Playwrights Horizons reviews — 'Sad Boys in Harpy Land,' 'Amusements,' 'School Pictures'

Read our critics' reviews of three solo comedy shows currently running on alternating nights at Playwrights Horizons off Broadway through December 3 only.

Playwrights Horizons is currently presenting three solo shows in repertory: Milo Cramer's School Pictures, a song cycle about a tutor's experiences teaching young children; Ikechukwu Ufomadu's Amusements, which turns the relationship between performer and audience on its head; and Alexandra Tatarsky's Sad Boys in Harpy Land, an experimental clown-and-cabaret-inspired performance about self-loathing and art.

All three productions are currently running on alternating nights through December 3. Read excerpts from our critics' reviews of each show below, and click through to read the full individual articles.

Sad Boys in Harpy Land: ★★★★★

By Kyle Turner

"Their physicality is nearly second to none, with Tatarsky flouncing around and alternating between making every prop a part of their body or deeply foreign to it. The result is a blistering, brilliant show, relentless in its invention, humor, and inquiry."

Read the full Sad Boys in Harpy Land review.

Amusements: ★★★★

By Caroline Cao

"Attracting our attention with his amiable talk-show grin and twinkles in his eyes, he enters the stage informing us, “I am playing a comedian.” His M.O. seems to be parodying the role of comedian rather than being one."

Read the full Amusements review.

School Pictures: ★★★★

By Caroline Cao

"Morgan Green’s direction invigorates Cramer’s every movement, new prop, and instrument an enthralling surprise. School Pictures is searingly honest, thanks to Cramer embodying each student as their own planet of idiosyncrasies. Unleashing a playful off-tune cadence, Cramer nails down the improvisational nature of tutoring and the uninhibited vibes of outspoken kiddos who have formed — and are forming — their opinions of the confusing world."

Read the full School Pictures review.

Photo credit: Alexandra Tatarsky in Sad Boys in Harpy Land, Ikechukwu Ufomadu in Amusements, and Milo Cramer in School Pictures. (Photos courtesy of productions)