Life for teens in today’s world is fast-paced; between their phones, their Fortnite addiction and all their extra-curricular activities it can be a challenge to get them to sit down for a little dose of culture. Nevertheless, carving out a few hours this month to see Eugene O’Neill’s play, Ah Wilderness! can be worthwhile. Aside from seeing a really great play with a compelling story, your teen can step back in time to a more naive life when teenage rebellion was slightly more simple than what we deal with in today’s world. Must-See: Ah Wilderness! A Comedy by Eugene O’Neill
The play, which takes place in 1906 in a small town in Connecticut, is a coming-of-age comedy. Young Richard Miller learns about love, loss and consequences when the girl he wants to marry breaks up with him. After a drinking binge he must face repercussions from his parents and learn a lesson or two.
Ah Wilderness! reminded me, in some ways, of an 80’s John Hughes teen film, with its overly dramatic central character, Richard, played by Peter Calvin Atkinson. Atkinson not only embodied a typical antsy teenager but also eerily resembled Anthony Michael Hall – a fixture in Hughes’ teen films.
The play, presented by Blackfriars Repertory Theatre and the Storm Theatre, features a 13-person cast, with turn-of-the-century sets and costumes that transport you to another world. The dialogue is the original dialogue of the play – no need to dumb it down for us, although some of it is outdated and definitely not politically correct for our time. All things considered, it’s great to be able to take your pre-teen to a show that’s not filled with pop-culture reference and allows her to see what life was like over one hundred years ago for an American upper-middle-class family. My 12-year-old daughter loved the show as much as I did and when the performance ended with the Beach Boys’ Wouldn’t it be Nice I almost danced in my seat. I could not have asked for a more perfect ending!
Ah Wilderness! is two hours and 40 minutes, including a short intermission. The theater is very small and there are no assigned seats so come early and grab a seat that’s practically on stage!
When: Through February 17, 2019
Where: The Black Box Theatre at The Sheen Center
18 Bleeker St., NYC
Price: $30 per person
To purchase tickets click here or call the box office (212) 925-2812
I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.
Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for eighteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 12, 9 and 6) and loves finding great products for her family.
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