See it if You want a well written dark look at marriage and family.
Don't see it if you need more than strong dialogue to be entertained.
See it if you like shows about marital strife. This one is evocative of both "Gaslight" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf".
Don't see it if you dislike bare sets (this one isn't completely bare, but it comes close) or if you can't handle one or two overly long monologues.
See it if you are a fan of John Douglas Thompson, who gives yet one more great performance in a challenging role!
Don't see it if you don't like really intense tragedy.
See it if misreviewed.
Don't see it if ....
See it if Riveting production , deftly directed,brilliant performance by J.D. Thompson and outstanding Maggie Lacey, and cast. Powerful,relevant!
Don't see it if Strindberg's view on marriage and the sexes don't engage you.
See it if you want to see a great performance (by John Douglas Thompson), you like Strindberg or interested in his response to A Doll's House
Don't see it if you're in the mood for something light and fluffy. There are moments of humor, but this play is delivered in a dramatic, serious way
See it if You never saw a Strindberg play. Strindberg was a contemporary of Ibsen, and wrote this reacting to "A Doll's House". V. good, Ibsen wins.
Don't see it if No interest in Strindberg/Ibsen, or traveling to Brooklyn.
See it if You are in a serious mood
Don't see it if if you want something light and cheery
"As wonderful as these supporting characters are, the spotlight goes to the main couple at the center of the play. In one moment purring at each other and another with their claws out, Lacey and Thompson embody the myriad challenges of married life, and little of the joys. It’s messy, it’s unromantic, and it’s real. It also serves to hold a mirror up to the boxes both women and men were put into back in the late 19th century, and perhaps still are."
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"‘The Father’ and ‘A Doll’s House’ are always worth revisiting, and the idea of pairing these two modern classics about marriage is commendable. For all their flaws, the productions are consistently viewable and smoothly done. They're accessible and thoughtful but—aside from the magnetic Thompson—neither is particularly memorable; perhaps, in fact, that's somewhat to their credit."
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"A gem of a play…The acting ensemble delivers the goods…Thompson, as the Captain, balances his performance with displays of hubris early on and then the desolation of a man suffering a severe mental breakdown. Lacey portrays the Captain’s wife Laura with all the ruthlessness of Lady Macbeth…Arbus does a double slam-dunk by staging these two 19th-century works in rotation. With a fine acting ensemble, this theatrical event is a must-see."
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"Theatre for a New Audience presents the two works in repertory to great effect…Thompson’s performance as the Captain is a particular tour de force, taking him from an outwardly stern and commanding person to one tormented by passion and the continual destruction of his dreams...Lacey plays Laura to perfection….Arin Arbus’s direction works well here, especially in terms of building the tension of who will be found ultimately in the wrong…Very well done indeed."
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"I am still experiencing emotional aftershocks from the ground shifting so suddenly beneath my feet. It stings and aches and takes you completely by surprise...The thrill, the shock, the surprise, the horror, the recognition, and the sorrow are ignited by the masterful and astounding performances by Maggie Lacey and John Douglas Thompson."
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"An intimate engagement with powerful emotions…Thompson creates the tortured angst twisted with authority of this complex and intriguing character…The doctor in ‘The Father’ could be taken for a wimp, but Gore shows us his courage when he listens carefully to both sides of an argument, and appears to be swayed only by reason…Laurie Kennedy as the captain's childhood nurse stands out in her delicate, moving performance as both mother and savior of her now grown charge."
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"Gripping and resonant...As played by Lacey, Laura in 'The Father' is not a mere villain or even a plotting, revenge-driven woman. The suffocating atmosphere of her house, and her husband’s insufferable superiority, enhance the feeling of claustrophobia that permeates the production...Especially affecting are how the conclusions of plays are staged, with scenes that are both haunting and damning of the characters and offer new perspectives that blur the lines of good and evil."
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"Unlike Ibsen’s proto-feminist case for liberation, Strindberg asserts here that women have always been the stronger...Lacey’s convincing Laura is Nora as an utter adult. And Thompson certainly gets his chance here to release all emotional safety...This is modern domestic drama of the highest caliber, played exceptionally well, and presented in a program that will leave you discussing it for days."
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