'The Visitors' Off-Broadway review — how far would, or should, you go for family?

Read our review of The Visitors off Broadway, a new family dramedy reuniting playwright Bryna Turner and director Jenna Worsham.

Summary

• The Visitors follows four siblings who reunite when one asks the others for a major favor
• The show naturalistically captures the nuances of sibling relationships and interrogates our responsibility to our family
• The show is recommended for fans of family dramas and as a show for siblings to see together

Bryna Turner’s The Visitors initially presents itself as a conventional family dramedy, but appearances — and the characters themselves — are not quite what they seem. The play follows Joanna, a 30something woman eager to have a baby, who invites her three siblings over to ask them an extraordinary favor that will test the boundaries of their relationships. Turner’s clever script takes audiences on an unexpected journey, encouraging them to suspend disbelief and question their assumptions.

The greatest suspension of disbelief comes with the play’s premise: Would three siblings, one of them estranged, really drop their busy lives and family obligations to travel for an undisclosed reason, only to spend several days together in close quarters? Turner makes the leap worthwhile with a layered story.

The play leans into familiar sibling archetypes: the motherly eldest daughter (played with perfectionist tendencies by Celia Keenan-Bolger), the golden child (Will Pullen), the black sheep (Danny Wolohan), and the baby of the family (Mary Wiseman). Turner captures the dynamics of adult sibling relationships with humor, from friendly competition over a game of Catan to bouts of roughhousing. The cast is always in sync, bringing these birth-order stereotypes to life.

Wiseman gives a wonderful performance that spans all the nuances of youngest siblings, with a carefree spirit that’s less burdened by responsibility. She wields humor for attention and ultimately bubbles over with anger to get it. Joanna’s partner, Naomi (Esco Jouléy), an only child, offers a grounding presence amid the chaos. A peacekeeper is essential, as the stakes couldn’t be higher for any of the characters.

Another grounding force is designer Kate Noll’s set: a lived-in, colorfully decorated, industrial-style apartment, complete with factory windows, a lofted bed, and clever space-saving touches, like a sewing machine tucked beneath the dining table. It’s the kind of space that would make any 30something city dweller envious, while also reflecting Joanna and Naomi’s relationship and their readiness to build a home together.

Jenna Worsham deftly directs the play’s bait-and-switches, including several a-ha moments in the first scene that frame the characters’ relationships to one another. It’s a clever, sometimes tricky device that could easily feel deceptive. Here, though, it becomes an invitation — and a welcome one.

The Visitors summary

The Visitors follows Joanna, a 30something eager to start a family with her partner. She invites her siblings to visit and makes them an unexpected request. Forced into close quarters, the siblings reconnect as adults, revisiting childhood memories and reopening old wounds. But how far are they willing to go for one another?

What to expect at The Visitors

The Visitors runs 95 minutes without an intermission. The play tackles weighty subjects including mortality, substance abuse, chronic illness, and the realities of long-term medical treatment.

What audiences are saying about The Visitors

As of writing, The Visitors had an audience approval score of 81% on the review aggregator Show Score. Theatregoers have praised the characters, performances, and the set.

• “Good acting, they [are] really enveloped by their characters, and I think I felt about each in the way I'm supposed to. It does make one take a hard look and think about their own families. Story felt new and creative.” - Show Score user RemaD
• “If you like the TV show Girls, you would love this! The characters are complex, interesting, and flawed — just like us. A family drama meets a whodunit with dark comedy and a climax that makes you remember why theatre can be so cathartic. In a world full of reboots, adaptations, and ‘based on’ stories, it's refreshing to see something original and unabashedly singular.” - Show Score user Michael 631140
• “It's a family drama about a dysfunctional family gathered together for a big ask of one of them. Well-acted, beautiful set design, interesting, and makes you think about family relationships and how much we are willing to put into them.” - Show Score user Rotem R

Read more audience reviews of The Visitors on Show-Score.

Who should see The Visitors

• Theatregoers familiar with Bryna Turner’s New York productions, including At the Wedding and Bull in a China Shop, should see her latest work. Jenna Worsham also directed At the Wedding, which received the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation’s Theatre Visions Award.
• Fans of Celia Keenan-Bolger should see her stretch as Theresa, the horse-loving eldest sister. Matronly yet surprisingly nuanced, the character allows Keenan-Bolger to show her range.
• Siblings who enjoy each other’s company might appreciate seeing this play together. It raises questions about familial responsibility, expectations, and the obligations we have to each other.

Learn more about The Visitors off Broadway

Whether you love or hate your siblings, or are a prized only child with all the family’s attention, The Visitors offers plenty of food for thought. Its humor and heart speak to the complexity of belonging to a family.

Learn more and get The Visitors tickets on New York Theatre Guide. The Visitors is at the Pershing Square Signature Center through December 6.

Photo credit: The Visitors off Broadway. (Photos by Joan Marcus)