The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
Closed 1h 30m
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
63%
63%
(32 Ratings)
Positive
41%
Mixed
37%
Negative
22%
Members say
Disappointing, Ambitious, Indulgent, Confusing, Slow

About the Show

Third Space presents this theatrical reimagining of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's classic 1972 film about a famous and arrogant fashion designer and the women in her life. 

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Critic Reviews (4)

CurtainUp
February 24th, 2017

"Sadly, this production, although imaginatively staged, is neither embraced by a text that is even remotely in synch with its presumed agenda nor is it enhanced by performances that might have effectively answered the call. The acting as a whole is far from awful, but this company has not been guided to express or explore the dark and moody sensuality that made the film or the subsequent stage version so provocative...The overall effect of the experience was close to numbing."
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Theater Pizzazz
February 24th, 2017

“A gorgeous and vacuous production that mines the material for high camp with very little sincerity. Under the direction of Benjamin Viertel, Fassbinder’s darkly humorous drama about a woman’s breakdown is a frenetic comedy about a pathetic lesbian…Scenic designer Bryce Cutler and costume designer Emily Chalmers do some dazzling work here…A more restrained directorial approach could have fulfilled the promise of the professional and transformative design."
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Wolf Entertainment Guide
February 25th, 2017

"It stands on its own as an interesting and absorbing weird drama involving love, passion, anger and other emotions stemming from the set-up...A problem with the play is that with all the heat generated it is difficult to feel deeply for Petra. That is due to the oddball nature of the work itself, and the aura of strangeness that hovers over events...It falls on the performers to capture our attention and get us to enjoy much of what we are watching, and they certainly succeed at that."
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Theater In The Now
March 1st, 2017

“This dark comedy is a wild ride that will leave you on edge…Fassbinder's text, translated by David Tushingham, is problematic but Viertel had a plethora of missed opportunities to infuse a genuine and consistent style…As Marlene, Alex Spieth gave an outstanding performance…‘The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant’ is a wild trip through madness that goes off the rails. And it’s a shame because there’s so much good inside."
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