Aubergine NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (163)
See it if you want to be deeply moved - the ending of this play made my cry more than any other show or movie I've seen all year.
Don't see it if you'd get impatient with a slowly moving story. There's literally 2 hours between an otherwise unconnected opening monologue and its payoff.
See it if You enjoy plays about family, food, and how it all intertwines.
Don't see it if You are uncomfortable with heavier themes of death and revelations of the self.
See it if you want to see a poignant and enlightening play about death and dying, but mostly about living and loving, as well as the meaning of meals
Don't see it if you are not interested in a lyrical, steady-moving, play dealing with the special ways a Korean family shows its love, family, and loss.
See it if You like thought provoking plays about family strife and coping with an ailing parent. Lovely acting, solid writing.
Don't see it if You don't like a non linear plot, or if you don't like monologue-heavy shows. Some parts were confusing and took awhile to be resolved.
See it if It's a serious drama about food, love, life, and death. Truly original. There are some genius moment. Although it can use some modification.
Don't see it if If you don't like the subject matter (death), or if on-stage subtitles turn you off
See it if Enjoyable and relatable story about family relationships with some great moments
Don't see it if The framing sequences were irrelevant and the first act was slow for me. Overall it could have been 30 minutes shorter
See it if you enjoy stories from perspectives/of experiences unlike your own. You want to salivate over the playwright's & actors' use of language.
Don't see it if u prefer more action/less talk. Strong emphasis on comm. (dialogue btwn characters & direct addresses to audience). Waxing philosophical.
See it if you're a foodie. Or if you enjoy exploring the topic of death and how it affects us. I loved this play. Beautiful performances.
Don't see it if you're going to expect everything to make logical sense. There's an air of magical realism here. It worked for me.
Critic Reviews (31)
"For a play about the salubrious effects of good food, 'Aubergine' could use a little spicing up…It's not bad, but it's certainly not flavorful…A certain falsity sets in, and it is never fully dispelled…’Aubergine’ has a fair number of funny, perceptive, and touching aspects, but, ultimately, it feels too polite, too obviously calculated to provide a sense of uplift, too determined to scrub its central situation of anything too ugly or disturbing. Real life is messier than this."
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"Cho's beautiful and immensely sensitive new play...There's so much to chew on here that the occasional misstep barely registers. From family to faith to redemption to, of course, food, Cho deconstructs and dissects every conceivable element of who we are and how we got here until she has painted a sprawling portrait of humanity from the inside out...It's way more than interesting—it's one of the most gorgeous and unforgettable plays of the year."
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"An engaging and universal work that unevenly blends reality with mysticism. The characters are all very well delineated and the dialogue is flavorful and realistic… Repetitiveness and a preoccupation with profundity sidetrack its effectiveness…Director Kate Whoriskey realizes ‘Aubergine’s’ dramatic potential with her steady staging and the sensitive and compelling performances of the cast…’Aubergine’s’ unnecessary lapses into grandiosity ultimately do not mar its achievements."
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"A situation in which a dying, comatose man is center stage during most of the play isn't exactly the stuff of must-see dramas, but Kate Whoriskey directs sensitively and without rushing things. She draws equally sensitive performances from the six actors...A flaw that can't be reasoned away is that the playwright has overstuffed 'Aubergine's' menu. She makes her points too often and for too long which tends to rob the experience of a good deal of its flavor and energy."
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"Red alert! There’s an energy drain at Playwrights Horizons, where Julia Cho’s 'Aubergine' is currently in residence, and no one seems to know how to stop it. True, the play deals with dying, so a certain amount of lethargy is to be expected. But even death can be a catalyst for action, and director Kate Whoriskey hasn’t figured out how to get a charge from it or the play’s other themes...Whoriskey’s direction is competent but not inspired."
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"Julia Cho’s touching play has all the elements of comfort food: it’s a work that knows when to touch what button without being obvious or heavy-handed. The playwright expertly weaves in cultural elements without ever exoticizing the characters...Anchored by Kang’s sober, stoic performance, 'Aubergine,' only lags during its second act...Cho, and director Kate Whoriskey, stir their stew calmly, allowing the flavors to be released only as they chose to reveal themselves."
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"There’s plenty of magic simmering away at Playwrights Horizons with Julia Cho’s new play. Food, memories, attachments, and parent/child dynamics play powerful ingredients in this deeply felt piece, directed impeccably by Kate Whoriskey. It fills the theatrical air with such love and magic, but also with a taste of deep sadness and longing...A thoughtful and beautifully crafted play that takes us all, regardless of cultural upbringing, through a journey of familiar love and loss."
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"While the device can, at times, seem a bit contrived, strong performances and sensitive direction keep the play down to earth...Ultimately, Cho’s talent for tying narrative bows means that she occasionally leaves less room for ambiguity than 'Aubergine' probably needs. And the inclination to consistently resolve those threads through the lens of food can sometimes verge on the pat...But all told, 'Aubergine' is rarely over-sweet, and includes much to savor."
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