Posted: 3/1/16 at 6:54am
Didn't see any other posts about this so I am starting one... Saw FAMILIAR at Playwrights Horizons last night and it was devastatingly good! Loved it! This is far superior to ECLIPSED... And in my opinion the first contender for the 2016 Pulitzer. Do NOT miss this play!!!!!!!!
Posted: 3/1/16 at 6:59am
I wish I liked it as much as you did. I thought the first act was largely solid (if almost entirely exposition), but that it went off the rails for much of the second act. It recovered a bit in the final moments, but the overall damage was too much. Good acting though -- especially Tamara Tunie and Myra Lucretia Taylor -- and a handsome production, as always, from Playwrights.
Updated On: 3/1/16 at 06:59 AM
Posted: 3/1/16 at 7:07am
"And in my opinion the first contender for the 2016 Pulitzer."
Two things: 1) Do you really not think Hamilton is the frontrunner for the Pulitzer (not because it deserves it necessarily, but because of the buzz)? 2) I don't know that Familiar would even be eligible. She would have had to have submitted it last year before the off-Broadway production even started. My guess is she will have waited to make edits for the off-Broadway run to submit this year for the 2017 Pulitzer NEXT year.
Posted: 3/1/16 at 11:10am
Familiar (pun intended) was quite familiar to me. I think that is what I liked about it. Sorry it is in no way Pulitzer prize material. Although it was about a Zimbabwe family coming together for a family wedding - the B.S. surrounding it was no different than any family. This made the story very relatable and ultimately enjoyable. The actors were fantastic. They were all enjoyable to watch and very organic in their presentation. It was believable that they were a family which is especially important in this story. If I cannot suspend my disbelief then the show is a failure for me. I had it happen once before (at Miss Saigon in fact on a second viewing) where I flat out did not believe that the actor/actress playing Chris and Kim were potentially a couple.
What I did not like about Familiar was ultimate obligatory message towards the end of the second act about the war and responsibility of the family to return and not forget what is happening in their country. Sorry - not my problem...I was there for enjoyment and not a message. Every country, society, religion etc has their problem - the story for me was about the family on that weekend, their struggles and triumph though important to bring in the past to heal and move forward I didn't feel the urgency to dig further to where they were going afterwards though it did bring up the father's reasoning as to why the map kept reappearing on the wall.
The final moments were very touching. Loved the young daughter playing the instrument and the parents dancing as they felt closer to their heritage. That was ultimately the touching message for me.
Posted: 3/1/16 at 12:18pm
Correct I meant the prize given in 2017 for plays produced in 2016.
I thought the first act was hilarious and the second act had me crying throughout almost the entire thing. Immigrants wanting to return to their homelands is a very real thing recently. I think it's a very real part of the Contemporary American tapestry and what the Pulitzer's are all about. I really appreciated it and I can't shake it off.
Also... I disagree that message in act two was "obligatory" or even a message. The father and mother disagree on the matter which makes it more of a question than a message. "Should we hold on to our heritage?" "Do we have a responsibility?" When the mother figure and the father figure disagree that is powerful dramatic tension to me. The playwright did not get preachy and force feed us an answer. It was quite beautiful.
Updated On: 3/1/16 at 12:18 PM
Posted: 3/1/16 at 5:20pm
Brian07663NJ said: "Sorry - not my problem...I was there for enjoyment and not a message."
First, can't things be entertaining and have a message as well?
Second, isn't the theatre a place for ideas?
Third, if you look at the issues faced by people of other cultures as "not my problem," that just seems to indicate an openness to being entertained by foreigners so long as they don't try to be too human. I'm trying not to be offended since it might just be an issue of unfortunate phrasing (and I've certainly been there), but the way you've written it seems to say that other people's problems aren't yours which, at best, sounds xenophobic and makes me wonder why you went to see a play about immigrants in the first place.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 2:25pm
I really loved Familiar. Its themes of identity, loss, assimilation and family were expressed beautifully and with humor and delivered by a terrific troupe of actors. A couple of reviewers disliked the long-buried secret that was revealed in Act 2, but I thought it was a great device. In addition to shedding light on the family's dynamics, it provided a new lens into their history and identity and upped the stakes quite a bit.
At intermission I was saying to my friend, "I hope this one doesn't go off the rails in Act 2," because that is what I thought happened to Head of Passes, which I had seen the day before. So I was especially happy to see Familiar deliver a strong second act and reach a very satisfying ending, although I don't mean to imply things were wrapped up with a bow. I'm not a big crier, but I will admit to shedding a few tears. I thought the last scene was just beautiful.
Familiar has been extended to April 10, and I recommend getting tickets if you possibly can.
Updated On: 3/21/16 at 02:25 PM
Posted: 3/21/16 at 3:15pm
It's a classic example of good play, great production. The actors are really giving in their all, the direction is crisp, and the set looks fantastic.
The themes of the play itself aren't anything new. We've all sat through many "painful secrets revealed" family dramedies over the years, but Familiar feels fresh because an underrepresented group is given such thoughtful, honest focus. I was entranced when I saw it a few weeks ago. I urge everyone else to do the same before it closes.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 3:07am
wow wow wow. I loved this beyond words, absolutely hysterical and heart wrenching, the act one ending brought the house down. I can only hope that this somehow gets to broadway, if MTC was smart they would pick it up.
