Don’t be fooled by the title of Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties, now playing at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Studio at Stage II at New York City Center. Despite the name, there are no civilities, no handshakes, no pledges of sisterhood or fidelity. Nothing is resolved. I loved it. The other thing that I really liked about Burgess’ approach to her two-character, conflict-filled play is that there is... Read more


The Niceties has now closed.
Manhattan Theatre Club continued its 2018-2019 season with the New York premiere of The Niceties, written by Eleanor Burgess and directed by Kimberley Senior.
Performances were staged at the Studio at Stage II within the New York City Center.
(Photos by T. Charles Erickson)
This show has now closed. See our list of theatre tickets for shows currently on sale.
The Niceties Image and Video Gallery

At an elite East Coast university, an ambitious young black student and her esteemed white professor meet to discuss a paper the college junior is writing about the American Revolution. They’re both liberal. They’re both women. They’re both brilliant. But very quickly, discussions of grammar and Google turn to race and reputation, and before they know it, they’re in dangerous territory neither of them had foreseen – and facing stunning implications that can’t be undone.