If I Forget NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (407)
See it if you love great drama. The relevance of the antisemitism theme is chilling. fabulous ensemble. great writing. One of my favorites
Don't see it if You are not interested in excellent drama.
See it if Really smart family drama w/multiple themes - Jewish self-image, politics, caring for aging parents, hidden family secrets. Superb acting.
Don't see it if I personally identified with so much of this play, but I wonder if a non-Jewish, non-middle aged person would be as engaged. Read more
See it if You want to see a show that takes you to some new conclusions in some rather well known territory. Great staging, acting, brilliant writing.
Don't see it if You're bored with human dramas, exploring what makes us tick or looking at yourself honestly and maybe not always liking what you see.
See it if You enjoy plays about dysfunctional family dynamics that deal with the Holocaust. The cast really delivered. I enjoyed it.
Don't see it if Politics and religion are not your bag. But aside from that, there's no good reason to not see it. Read more
See it if you might like an astonishingly good family play that finds the humor and lurking malice in end-of-life care and inheritance.
Don't see it if you don't want a heavy play. This one involves the Holocaust, suicide bombers, infidelity, failure, and character death. Read more
See it if Like the Humans. It's similar, but better
Don't see it if It's very easy to watch. If you enjoy good theatre at all you will enjoy this play. Read more
See it if you want to see a smartly written piece of theater that touches on so many powerful and important messages and themes
Don't see it if you can't handle intelligent plays that make you think Read more
See it if you're a fan of family dramas and quality acting. Shamos, Walsh, Dizzia, and the cast are at the top of their game.
Don't see it if you're an anti-Semite.
Critic Reviews (37)
"There are layers upon layers of plot, themes, and revelations in Steven Levenson’s new play now being given an immaculately acted production...Indeed, if the play occasionally feels overstuffed, and even slightly derivative, it also manages to be incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking, hilarious and sad, and highly personal and highly political...This extraordinary ensemble deserves not to fade from memory."
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"These are not really likable people nor are their circumstances believable. They are neurotic, bitchy and cruel...The show is wonderfully cast, with Mr. Shamos taking the helm. The direction by Daniel Sullivan’s keeps the material moving and has a sensitive touch. Mr. Levenson does have a way with dialogue, which is like a roller coaster. The problem with 'If I Forget' is it crashes and burns to a strange halt. Also some of the plot lines are highly implausible."
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"A very funny play...The humor lies between what’s said and what’s meant and the history that the latter reveals...The miraculous thing about Levenson’s talent is that he makes us understand the Fischers’ private code...'If I Forget' is packed with revelations, but Levenson is so expert with his exposition that the pregnancy, the online affair, the mental breakdown, the career implosion, and the exploding debts never turn into soap opera. To tell more would be a mistake. An amazing play."
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"Steven Levenson, currently represented by the excellent libretto for 'Dear Evan Hansen,' demonstrates that he is a powerful dramatist as well with 'If I Forget'...Director Daniel Sullivan does his customarily incisive job...Levenson combines rivalries, religion, technology, illness, money and even hanging chads into a bubbling jumble of guilt, jealousy, remembrance and soap opera, resulting in a juicy melting pot of drama, comedy and realistic family strife."
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“There’s enough plot for three plays. On the positive side, the play presents a compelling picture of family dynamics, fortunately relieved by frequent flashes of humor. It raises important questions about Jewish identity in America today that seem even more relevant in the light of recent headlines. The dialogue is sharp and the cast is excellent…Daniel Sullivan directs with his usual skill.”
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"A family drama rich in both laughs and angst...Levenson is skilled at mixing seriousness with laugh lines and that renders 'If I Forget' consistently entertaining. Sullivan’s direction makes the most of the comic elements, abetted by performers who extract the maximum out of Levenson’s brittle dialogue and observations...Unfortunately, the author goes astray on occasion...Flaws aside, this family drama comes across in its way as vital and enjoyable."
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"Levenson manages to tell a compelling story. That's in part because he has an ear for the way regular people speak to one another...But it's also because Levenson has the ability to talk about complex issues without sounding preachy...Levenson does throw too much into the plot with subsidiary story lines...But the stellar cast director Dan Sullivan has assembled, and skillfully directs, makes it all go down easy."
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"It’s a somewhat muddled play, and parts of it are not quite believable, but Steven Levenson’s acidly funny script, Daniel Sullivan’s keen direction and three terrific performances make it a very fulfilling evening of theater...'If I Forget' is a play with flaws – the final scene is, unfortunately, the weakest of the evening – but I was involved in it from beginning to end."
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