#Blessed (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Part of FringeNYC: In the wake of an act of violence committed by charismatic high school senior Michael against devout freshman Liana, a handful of teens try to piece together the irrefutable truth. Weaving ancient tradition with now, #Blessed is a modern day book of revelations.
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See it if You're excited to see new theatre by super talented young actors, writers and directors and don't mind some frank (real teen-like) language.
Don't see it if You're easily offended by edgy language.
See it if you want to experience an absorbing, unvarnished look at teenagers grappling with abuse and uncertainty.
Don't see it if you're close-minded and have forgotten what it's like to be young.
See it if You're interested in stories about hypocrisy in Christian communities regarding teen sexuality.
Don't see it if You're looking for anything in-depth or new regarding rape. This is a young playwright who only skims the surface of topics.
See it if You want to see a dramatic comedy You are interested in the struggles of teens You want to see amazing actor and actress
Don't see it if You have a problem with bad language
See it if you enjoy high school dramas.
Don't see it if you don't like modern themes/slang.
See it if Great writing and acting. Thought-provoking. Nuanced. Moving and resonant.
Don't see it if Close minded about religion or sex.
See it if You enjoy young people telling it like it is
Don't see it if You deny the rape culture that surrounds us
See it if #Blessed was thought provoking and very well acted. Am looking forward to watching these young people develop and grow artistically.
Don't see it if If you are looking for "fluffy" entertainment, this is not the show for you.
Critic Reviews (4)
"‘#Blessed’ should seem timely. Instead, Zoe Kamil’s drama plays out almost like a social guidance film from the 1950s. Although the play touches on questions that merit serious conversation, it is far too heavy-handed to be effective. Miranda Cornell’s direction is equally clunky, and the cast of 12 can sometimes barely be heard...While it’s wonderful to see young women exploring serious social issues, '#Blessed' needs serious tightening, refining and refocusing."
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"'#Blessed' blends the unexpected with the traditional, and proves that what is easy to perceive as strange or imperfect is truly what makes these characters perfect. Audience members of any faith or lack thereof will find it easy to climb onboard '#Blessed' with its lovable characters, haunting biblical interludes, catchy music, and 1980s-Molly-Ringwald-film vibe."
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"Despite being an important topic, the play doesn't offer anything we haven't already heard in similar themed plays…Overall, '#blessed' felt like an unfocused after school special...This is not an easy play to act. They are thin characters tackling a difficult topic...The last scene between Jesus and Liana is a ten-minute play that we'd want to see. It was Zoe Kamil's strongest writing. It just came too late. '#blessed' is a play very much in progress."
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"'#Blessed' has some trouble with pacing throughout...Whereas the first section of the play evokes the sensation of a trap slowly closing in on Liana, the second consists largely of characters confronting one another about information the audience already knows...Even so, the overall story of #Blessed certainly packs a punch, and while the play does not reconcile religion and the modern world for you, it leaves the door open for its characters, and its audiences, to find their own way through."
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