Incognito

[After Eight]

This show should be subtitled "Now, You're Talkin'!," because the performers talk up quite a storm: a ninety-minute storm of enervating, irritating ennui. On a drab, practically bare stage, dressed in drab apparel, a game cast of four slides in and out of multiple roles  while essaying different snippets of interwoven plot strands. None of it engages either one's interest or attention. The dullness is painful.

Plaudits go out to the to audience for its forbearance.

 

[vitamins]

I found this play fascinating, tough, and quite moving. Yes, there is a lot of talking, and they cover a lot of ground. For it being the 3rd preview, the show is already in remarkably good shape. The cast is tight, they obviously trust one another and Mr. Hughes a lot. 

Highly recommended. 

[LightsOut90]

super misdirected and messy, a real misfire and disappointment as I loved Constellations. 

[little_sally]

I'm still digesting this one but overall, I liked it. The acting is very good, and I was very interested and engaged throughout. I was, however, expecting a bit more closure at the end and was disappointed  with the ending. Still, this was one of the better offerings by MTC this season.

[iluvtheatertrash]

I read the play a year ago and thought it was sublime. Was incredibly excited to see it..... And wound up HATING it. 

When I read it, I had no idea there were only 4 actors. It read so beautifully as a fully-staged play with one actor for each role. I was so disappointed to learn that it would be performed with such a gimmick. And the gimmick, I think, really hurts the play itself. 

Does anyone know if this is how it was done in London? It just feels so lazy and cheap, even if the actors ARE terrific.

[little_sally]

iluvtheatertrash, what about there only being 4 actors hurt the play for you?

[Borstalboy]

Characters talking?  During a play??  Unforgivable! 

[little_sally]

Borstalboy said: "Characters talking?  During a play??  Unforgivable! 


I can never understand the complaint that plays are too "talky."

 

[tazber]

Wait, actors actually talked during a play?

 

No wonder HA8 didn't care for it.

[PJPan]

I love Geneva Carr, I love Charlie Cox, but good lord this play...I think I've realized that I don't like Nick Payne's work. It tries to be scientific and cerebral and, to me, tries to seem smarter than it actually as. I felt the same way about Constellations: even though I found the performances wonderful, I just could not get into the story at all. Payne overuses the gimmick of repeated scenes - which, I understand why he uses them/what he's trying to accomplish - in place of actually developing the characters he's established.

[After Eight]

"I can never understand the complaint that plays are too "talky.""

 

I understand it. It means the verbiage spouted on stage was neither dramatic nor compelling. That was sadly the case here.
 

[Mr Roxy]

Maybe it would be better if they make a musical out of it.

[jbird5]

Was that the Macarena? God that was painful.

[WhizzerMarvin]

I really like Geneva Carr, but I hated Constellations and especially hated If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet. 

I usually try to stay open-minded enough to visit new works by authors I haven't cared for in the past, but these last two plays were doozies. 

Will Incognito change my mind or is it more of the same? Is it worth it just to see Carr even if you didn't enjoy the play as a whole?

[After Eight]

"Will Incognito change my mind or is it more of the same?"

 

More of the same, only worse.

[jbird5]

I went to see it for Geneva and my answer would be no. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Thank you both!

[Scarywarhol]

Nick Payne wrote the single worst play that I have ever seen, Wanderlust at the Royal Court's upstairs, and I was shocked to see him become a major New York presence. I saw If There Is... without knowing he wrote it, and thought it was pretty poor as well, but at least had great performances. Maybe he his improved...

[Owen22]

I had only seen Charlie Cox in "Theory of Everything".  His performance in "Incognito"...dear God that man is talented. I mean gorgeous too, but he is an amazing, amazing actor.  His physicality when delineating the many people he plays!!   When Geneva Carr is the only the third best actor in a four actor piece you can tell the caliber you are dealing with.  The play is moving in the same way Payne took a scientific approach to love in "Constellations". It seems he is moving away from Stoppard-lite into his own genre. The play isn't perfect, the main through-line is the true story of a scientist who steals Einstein's brain after performing the autopsy. That doesn't work very well, but everything around it and the connecting stories are beautiful and quite moving. 

[TheaterGeek37]

I have never been to the venue and want to see if now that it has extended. Did any of you stage door? Where is it? Thank you!

[TheaterGeek37]

bump

[PThespian]

I have to admit I was a little sleepy the day I went to see it , and my mind wondered a bit. 

That's the kiss of death with a show that has so many intertwined, time jumping stories in it. 

It didn't take long for me to get somewhat confused, and start looking at my watch, but ultimately I did enjoy the cumulative effect of the play. 

[lostphantom]

The actors exit through the lobby/bar area, where the audiences exit as well. I waited outside the bar area for 15-20mins and was able to meet and thank all the actors/actresses for their performance.

[Emma MK]

I saw this after 2 nights in the Hamilton cancellation line and i seriously thought that i would fall asleep as the first time i did the cancellation line i was only in it 12 hours and yet still slept through most of my evening show (Smokefall) lol. I managed to stay awake however as i was completely engrossed in the play! I thought it was brilliantly acted and as a Brit, i was able to tell where all of the accents were supposed to be from which was nice. The time flew by for me and i was surprised how much i really enjoyed the play as i was going in blind, knowing nothing about the play at all - i only booked to see it because it was cheap lol

[JBroadway]

I saw this tonight and found it to be brilliant, but I knew going in that this was right up my alley. I loved Constellations, and in general I love shows that are both cerebral and emotional. I'm glad i read up on the play beforehand though, as I might have gotten lost.

 

I didn't know who Charlie Cox was going in - I've never seen Daredevil, and I didn't even know which of the 2 men he was until after the show. So think I can say somewhat objectively that he is giving a really wonderful, stand-out performance. It's an ensemble piece, and the rest of the cast does a very good job as well, but Cox's performance is so intricate and beautifully excecuted. 

[GilmoreGirlO2]

I saw this show last week and had quite a visceral reaction to it. I was extremely moved by it and, leaving the theatre, I ended up walking around Central Park for a bit afterwards to calm my emotions. I thought the writing was an excellent mesh of very human characters who I was emotionally invested in and very interesting ideas - and, the discussion of these ideas never felt forced and always felt motivated from the story.

And, whew, all four of those actors are giving spectacular performances! I had no trouble following the different stories and and I felt the actors excelled at not exaggerating differences between each of their characters, but rather, were able to subtly change the presence each of their characters presented. I thought Carr would be the stand-out for me (and she is giving a great performance), but Heather Lind and Charlie Cox were simply excellent in their roles. They are both new to me and I look forward to seeing their future stage work!

I've never seen a performance of any other of Payne's work, although I did read "Constellations" (which I thought was interesting, but didn't really grab me beyond that). I was surprised how much I took to this show and am extremely glad I decided to pick up a ticket.