Our Dear Dead Drug Lord

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/19/19 at 1:43am

Saw the play last night. Near 90 minutes straight through.

The 4 leads are incredible. They suck you right into their world within minutes of being onstage and don't let go until the end.

There is a lot going on and to pull out of this show. Life as a teenage girl, politics, entitlement, spirits, and a host of other things. It is very funny until things turn dark. At that point it sucked me in even more. 

I met the playwright after the show and in turning the show around in my head forgot to ask her about the ending. It is one of those that you can't give away but a friend was there and we got two different things out of it. 

From the performances to the set and lighting design, this is well worth seeing in my opinion. Has anyone here seen it?

[inception]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 10:11pm

I was trying to find the discussion about this but I think it may have been in one of the more general off-Broadway threads.

Anyways, it has now been extended until Jan 5.

I haven't seen it as I am not in NY. BUT thanks for the recommendation.

Still not sure if I want to see Jagged Little Pill or something else to round out my December trip.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 10:42pm

Really glad it extended.

inception, I don't know how often you are in the city. But if you are back in a few months, see Drug Lord and then Jagged Little Pill when you return.

[jbm2]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 11:07pm

I know it’s about teenage girls.... is it appropriate for a teenage girl to see? 

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 11:59pm

jbm2 said: "I know it’s about teenage girls.... is it appropriate for a teenage girl to see?"

 

It is a bit intense. I didn't see any teens in the audience. It takes place right at the end of Bush's term and when Obama is elected. I think teen girls will relate to a lot of it but it gets really dark. Like, shockingly dark.

 

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 1:11am

Jbm2 wrote:

“I know it’s about teenage girls.... is it appropriate for a teenage girl to see?”

It's not appropriate for anyone to see.

It's frightfully bad, and horrific.

I so regret having gone to see this.

 

 

[brendonratnercasting]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 10:36am

a 13 year old maybe not, an 19 year old yes..really depends on the maturity of the kid. Doubt they'd enjoy it that much as a teen.

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 12:03pm

I really liked this too. Happy to see it extended into January.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 10:42pm

little_sally said: "I really liked this too. Happy to see it extended into January."

 

The four actresses are insanely talented. And those scenes when they were talking over each other were done so well.

 

[AntV]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 1:21am

It's rare to see a non-profit limited run get such a large extension.

What is this even about? Are the disturbing scenes really disturbing or not bad?

[jbird5]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 8:35am

AntV said: "It's rare to see a non-profit limited run get such a large extension.

What is this even about? Are the disturbing scenes really disturbing or not bad?"

Beyond disturbing.

whatever, this is a roaring success by off Broadway standards.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 9:08am

“whatever, this is a roaring success by off Broadway standards.”

A roaring success? The theatre has a little over a hundred seats. 

This is a prime example —- and one of the most lamentable —- of how critical raves for truly ghastly and inept offerings can lure people into buying tickets for something they are going to loathe beyond belief.

The same scenario plays out day after day after day.

Our poor public! 

 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 9:19am

Does someone care to elaborate what is so “beyond disturbing” about this play? Either through DM or spoiler tag. I won’t have the chance to see this and I’m very curious!

[Theater3232]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 9:22am

Spoiler  - The "violence against women" scene is quite horrific in which the pregnant girl is held down by the others, and they get a wire hanger and stick it in & out of her violently to cause her to have an abortion.  Very boring talky play otherwise.  Not recommended.

[Theatreguy45]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 2:48pm

I saw this last week and was sitting right behind Sondheim and James Lapine!!

This show is a rollercoaster but ultimately so so so satisfying.  Each of the girls is truly delivering such a fantastic performance and watching them each grow and develop over the course of the play is so fun.  I loved the set, costumes, lights- everything feels perfectly in sync.  I got my ticket since I've been a growing fan of Whitney White's work for a little while now, and this direction again here is spot on.

I totally get that people are going to respond in big and different ways to the ending- but watching these characters navigate the trials of girlhood is so engaging, and by the end I really felt like I understood why they arrived where they did.

I'm definitely in the camp of GO see this if you're able!

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 3:18pm

Here is the original thread on this show in case anyone is interested:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1119050#

[inception]

Posted: 10/23/19 at 11:20pm

Thank-you for the spoilers. I will not see this.

[Bwaydreamer3]

Posted: 10/24/19 at 10:25am

I saw the show mid October and honestly I thought the playwriting was so messy. I thought all the girls did the best they could with the material given but the play itself was all over the place. The show lightly touches on a vast array of heavy topics, all that could've been explored in separate stories because there's just so much to them.With everything mashed together it just felt like a play trying to be topical and check ing all the boxes off. I saw the warning for sexual violence in my program and throughout the show in my head all I could think was "oh no is something gonna happen now???" And then it happened. And I thought.... besides shock value... why was that necessary??? What does the playwright want the audience to get out of this? And after seeing the show I couldn't tell you. Yes, the show has a message but it gets muddled under all this other extra stuff that is not necessary to tell the story. If this show is continued on I'd love to see some changes that help tighten up the story. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/24/19 at 2:47pm

NYfanfromCA said: "Here is the original thread on this show in case anyone is interested:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1119050#"

I did a few searches for a thread and couldn't find one before I started this one. I now see why one didn't immediately show. The other thread has Druglord as one word. It may have come up a number of pages in but I didn't search through all of them I don't think.

 

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 10/24/19 at 9:44pm

uncageg said: "NYfanfromCA said: "Here is the original thread on this show in case anyone is interested:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1119050#"

I did a few searches for a thread and couldn't find one before I started this one. I now see why one didn't immediately show. The other thread has Druglord as one word. It may have come up a number of pages in but I didn't search through all of them I don't think.

"

Nice catch.  I edited the original thread so the title is correct now.

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/24/19 at 11:42pm

NYfanfromCA said: "uncageg said: "NYfanfromCA said: "Here is the original thread on this show in case anyone is interested:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1119050#"

I did a few searches for a thread and couldn't find one before I started this one. I now see why one didn't immediately show. The other thread has Druglord as one word. It may have come up a number of pages in but I didn't search through all of them I don't think.

"

Nice catch. I edited the original thread so the title is correct now.

"

Would be nice to have a thread merge function!

Bwaydreamer, I thought it was pretty clear what the playwright was going for. I just thought the ending was a bit too preachy. All of the boxes they were checking off, to me, were all of the things teenage girls go through plus dealing with those things at that particular time.

 

 

[raddersons]

Posted: 10/25/19 at 1:57pm

Hm... Was hoping to get 30 under 30 tickets to this but I don't seem to be able to on the 2ST website. I also noticed Second Stage isn't selling tickets for the extension their site as well. I wonder if something contractually is happening here, or... what?

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/25/19 at 7:54pm

It is now up on TDF. 7 dates up as of this evening at 8:00.

Updated On: 10/25/19 at 07:54 PM

[LuPita2]

Posted: 10/28/19 at 4:44am

I thought it was great, albeit a bit messy. 

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/28/19 at 6:31am

I previously commented on another thread (or maybe started a thread?) about scary shows...well, this certainly can fall under that label! Even though it wasn't jump out of your skin scary, it was creepy and had me holding my breath. I thought the ending was very interesting and definitely made me think in a way that a production hasn't made me think since I saw Oklahoma! at St. Ann's. Very very well done.                                                                                                                                                                                                       Also: I was a little distracted because one actor reminded me of Alison Luff and I thought I recognized the other from We Are The Tigers but I was wrong.