Reviews

Indecent by Paula Vogel

Only show reviews with written explanations

elliedo's review against another edition

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5.0

lol but also the rain scene

sarawiser's review against another edition

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5.0

I can only hope and pray that one day I will get to be a part of this masterpiece of Jewish and Queer theatre in some capacity. This story is urgent, essential, transcendental, and utterly breathtaking.

mobymaize's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Holy Moses this is my favorite play of all time my god. A must read for anyone interested in theatre or is a Queer, Jewish, Theater kid.

Content Warnings

itsmebee's review against another edition

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4.0

I love plays, I forgot I loved plays, and I am so glad I read this to remind me just how much I love plays. Lovely, sad, makes me want to see a production of it.

ghostgirlie's review against another edition

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informative sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

colin_cox's review against another edition

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5.0

Indecent is a stunning play that traces the performance history and reception of God of Vengeance, an early 20th-century Yiddish play by Sholem Asch that dramatizes the provocative love affair between a brothel owner’s daughter and a prostitute. The play within a play is an oft-recycled theater trope, yet Vogel utilizes this narrative device to have a thoughtful conversation about authorial intent, lost cultures, and sexuality. For most of the play, the looming threat of the Holocaust exits along the periphery. Once Third Reich blooms in earnest, Asch's play acts as a counter-weight to the atrocities and cruelty of the Holocaust, and by staging underground performances of God of Vengeance, many of the principal characters withhold a piece of themselves and their culture from the horrors of an oppressive, genocidal regime.

jackieeh's review against another edition

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4.75

I had the pleasure of seeing this staged at the Guthrie in 2018, and I think the script is even better, which is really saying something. Probably this is because it’s my second encounter. I made the mistake of forgetting the ending and then reading this in public. 😭