The Australian import Counting And Cracking, a drama from S. Shakthidharan, is playing for just over one more week at NYU's Skirball Center, and it's one you should go out of your way to see.
Don't be afraid of the 210-minute runtime—the pattern of hour, intermission, hour, intermission, hour actually moves quick, and the story itself is an epic melodrama that never loses the audience's attention. Spanning half a century, two continents, and several languages, this is a hugely ambitious work performed with love by a tremendous ensemble. It's in many ways a warm show with lovable characters, but it also includes a devastatingly constructed crucial sequence made up primarily of escalating phone calls. I'm obviously trying not to give too much away, but its use of slowly worsening news delivered by messengers felt downright Shakespearean—but even more acutely painful, given the way it's ripped from recent history. Don't blame me if you cry, but I don't think you'll regret going.
Here's a little tip: During previews at least, my row E tickets were cheap and labelled "partial view," because they were off to the side, but the stage is wide open, and I enjoyed an amazing sight line.
-Lauren
