play’s most introspective moments.” Full Review
"Baron’s engaging if tepid drama...As directed by Jonathan Silverstein, Reeder's delivery is deliberate but casual. We believe her. But for all her candor and a sprinkling of embarrassing factoids, there’s no aha! moment: no meaningful revelation or flash of insight. Her tale of Jason peaks in a burst of carnage; her own story is flat...Ginnifer’s character is well-writ and well-played, but she doesn’t learn or grow or catch us off-guard. She ends the play pretty much where she started." Full Review
“Why is she telling us this? That’s one of those critical questions that unfailingly sound grumpy and pedagogical, yet I never did figure out the answer. I don’t think Ms. Baron did either…This is a cold production, and maybe that’s intentional…But I kept wondering how much more sense Ginnifer’s meandering confidences might make if we were huddled close in a more intimate room. Seemingly foiled by the remove, Ms. Reeder races through the text.” Full Review
“With a topic so timely, it's a shame that this one-act solo play lacks a sufficiently compelling plot and the dramatic heft to contribute to a serious discussion of one of the most dire problems facing our society today…Reeder gives a wonderfully nuanced performance…This, unfortunately, is not enough to lift the play out of the doldrums of Baron's slowly paced plotting…Like a sputtering engine, the story doesn't leap into gear until the revelatory ending.’” Full Review
"Reeder is empathetic and nuanced as a Texas gal with a light drawl and a friendly manner...Ginnifer's skimming introspective search results in a bland play directed by Jonathan Silverstein that moves with slow determination but little flow and no anchor to truth. 'I may be alone, but I am not without purpose. I’m going to have direction.' She sounds determined but Courtney Baron's play does not make an encouraging case." Full Review
"Reeder is a skilled performer. She is so well rehearsed that she sounds totally spontaneous. She gives her character infinite texture and subtle nuance. But this is not enough to keep the play from becoming a victim of its confessional nature...It's certainly a pleasure watching Reeder ply her trade. But one wishes she were dealing with better raw material." Full Review
“Any show that takes on this topic has to walk a narrow line, paying homage to the pain the real-life tragedies caused without exploiting them and attempting to provide insight into the incomprehensible. The Keen Company's production of ‘When It's You’ fails to meet both tests…The character actress Ana Reeder does what she can with the part but it's thin gruel and the 70 minutes it took for her to get through it seemed endless.” Full Review
See it if You appreciate a fantastic one woman show about dealing with grief.
Don't see it if You don't like monologue-based shows, or if talking about gun violence is triggering for you.
See it if You enjoy a single actor telling an intricate story that starts out funny and becomes increasingly heartbreaking.
Don't see it if You dislike monologues and minimal staging. You need visuals when hearing a story.
See it if you want a relevant play for our times for gun violence.
Don't see it if you expect great staging.
See it if You are interested in individual emotions and relationships. A unique story well written.
Don't see it if If you preferred light dramas or musicals
See it if YOU LIKE A NARRATIVE ABOUT WHAT CONFUSION CAN BE LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE CONFLICTING FEELINGS ABOUT A DEADLY SITUATION.
Don't see it if IF YOU WANT PIZZAZZ AND OTHER BASIC THINGS THAT NORMALLY ACCOMPANY A PLAY.
See it if you want to marvel at the charisma, skill and power of Ana Reeder; if you are interested in dramatic potential of the one-person play genre
Don't see it if you need plays (even/esp 1-person plays) to have a some kind of dramatic structure and narrative urgency (beyond empathy & topicality)
See it if Baron's attempt at understanding the psychology of a mass murderer is a mixed bag A tour-de-force solo performance from Reeder helps a lot
Don't see it if Double strand of parental death and former boy friend's massacre seldom moves us enough We never feel the carthesis that Reeder does
See it if If you don't already know much about how someone can personally be effected by gun violence
Don't see it if You despite bad, cliched narrative of a solo act, that doesn't Truly give New insight
See it if You don't mind a one woman show talking about gun violence and how it affected her. You don't mind simple staging. You want to hear a story.
Don't see it if You need elaborate staging. You don't like narratives. You don't want to hear a story about gun violence and how it affected this person.
See it if You want to see a monologue...flat. Good acting , but monotone, no expression. Serious stuff.
Don't see it if You want fun entertainment. This is serious. Stage set is one chair and one woman!
See it if You want a one-woman show talking about gun violence, you want to hear a story
Don't see it if One-person shows aren't your thing, if discussions of gun violence are upsetting or boring
See it if you like monologues.
Don't see it if You want more meaning and depth to your theater experience.
See it if you enjoy a one-person show
Don't see it if substance and relevance is important to you
See it if you'd enjoy seeing a conversation about gun control from a new angle
Don't see it if there are a lot of irrelevant tangents and the play's conclusions aren't particularly original or profound
See it if You like one woman shows. If you want to hear a middle age woman whine about a past romance. If you like Ana Reeder.
Don't see it if You like scenery. Only one chair. If you want a cast. One woman. If you want an exciting thoughtful story. This goes no where.
See it if You enjoy one person shows with a deep, somewhat disturbing storyline. Acting was good.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy or appreciate one person show with some upsetting dialogue.
See it if You enjoy solo work, Obie Winner Ana Reeder and a storying that just keeps unraveling -- you could have heard a pin drop all 90 minutes!
Don't see it if You are expecting orchestra and show tunes.
See it if You enjoy a one person show.
Don't see it if You need more than one actor in a show.
See it if If u like boring
Don't see it if If u want to see a better show
See it if A one-woman show is your cup of tea. It is about how gun-violence unexpectedly affects strangers and surprises loved ones.
Don't see it if You expect to see more than one person on stage. There is no 4th wall to keep the audience at bay.
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