Blood from a Stone, Small Fire, Other Desert Cities early reviews?

[Tamz]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 10:01pm

Has anyone seen Blood from a Stone, A Small Fire or Other Desert Cities? Anyone know of rush deals for them? Were any of them good? I'm looking for engaging off-bway shows. Thanks!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 10:23pm

As I said in a different thread, I enjoyed A SMALL FIRE, though, like many of Bock's other plays, it will be extremely polarizing. I found my eyes welling up multiple times during the piece, though I can easily see how others will find it manipulative, non-nonsensical and even unintelligible.

[HBBrock]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 3:10pm

My wife and I saw "A Small Fire" on Saturday night and really loved it. A great play with great acting. Definitely check it out. Haven't seen the others, but "Blood From a Stone" is next on my list.

[After Eight]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 4:02pm

"Blood from a Stone" is quite bad, but it's definitely not boring. It did score a couple of laughs, but there were too many lines/ moments that the audiences laughed at with derision. It goes on far too long, to little or no purpose. One plot development could be foreseen in the very first scene. Lots of vulgarity. The actors did a good job, but were up against it with this material.

It's hard to understand why the New Group, which usually has high aspirations, would want to put on a play as inept as this.

[Lucien2]

Posted: 1/3/11 at 5:40pm

I loved Blood From A Stone.I thought it was really well acted, the stage and timing were spot on. I highly recommend this play.

[April Saul]

Posted: 1/4/11 at 3:59pm

Totally agree with AfterEight on Blood from a Stone. I'm figuring that the first-time playwright, Tommy Nohilly, is probably a good friend of Ethan Hawke or other New Group folks and this is why the material, which is just not that good, made it to NYC so quickly. On the bright side, the actors are so skilled that they make the play bearable...but no more than that.

I did see Other Desert Cities and I'd recommend it. However, LCT is telling members that it's completely sold out. I don't quite believe it, as they are notorious for holding back house seats till the last minute, but it is still going to be a tougher ticket because of the cast and the limited run.