Is Oslo worth it?

Planning a trip to NY in June, and I'm on the fence about Oslo.

Pros: For years I've been wanting to see a Bartlett Sher production; I'd love to see Jefferson Mays and Jennifer Ehle; $30 LincTix.

Cons: I don't know how I feel about the topic at hand; therefore:



Does Oslo feel like a history class? Is it preachy? Is it exciting?

I didn't like the show but I didn't find it preachy or too heavy on history.

I loved it. It was incredibly well written and the acting is superb. It did not feel like 3 hours and it is not at all preachy or lecturing.

I thought Oslo was fantastic and flew right by. It's spectacular.

MsDesmond1995 said: "Does anyone else think this is a shoo-in for Best Play or are A Doll's House and Sweat gaining momentum?"

Not that these awards offer any precedent for the Tonys, but Oslo has already won both the Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Award for Best Play this season, so it seems to have that momentum going for it already. I think it'll take the Tony, but it's definitely not a shoo-in.

I saw two plays on my recent trip to New York - "Sweat" because I like Lynn Nottage's work and "Oslo". Four of my friends said go see "Doll's House 2" because it's an excellent play with an excellent cast. But I opted for "Oslo" because it also got good reviews, and I got a cheaper ticket. I knew little about the history that the play covers. I felt that it would have helped to have read up more on the people and history beforehand. That said it's very well written and engaging with excellent performances. It's not preachy. I went in not that interested in seeing a play about this subject and feeling it was going to be too much of a history lesson. But the playwright did a terrific job of crafting the story. By the end I was incredibly moved. I didn't expect that. I still wish I had seen "Doll's House 2". If you have to make choice, it's a tough choice. If you have the time and funds to see "Oslo" it is worthwhile.

Updated On: 5/24/17 at 03:13 AM

Oslo is a worthy play. Its intentions are good, and it does a really strong job of balancing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in a measured way that gives weight to both sides. And it's a celebration of diplomacy over war. It moves quickly, and I didn't feel like I had been in my seat for three hours. But it also feels overstuffed. I admire the breadth of what Rogers is trying to accomplish, but I think he tackled an astonishing amount of material and that it cost the show space to fully flesh out many of its dozens of characters. Ultimately, I found it noble and well-executed, but definitely more of a brain-pleaser than heart-mover (at least for me). Of the new plays, I thought Indecent and A Doll's House Part 2 were both stronger, but again...personal opinion. I don't think you'd do badly with Oslo. I just happen to think there are even better shows out right now.

I found the play to be dull, plodding, pretentious, and repetitive. Three hours of Israeli/Palestinian talking points screamed across the metaphorical aisle and into the audience with no dramatic tension or even genuine debate:

--"You killed my people!"
--"Well, you killed MY people!" "
--"We want Jerusalem or we will keep killing!" "
--"Ooh, great motivation, there! How about stop massacring our children and we can think about peace!?"
--"How about give us our land back and we can think about peace!?"
--"You first!"
--"No, YOU first!"
--"This is going to be a long day. I mean, play."

Ehle and Mays do an excellent job each of finding 3,000 ways to act "concerned," but otherwise, character development is minimal. Claptrap commedy is desperately inserted to break up the (non-existent, for we all know the bleak continuation of this story, don't we?) tension. The piece carefully avoids "picking a side," and while I admire the playwright's success at not allowing any hint of his own opinion to affect the action on stage, it renders the play rather toothless and gives the feel of documentary rather than drama. I like documentaries, but I paid to see an award-winning dramatic PLAY.

I'm not one to "yuck other people's yums," but I'd skip this one if I were you, Joe Dee, especially if you are already trepidatious about the subject matter. Look up the Oslo Peace Accords on Wikipedia, spend a few minutes trying to convince yourself that the event portends the possibility of a "hopeful" conclusion to the centuries-old bloody conflict in the Middle East, then head to "A Doll's House, Part Two" and prepare to have a wonderful and moving experience at the theater.

Updated On: 5/24/17 at 09:39 AM