The Healing NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (45)
See it if To become familiar with Samuel Hunter - who writes about modern alienation from family, community and faith & the need to connect
Don't see it if You need a break from tense relationships Read more
See it if you want to see one of America's best playwrights serving great material through terrific actors who don't get enough opportunities
Don't see it if you don't like Samuel D. Hunter plays. Because this is definitely one of his.
See it if I just love supporting "Theatre Breaking Through Barriers" and all that they stand for... So I'll ALWAYS recommend and support
Don't see it if Not disable-friendly
See it if You like terrific heartfelt writing and inclusive themes and casting.
Don't see it if Slower paced text heavy plays bore you
See it if You are interested in characters coming to grips with the death of a friend and their different views on faith.
Don't see it if You would like more humor and wit to complement the serious subject matter.
See it if you'd love to experience superb naturalistic acting by a largely hidden segment of the acting community: the disabled, & you like dramas
Don't see it if you are not a fan of slow-paced plays (even though the slow pace is due to well-crafted naturalistic acting and scriptwriting)
See it if you want an absorbing play dealing with people with whom you usually do not come into contact.
Don't see it if actors with disabilities might upset you. Though, you should experience this wonderful cast.
See it if You are ready for a frank discussion of religious faith and its impact on young minds. Issues of personal responsibility arise as well.
Don't see it if You are squeamish about religious beliefs and/or death.
Critic Reviews (19)
"A moving, beautifully acted new drama…Mr. Hunter writes with lively humor and grace, depicting the awkwardness and grief that hover in the air among Zoe’s friends…All of the characters with disabilities are drawn with layered naturalness; you quickly forget that they face challenges most people do not as their exchanges focus on issues that affect everyone…Although its temperature remains fairly sedate, 'The Healing' rises to a quiet emotional climax."
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"A thoughtful and affecting new drama...The actors perform with tremendous ease in their complicated bodies…There is humor in the play, notably from Mary Theresa Archbold as the grouchy Laura and David Harrell as the kind, gay Donald. But there are also moments of defensiveness, anger and judgment. It’s a sensitive portrait of wounded people moving, with difficulty but also with some help, toward forgiveness."
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"A smart and sensitive piece about the harm done to vulnerable people in the name of religion…Although he tends to dry up when switching from two-character scenes to ‘crowd’ scenes of three or more, Hunter keeps us involved in the confessional material. Unfortunately, the storytelling drags under Stella Powell-Jones’ plodding direction — although to be fair, the stage is a bit small to handle two wheelchairs."
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"Authors are always looking to bring something new to this dramatic territory. In his arresting new drama 'The Healing,' playwright Samuel D. Hunter does just that, and it elevates the genre to new levels of emotional heights…All of the performances feel incredibly well-developed...In the central role, DeVido is simply mesmerizing, imbuing Sharon with the right amount of guilt…'The Healing' deftly blends humor and sadness."
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"With remarkable economy and not a hint of sentimentality, Hunter sketches in the characters and the ways they are relate to each other…Hunter writes plays that present a highly nuanced view of religion...He never dismisses his characters' spiritual hungers...Under the meticulous direction of Stella Powell-Jones, the cast convincingly creates one of those circles of friends who can easily take up with each other, no matter how long they have been apart."
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“The performers are good...Stella Powell-Jones has staged simply but declaratively, on a cramped but homey set...Unfortunately, these handsome elements have not found a script worthy of their polish. Hunter's writing trades thoroughly on clichés - many of them his own...The one-sidedness his writing displays makes it impossible for it to encourage a greater conversation about the role faith can or should assume in our lives...A rant's a rant, no matter how prettily it's dressed up.”
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“‘The Healing’ is a sensitive study of friends
living with disabilities and shared unhappy memories. Its weakness is that
it is too understated like an example of cinema verité that has not been
truly shaped as a piece of drama. Director Stella Powell-Jones has obtained
beautiful performances from her cast at the same time that her pacing seems
lacking in dynamism. It is to be hoped that Hunter will revise this version
for the next production into a more compelling drama.”
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"A moving play that showcases a talented ensemble of actors...Hunter finds that perfect balance between humor and sadness that exists in life and the believable dialogue reflects that...‘The Healing’ is a true ensemble piece and it's difficult to single anyone out, but it's more Sharon's story than anyone else's. DeVido is hilarious...But she is also heartbreaking...The only one in the cast that I'd seen before is McGinty, but I hope to see them all again."
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