Familiar

68/100

Photo by Joan Marcus
Written by Danai Gurira. Directed by Rebecca Taichman. At Playwrights Horizons through March 27

What's it About? "It’s winter in Minnesota, and a Zimbabwean family is preparing for the wedding of their eldest daughter, a first-generation American. But when the bride insists on observing a traditional African custom, it opens a deep rift in the household. Rowdy and affectionate, Familiar pitches tradition against assimilation, drawing a loving portrait of a family: the customs they keep, and the secrets they bury."

Consensus: Mostly unanimous on the first act's comedic merits, but mixed on the second act's seriousness, critics seem to overall feel that this show is worth seeing. It doesn't change the game, but it's a solid piece of theatre. General praise is given to the cast, who handle the transition from comedy and drama more effectively than the play does sometimes.

Red Speedo

59/100

Photo by Joan Marcus
Written by Lucas Hnath. Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. At New York Theatre Workshop through March 27

What's it About? "Hailed as "one of the brightest new voices of his generation" by The New York Times, Lucas Hnath (The Christians, ...Walt Disney) makes his NYTW debut with Red Speedo, a muscular new play directed by NYTW Usual Suspect Lileana Blain-Cruz. Set on the eve of the Olympic swim trials, pressure builds as front-runner Ray confronts the lure of endorsements, the perils of mixing the personal and professional, and the unforgiving weight of success. Through Hnath's signature dark wit and exacting language, Red Speedo is a captivating exploration of America's obsession with winning at all costs."

Consensus: There's a large schism in reviews for this play. Some critics found the play a taut and entertaining thriller with Mamet-eque dialogue, while others found the play to ineffectively explore its ideas. Nobody argues for its profundity, but everyone cites the impressive physical production (there's an onstage pool). At the very least, one character spends the entire evening wearing nothing but a speedo, so there's always that to look at if the play doesn't interest you.

Hughie

50/100

Photo by Marc Brenner
Written by Eugene O'Neill. Directed by Michael Grandage. At the Golden Theatre through June 12

What's it About?: Summer, 1928. New York City. Beyond the bright lights of the Great White Way, a small-time gambler and big-time drinker returns to the faded hotel he has made his home. He encounters a new night clerk at the front desk and as the early hours of the morning give way to another dawn, he continues to chase the American Dream in order to survive. HUGHIE is a rarely seen one-act theatrical masterpiece that beautifully offers a unique insight into the human condition.

Consensus: The only thing critics can agree on is Frank Wood, who they unanimously praise for his committed non-performance. Clocking in under an hour, many also have agreed that the play is decidedly not O'Neill's best work. Where they differ is on the merits of Forrest Whitaker, making his broadway debut. Some call him brilliantly introspective while others go so far as to call him "catatonic". Nonetheless, almost every critic agrees that a 55 minute monologue is not particularly worth Broadway prices.

Dot

67/100

Photo by Carol Rosegg

Written by Colman Domingo. Directed by Susan Stroman. At the Vineyard Theatre through March 20

What's It About?: "The holidays are always a wild family affair at the Shealy house. But this year, Dotty and her three grown children gather with more than exchanging presents on their minds. As Dotty struggles to hold on to her memory, her children must fight to balance care for their mother and care for themselves. This twisted and hilarious new play grapples unflinchingly with aging parents, midlife crises, and the heart of a West Philly neighborhood. Colman Domingo (WILD WITH HAPPY) returns to The Vineyard following his solo show A BOY AND HIS SOUL and Tony Award® nomination for THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, reuniting with Tony Award®-winning director Susan Stroman after her ground-breaking work on THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS."

Consensus: Alternating between sitcom-style comedy and abrasive tragedy, critics either take to the play's style or find it to be alienating to the material. Some critics also found the script to be lacking in originality, but most ended up giving positive notices, if somewhat begrudgingly. Praise has been ladled onto the cast for the most part, and critics seem evenly divided on the effectiveness of Susan Stroman's staging.

Her Requiem

51/100

Photo by Jeremy Daniel
Written by Greg Pierce. Directed by Kate Whoriskey. At the Claire Tow Theatre through March 20

What's it About? "When Caitlin takes her senior year off from high school to compose a full-scale requiem, her dedication inspires her father and concerns her mother. But as their home becomes a nexus for lost souls, her parents must deal with her project’s effect on the family."

Consensus: With one exception, critics are not particularly impressed with this Requiem. Taking issues with the production and the emotional impact of the play, several mention that the play feels unfinished. One critic did have very strong positive feelings for the show, so it seems to be pretty evenly dividing the critics.

Smokefall

56/100

Photo by Joan Marcus
Written by Noah Haidle; Directed by Anne Kauffman. At the Lucille Lortel Theatre through March 20.

What's it About? "Magical realism collides with manic vaudeville in a family drama unlike any you've ever seen. The Twins swap philosophy while awaiting their birth, Beauty eats dirt and doesn't speak, Father is about to drive away and never return, and a man named Footnote acts as our guide. Whipping from astonishing tenderness to profound humor and back again, this wholly original play uncovers the extraordinary family connections we all stretch and warp across the years but can never quite break."

Consensus: Baffling or brilliant? The main thing that critics disagree with in this production is whether everything glues together or falls apart completely. Every critic, however, was quick to mention a sequence in which two unborn fetuses perform a sort of miniature postmodern Waiting for Godot as told by way of vaudeville number as a highlight. If that sounds like something that might be in your wheelhouse, then there is a possibility that the show might connect with you. And those that connected with it seem to recommend it unequivocally, so it's all a matter of personal taste. Reactions to performances and the physical production seem to correlate directly with a critic's assessment of the play, but most are fairly respectful of Zachary Quinto. Divisive is certainly what this is, and if it still seems interesting to you, it's possible you may love it. 

Nice Fish

67/100

Photo by Teddy Wolf
Written by Louis Jenkins and Mark Rylance. Directed by Claire Van Kampen. At St. Ann's Warehouse Through March 27

What's it About? "On a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan. It’s the end of the fishing season, and two men are out on the ice angling for answers to life’s larger questions. One of these men is hilariously wrought by TONY Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee Mark Rylance, who co-wrote the play — his first — with the American poet Louis Jenkins. Rylance and Jenkins have adapted Nice Fish with the same wry, surreal quality of Jenkins’ prose poems. Minnesota Monthly called an original version of the play “inexplicable and utterly beautiful.” This newly produced version of Nice Fish comes to St. Ann’s directly from Cambridge’s A.R.T."

Consensus: Unsurprisingly, critics cannot get enough of Mark Rylance, with virtually every critic citing his performance as being the strongest element of the show (along with the expansive set). Critics are more mixed on the show, which is centered around verbal recitations of poetry, with some saying that it lacks the necessary profundity to make the poetry worthwhile while others say that for sheer fun the show is completely worth it. Very few made the case for the show being anything other than cute, however, and it seems like the primary draw for this is the ability to see Rylance on stage.