See it if You like shows that are intense and thought provoking this is for you
Don't see it if You don't like to contemplate how trauma would effect lives
See it if You want to see great acting and a story that we all need to hear. It is gut wrenching and touching and funny all at the same time.
Don't see it if Jersey Boys is your idea of high entertainment.
See it if you like important theatre.
Don't see it if you like light entertainment
See it if ...to be expertly transported to a world you wish does not exist but unfortunately does. Suddenly you are completely immersed, and helpless.
Don't see it if you have trouble understanding heavy accents or don't want a "downer"; but really, it's worth experiencing this production's deep humanity.
See it if you enjoy an heartwrenching story telling of a reality and amazingly done theater by women about women.
Don't see it if You only wanna see Lupita, cause everyone in the cast are amazing and great
See it if You want to see a wonderful play written, acted and directed by women, and you are open to one about Liberia
Don't see it if You have PTSD or assume this subject has to be depressing (it's actually powerful)
See it if You want to see the most culturally significant show on Broadway. See this play and understand what theater is meant to do.
Don't see it if You aren't interested in people with REAL problems. Think your life is hard? It's not always about you. Sit back and learn something.
See it if You like edgy, political dramas about timely events.
Don't see it if You don't like straight shows.
"It’s almost impossible to fault its intentions (if not always its execution) as a powerful piece of stagecraft...If the first half can sometimes feel too baggy and broadly-played, and the second almost seems to rush through its most affecting moments, the overall impact is still startling...'Eclipsed' does open a window on a world we rarely get to see this intimately, and they deliver it so gracefully that the play’s flaws feel less consequential than the resonating force of its story."
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"Gurira's drama occasionally meanders, losing momentum and character sharpness. Tommy's production, however, is exceptionally vivid...Original music and sound design and lighting help maintain the intensity of the drama even when the writing goes slack...This is an ensemble piece, not a star vehicle, but Nyong'o can't help standing out...Her plight is terrifying, and Nyong'o makes the tragedy achingly personal."
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"Danai Gurira’s brutal and harrowing drama depicting African women struggling to survive during Liberia’s civil war in 2003...'Eclipsed' is not an easy play to take in. It brings the audience uncomfortably close to a destructive environment. But it is an important one that brings attention to the ongoing plight of women in war-torn Africa. The performances are exceptional all around. The production (directed with graphic detail by Liesl Tommy) also has historical significance."
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"In the move from the Public Theater to the John Golden on Broadway, Danai Gurira's 'Eclipsed' has lost not-a-jot of intensity or shock. This hair-raising story of African women trying to survive the horrors of the 2003 Liberian Civil War is still a rousing call to action; but what action? That is what the drama is about...'Eclipsed' is the sort of play we should see every season, and more of, on Broadway: tough-minded, topical, and above all, made by women of color."
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"Too many playwrights seem content to linger on misery and Western complicity when considering the developing world, practically fetishizing the victimhood of their characters...Thankfully, Gurira refuses to traffic in such simplistic clichés. Instead, she shows the ways these women laugh, learn, fight, and persevere. Director Liesl Tommy follows suit with a clear-eyed production...'Eclipsed' is one of the best plays of the season, infinitely watchable and completely unforgettable."
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"Two women stand quietly at attention waiting to see whose turn it is to be raped...That heart-sinking scenario is witnessed several times in Danai Gurira's expertly tense and gripping 'Eclipsed,' a harrowing, but ultimately uplifting drama that, given the subject matter, is beautifully layered with warmth and humor...Liesel Tommy's excellent direction and the playwright's sensitive writing balances each argument evenly, presenting each woman to be heroic, and flawed, in her own way."
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"Despite this production's many virtues, it falls noticeably short of perfection. The natural problems that were evident when this production premiered have been amplified in a bigger Broadway house. Liesl Tommy's direction has an arid, even unhinged quality that leaves every scene's pacing just slightly off, as though everything is occurring on a two-second tape delay...Gurira has wrenched a dazzling, urgent drama that knows what it is, what it wants, and why it matters."
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"[A] strong ensemble of women, magnificently directed by Liesl Tommy...The play, transferred from the Public Theater’s 2015 knockout production, pays homage to Ms. Gurira’s exceptional talent as a playwright...The background African rhythms, colorful palette of lights against scenic design and vibrant costumes all enhance the emotional roller coaster that prevails throughout this two hour and 15 minute masterpiece...'Eclipsed' is a powerful send up to all women!"
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