“What magic and theater have in common is the wonder, the spectacle that ironically sends you back to your reality with a new outlook. But maintaining the magic while showing your hand? That’s the trick this show hasn’t quite yet mastered.”
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“A simulacrum is a representation of something else, and in many ways, the play is a rendering of the process of developing a play...And like a good magic routine, ‘A Simulacrum’ begins with something ordinary and ends with something astounding.”
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“The title suggests that what we’re viewing may not be a perfectly accurate representation of reality. And I suppose that might make ‘A Simulacrum’ interesting in a post-truth way, provided we have any interest in the original subject — the relationship between Steve C. and Lucas H. I do not. Personally, I would much rather see a bunch of spectacular magic tricks.”
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“The word ‘simulacrum’ refers to a fake version of something real. The title proves all too apt for a show aspiring to theatrical profundity but mainly coming across like the sort of rambling conversation between two friends best left private.”
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While the show approximates a magic show, it is also a lecture demonstration. However, if you are hoping to hears how the tricks are accomplished you will be disappointed. Cuiffo who has a charming demeanor is both low-key and casual, dispassionate and nonchalant. A Simulacrum is a diverting evening but it may leave you hungry for more – or at least the explanations of what you have just seen before your eyes. The rapport between Hnath and Cuiffo is that of friends and by the end of the evening you may feel like you have been admitted to their inner circle.
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“For anyone interested in the adventure of discovery that pertains to how a magic routine is conceived, practiced and ultimately performed, you won’t be bored for a second at ‘A Simulacrum.’ Magic is in the air.”
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“Without featuring any big show-y pizzazzy magic at the start of the piece, the quietness and vulnerability of the final moments only hits so hard...to open yourself up to failure and try to create something for someone else – in doing so, you just may find a deeper piece of yourself that you were previously too afraid to share; in doing so, you may discover where the true magic lies.”
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“I left the theatre entertained, pondering, and—corny as it may sound—believing in magic. Not the magic of card tricks and disappearing dolls, but the magic of original, whimical, thoughtfully produced theatre, and its power to push us into unexplored regions of our own hearts and minds.”
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