B+

Warm praise abounds for this offering by playwright Laura Marks, presented by the Women’s Project, now celebrating its 35th season. America Ferrara, television’s “Ugly Betty," gets accolades across the board for her nuanced and believable performance, even from those who find the play less than stellar in comparison. Most critics, though, consider Bethany a timely morality play centering on the overextended, jobless, pressure-filled environment that pushes many to extremes in order to survive.

C-

The bitter consensus is that we don't need yet another Broadway revival of this Tennessee Williams classic melodrama—and least of this all this one, helmed with little subtlety by director Rob Ashford. High on Gothic theatrics and over-designed, Adam Cork's busy soundscape of thunder and fireworks, coupled with singing servants, distracts an already floundering cast. While most respect Scarlett Johansson's acting chops, no one is especially taken with her humorless portrayal of Maggie the Cat—except, that is, for Ben Brantley, starstruck as ever. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag, with Ciarán Hinds faring the best (which is not saying much) as the bellowing Big Daddy. Everyone's in agreement that this desperately misguided Cat lacks the necessary heat.

B

Reviews are decidedly mixed—and contradictory—for Sam Gold’s revival of Picnic, with one critic’s favorite potato salad representing another’s ant-infested mess. Some consider the young leads well-matched for each other and their roles, while more bemoan the lack of heat, with Elisabeth Vincentelli quipping that “there’s more sexual chemistry among the cast of Old Jews Telling Jokes.” Part of this discrepancy may be related to the play itself: Terry Teachout’s nostalgia for Inge’s “greatest play” is offset by the critical chorus who find Picnic not a major work in his canon. There are a few consensus points, though: The supporting cast—especially Ellen Burstyn and Mare Winningham—garner the most uniform compliments, though even these present a few slight disagreements. And Sebastian Stan’s sculpted torso—considered anachronistic for the time by some—is mentioned by all, perhaps most memorably by Scott Brown: “Stan enters, abs-first, in his natural state—i.e. oiled and varnished like refurbished Stickley.”

A-

Most critics saw this show Off-Broadway two years ago, and some say its Broadway debut is even better. The New York Times calls it "a slick, potently acted drama," while the Daily News says "it's a show that’s hard to get out of your head." Some critics are reminded of Wit and others gripe it's a disease-of-the-week TV movie, but others say they find it unnerving, compelling, heartbreaking, terrifying, and haunting. In the lead, Laurie Metcalf gets some superlative notices, as do director Joe Mantello and her co-stars Daniel Stern and Zoe Perry.

B+

The sky-high expectations for Water by the Spoonful, arriving with lofty billing as an out-of-town Pulitzer winner, settle to the ground with a friendly, perhaps inevitably down-to-earth welcome in New York. Reviewers differ on the ambitious, heartfelt, slightly melodramatic script by Quiara Alegría Hudes, who previously nabbed a Tony nomination for her storytelling flair in In the Heights. The consensus, despite the quibbles, is that Water by the Spoonful sparkles with "her true gift, which is empathy" (The New Yorker).

B

Critics agree that the design and technical team are the true stars of this comic book-inspired production. In particular, the puppets by Eric Wright and the Puppet Kitchen and the projections by Alex Koch and David Tennant with illustrations from Kate Freer garner immense praise. Critics agree that these physical elements bring the audience into the post-apocalyptic comic book world much better than Robert Askins’ “hard to follow” and “confusing” script. Most critics believe that the elaborate plot is secondary to this playful work, although a few object that the play is boring and juvenile.

B+

Reviewers wholeheartedly agree that Red Bull’s revival of Volpone is both timely given its theme of corruption, manipulation and the foolishness of the avaricious, and gives due attention to a playwright not often accorded the spotlight on New York stages. Tovah Feldshuh’s over-the-top portrayal of Madam Would-Be also comes in for universal acclaim, though perspectives on the rest of the ensemble fluctuate. But how often can you can see a rarely performed play, sharp social commentary, a rambunctious ensemble, along with a dwarf, a eunuch, and a hermaphrodite as background chorus?

A-

There is much admiration for Amy Herzog's writing, which is alternately described as fluid and intelligent, compassionate, thoughtful, restrained, provocative and subtle, funny and insightful. But that doesn't stop critics from finding some faults in her newest play. A few find the plotting schematic and the characters a bit one-note, though nearly all are in agreement that the acting ensemble is impeccable and, except for Marilyn Stasio of Variety, all find Carolyn Cantor's delicate and sensitive direction first-rate. A few also complain of Mark Wendland's leafy, impressionistic set--it's either too symbolic or makes zero sense, they say--but the majority of faults found with the play are for the most part admittedly nitpicky. This may not eclipse 4,000 Miles as the critical favorite among Herzog's plays, but this solid work keeps her holding steady as "one of our most rising American playwrights."

B

"Esoterica" is one possible answer, as Backstage's Erik Haagensen dryly notes. He says the quirk quotient is dangerously high onstage, and the rhyming skills pretty wack. The NY Times' Charles Isherwood, on the other hand, calls the dominant tone "mournful quirkiness," resulting in a "touching, sorrowful comedy," while Robert Feldberg of the Bergen Record says the show "is so downbeat, it would depress Santa Claus." Others love how wry comedy intrudes on all the gloom, as when opera extras in full Aida garb go outside for a smoke break. Or the sex scene with the virgin that the Daily News calls "very bad — and very hilarious."

C+

This high school musical sure has the critics split. When the original pop opera appeared in the era between Rent and Spring Awakening, it earned cult status. Now, with cut songs and added dialog, the purists fume it's no longer the same show. Plus, after Glee made gay teens cool and many voters made gay marriage legal, some scribes say much of the stigma that made the original story sizzle is now a bit stale. Still, some critics count themselves "deeply impressed" by the revisal and find it "funnier, sexier and more infectiously satisfying than the original."