I liked it. It was not what I was expecting. It moved off in surprising directions more than once. The acting was very good to excellent save one character. Lynda Gravátt should get awards for her performance, especially at the play's end.
I enjoyed this although the subject matter is very upsetting- this is not a light afternoon in the theater. The basic premise involves a shooting at a middle school and it's aftermath for one student in particular. In some ways it reminded me a little of the The Humans since there is a beautiful two-level set and it goes somewhere a little supernatural. This is high on my list of shows I've seen at PH this season (absolutely loved Miles for Mary). The show runs 90 minutes no intermission. I would definitely check this out. Between this and Amy and the Orphans I'm sold as a Lindsey Ferrentino fan.
For what it's worth, I disliked Ugly Lies the Bone, while I mostly enjoyed Amy and the Orphans despite some very prominent flaws. This one, on the other hand, surpasses both of them in my book. It is easily my favorite of the three plays I've seen by her.
She manages to take on this weighty topic in a way that feels profoundly real and personal. Though it revolves around a school shooting, it does not feel like a topic-vehicle. Of course it can't completely escape the political baggage of the subject, but in many ways the play is not really about school shootings. It is much more about what it is like to be young in a troubling world: how you process the bad things happening around you, and how you find your role in all of it. I admit the final scene had me in tears.
There are certain aspects of Ferrentino's writing style that I still don't care for, but the strengths far outweighed the weaknesses IMO.
It’s better to sit in the back half of the theater due to the 2 level set. The cast was excellent although the dad seems to have wandered in from some other show, but you get used to it. The kids basically have to carry the show and they are up to It (Matilda is turning out a whole generation of young performers like Annie did for the last generation). Lydia and Cassie Beck shine in supportive roles. The cello is a nice touch and figures in the plot. It’s a slow build but the ending was powerful. I liked this much more than Yerma which I saw afterwards, but I seem to be in the minority there.
This show was fantastic. The acting, the set, directorial choices. (Agree that the Dad Was definitely the weak spot,but still good)the two kids were incredible, the lady upstairs was phenomenal. I’m a little confused why more people aren’t talking about this show. It’s such a timely issue. I would think people would be flocking to the theater to see this one. They should be.
The last 10 minutes of the show. Some of the best theater I have seen.
this show is brilliant and more people should be talking about it, its not so much a gun violence play so much as a cry into the universe for change and an examination of what its like to be a young teenager in a universe where all the adult are just putting their heads in the sand
i would put this odds on as at the least a Pulitzer finalist next year
People aren't talking about it because I haven't met a single person that's more than remotely enjoyed it, and in a season of duds in NYC, this blends in perfectly.
It's definitely a play that probably reads better than it plays. The actors, while talented, are matched with some pretty laughable dialogue, and a clunky set that feels half finished.
Took a chance on this play this week with my partner and his 2 teenage nephews who were visiting with us. The kids don’t live in NY and haven’t seen a lot of theatre. We were hoping they would like a straight play about a timely subject but were concerned they might not like it. Well, we all thought it was quite moving and talked about it for quite some time after. Definitely worth seeing.
Yeah, really, who are the "little" people?! That snarky remark does remind me of a line from The Queen of Mean, the TV movie about Leona Helmsley: Leona: Only the little people pay taxes, right?" Well, the 4 of us "little" people liked it!
Saw it last night. I'm not a fan of child actors, but I felt these two kids were pretty naturalistic, and Ella Kennedy Davis has the burden of carrying the weight of the show, which she did quite well, save for some clunky dialogue moments. I really enjoyed Taichman's direction, and must give special recognition to Cassie Beck who's final scene absolutely broke my heart and left me and many others crying silently (or not so silently) in the audience for a few minutes afterwards. Lynda Gravatt is also pretty fantastic, and adds both depth and levity, the latter of which is well needed in a show with this subject matter.
All in all, I enjoyed it. Some fantastic acting going on here.
"I'm an American, Damnit!!! And if it's three things I don't believe in, it's quitting and math."
joined:3/26/11
joined:
3/26/11
Posted: 3/19/18 at 12:23pm