
What Happened Was
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The Lowdown
The play traps you in a Greenwich Village studio with two coworkers who are clearly hiding more than they are saying. Corey Stoll and Cecily Strong turn a Friday night dinner into a slow-motion car crash of loneliness and bad small talk. It is a brutal, quiet look at how we perform normalcy while falling apart. Ian Rickson’s direction leans into the claustrophobia of the apartment until you feel like you are sitting on the radiator. It is a heavy watch, but the writing demands your attention. If you can handle the emotional weight, sit in the room. Just leave the phone in your pocket for once.
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Reviews
Our verdict
The acting was excellent. The story was interesting. The short story in it was awesome. Very, very good. Can't wait for the next show at this theater.
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Born in the City –
The acting was excellent. The story was interesting. The short story in it was awesome. Very, very good. Can’t wait for the next show at this theater.