Ghetto Babylon – Location, Tickets, Reviews
Ghetto Babylon is a classic coming-of-age story: Charlie, a smart Latino kid in the South Bronx in 1982 puts his relationship with his two best friends in jeopardy by hiding a secret. The play alternates between a Baseball field, where the trio hopes to win the Bronx-wide championship, and Charlie’s rooftop, where he stacks his books. Together the three boys deal with questions about high-school, their status in the neighborhood, and – of course – girls.
This kind of story has been told before but Ghetto Babylon does stand out due to its compelling and touching depiction of a time and a place, its captivating and charismatic cast, and the uncanny feeling that someone — maybe the playwright himself — lived this story.
Playwright Michael Mejias received the 2012 National Latino Playwriting Award for this play.
LOCATION
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
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RUNNING TIME
2 hours 20 minutes, 1 intermission
TICKETS
$18 (click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through August 18
REVIEWS
NYTheater
Even in the city of 8 million stories, it seems like producers keep putting up the same ones. So while I can’t recommend Ghetto Babylon, I’m happy to see kids like Charlie and his friends finally getting their due.
Theatermania
Michael Mejias’ new play about a trio of pals in the South Bronx expertly captures the community it depicts
Time Out
Michael Mejias’s coming-of-age Bronx tale, Ghetto Babylon, may have trouble on its follow-through, but man, it has a beautiful windup
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Michael Mejias
Directed by Gregory Simmons
Featuring Malik Ali, Sean Carvajal, Talia Marrero, Alejandro Rodriguez, Rodney Roldan, Andrew Schoomaker