Review: Bullies and Victims Face Off in ‘After.’ But Who’s Who?

I’m glad that I’d already purchased tickets for a friend and I to see this play before I read this relentlessly mean-spirited and, in my opinion, incredibly off base review. Had I not, we would have missed out on a very good theatergoing experience. Unlike Mr. Green, I found the play compellingly written, the characters believable, the dialogue realistic, the set and costumes spot on — I really liked Connie Beckman’s green outfit(!) and can’t imagine what about any of the costumes made Mr. Green think they were “overstated” — and the acting excellent. Go see this worthwhile play. It deserves support, not derision and scorn.

AFTER is a well-written, well-acted play that doesn't simplify important issues, as critic Green would suggest. Rather, the play makes a sincere effort to tackle complex topics, like bullying, that are painful to many men and women as they try to successfully parent their children and provide them with the building blocks needed to move forward happily in life. AFTER speaks to the concept of perception versus reality with empathy and with thought and intelligence. The play was absorbing and captured my full attention from beginning to end. It deserves to be seen.

Teen "bullying" is such an important topic, I , for one, much appreciated seeing this issue as the plot of "After." Sorry Mr. Green, your review is unfair. Yes the dialogue was not erudite, the vocabulary hardly Shakespearean. This is the REAL world, with REAL problems. Simplicity does not necessarily dumb things down. I was absorbed from beginning to end, and grateful that the writer did not try to intellectualize a serious issue. It is a shattering story and needs to be told.

Critic Green's screed on AFTER at 59 E 59. The review is endless, petty and another example of a critic's desperate need to strut their pretense of brilliance at the expense of the unprotected. The language of "AFTER" is exactly what the intense situation calls for. Does this critic think intense dramatic moments call for quick-witted comebacks? Adapting Hemingway's response to Faulkner's criticism of his use of appropriate simple language for the given situation: "Poor Green. Does he really think big emotions come from big words."

A very persuasive review.

I saw it on Sunday and am more in line with Mr Green than the responders here. (And warning, there are sort of spoilers here.) While the play has a good premise, the writer and director needed to get their ideas across without the trenchant melodrama. And because the writer decided to wait until the last 20 minutes to provide the background that fleshes it out, I spent the first hour or so wondering why I am supposed to feel sorry for these wealthy priveleged private school parents. Also, it was really odd in the last scene when one of the actors walked downstage and addressed the writers P.O.V directly to the audience. The play was entirely naturalistic to this point, but suddenly this character turns his back on the two others in the room and addresses the living room wall? And the clincher, at the very end, when the mother who has been denying the obvious truth and reaches for the evidence, the director couldn't resist piping up the schmalzy music. I swear I was about to ask if the director was in the house and warn them they would get killed in the press for this. While I didn't think it would get this much of a panning, but I am certainly not surprised

I loved the play and have recommended it to many people. It was well acted and compelling. I do not believe we have seen many plays dealing with bullying from the point of view of the parents on both sides. The play was well focused and the set and costumes perfectly captured the reality I assume the playwright wished to convey. I hope Mr. Green’s review will not discourage too many people from seeing this play.

My experience with After was very different from Jesse Green's. I was riveted from beginning to end, and blown away by the superb ensemble acting. The audience seemed to agree with me, because everyone sat in rapt silence uninterrupted even by a cough. And there were standing ovations at the end. It seems a shame that this review may dissuade people from seeing it.

I agree with everything the previous writer said I highly recommend this play

I saw this play on Sunday. I could not disagree more with Mr. Green's snide and unnecessarily belittling review. I found the piece quite compelling and moving, and appreciated that the inciting action took place off stage. It allowed us to connect all the more with this highly relatable group of parents in crisis. It often seems to me that Mr. Green really doesn't love theater all that much. Maybe he should try writing a play?