Growing Up Fundie (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (13)
See it if Best thing I saw all weekend at Fringe. What a shocking story Ms. Arnold tells--I expected comedy, but this goes much deeper.Truly compellin
Don't see it if you're a home schooling, cult-living fundamentalist
See it if You have issues with organized religion and patriarchal systems of oppression.
Don't see it if It's hard to watch someone using humor to tackle extremely difficult and triggering topics.
See it if you want to learn more about fundamentalism, and why it gives you the creeps.
Don't see it if you think your cult is "the right one."
See it if you want a fresh perspective, have ever felt isolated or stuck, are curious, need the feels.
Don't see it if you are super conservative, closed minded and sensitive to sexual topics / taboos
See it if You had a difficult childhood and want to relate, or had an easy childhood and want a sense of appreciation for how tough it could have been
Don't see it if You live in "safe space" world and think things need "trigger warnings"...sigh...
See it if You want to know what it's like to have lived in a cult.
Don't see it if You are sensitive to topics related to religion or sex.
See it if you have the guts and soul to participate in a deep and beautiful exploration of the human experience in profoundly troubled circumstances.
Don't see it if don't like to laugh, because this show is not only moving, but uproariously hilarious. I've never laughed so much at a play.
See it if you enjoy being challenged and having new experiences. She delivers a raw and honest reflection on a life that I didn't know existed.
Don't see it if .....you should just see it. But be advised that you will be uncomfortable (in a great, challenging way).
Critic Reviews (2)
“Funny and poignant—but not fully realized...The play is at its best when it delves into the residual impact of being raised in an insular bubble, rife with fear of outsiders and brimming with deprivation. When Arnold zeroes in on these truths, rather than rehashing commonly understood facts about Christian fundamentalism, ‘Growing Up Fundie’ commands attention and provokes thoughtful reflection on faith, organized religion, and male domination.”
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"FringeNYC at its purest, which is to say that it’s a holy mess...The show could still use some work. Director Laura Hooper has Arnold dashing all over the place, in and out of the lighting, off stage and back, haphazardly…Arnold’s persona wavers between stand-up comic with a forced delivery, and deeply personal confessor. There is too much weight for her to get off of her chest in a mere basement show at a Fringe Festival. She seemed close to tears at the end, and not in a good way."
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