Off-Broadway Access Review -
All The Devils Are Here

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ID: image of the All The Devils Are Here Playbill in front of the stage with the text "Access Review" on top

 

General Note

This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it. 

This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down. 

For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful! 

I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.

Theater

DR2 Theatre

All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats on the far left of row G

Bathrooms:

  • no explicitly gender neutral options

  • located through the DR2 doors, to the left, up 3 steps, and then down that flight of stairs (shared with Titanique)

  • there is a single accessible restroom in the lobby

Other theater accessibility:

  • there are five steps going into the theater, though there is a “hand-lift” to get up those stairs if needed

  • each row of the theater is one step up from the next

  • the theatre does not offer assistive devices

Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.

Light/Sound/Scent

General:

  • the show runs 90 minutes with no intermission

  • I did not feel the need to use ear defenders

  • there are sometimes ~30ish minute talkbacks after the show (or maybe they are every time? unclear)

  • there is fairly consistent onstage haze the entire show

Pre-Show:

  • medium volume music playing that appears to get slowly louder as it gets closer to show time

Show:

  • “hold” (end of first monologue) - he hits the staff on the ground and the light changes

  • there are often shifts in lighting into his different characters (first example being when he puts on the mask), they’re light crossfades and you get the rhythm of them very quickly!

  • Richard III - “I'll pluck it down” - quick blackout

  • while sitting on the table - quick light change when he puts the skull down

  • “in the Merchant of Venice” - side lights move quickly over the stage walls and then center focus onto him

  • the glasses cause some accidental strobe during the Merchant piece, also there is a downlight on him that is slightly bent toward the audience

  • “I will better the instruction” - quick light shift and a very soft boom sound

  • “What is ’t I dream on?” - quick light shift, soft boom

  • something to the effect of “as chilling as today”, just before “who will believe thee, Isabel?” - same

  • “my false outweighs your true” - same as above

  • Page throws a chair during the Othello piece

Next is the Macbeth portion, followed by The Tempest portion. I would argue that these are the only potentially sensorially overwhelming sections of the show (other than the general haze throughout)

  • the sword causes significant accidental strobe 

  • “done cannot be undone” - 2 sec thunder/white flash 

  • there is a string of white LED lights on the center floor that kind of point at the audience

  • “hereafter” - thunder & white flash, ~3-5 seconds

  • “the roughest day” - single white flash (downlight)

  • “leave all the rest to me” - same as above

  • “come let me clutch thee” - small boom sound

  • “to heaven or to hell” - fast blackout & bird caw noise

  • after this he uses a white flashlight which he often moves over/flashes onto the audience

  • blood warning!

  • “house” - turns on the strobe function on the flashlight for about ~5-7 seconds 

  • “guilt” - 3 small booms (and various small booms throughout for a bit) 

  • “I would thou couldst” - thunder, then the LED lights are back

  • “up” - blackout (end Macbeth sequence)

Tempest Sequence

  • “a great storm” - thunder & teal flash for ~2 sec

  • light thunder and consistently transitioning downlight colors between teal & white

  • “the tempest!” - thunder and single sidelight flash

  • when he is on the ground and opens the book he hits the staff on the ground 3 times

  • “I’ll drown my book” - thunder, breaks & throws staff

Content Warnings

  • murder/death/suicide 

  • blood (appears during the Macbeth sequence in the latter half of the play)

  • discussions of psychopaths/psychopathy (primarily focused on “conscience” rather than “empathy”)

Shakespeare has a lot of outdated stereotypes in it (he did live from 1564 to 1616 after all) which are inevitably covered and portrayed in this play, primarily around race, antisemitism, and disability. Page makes sure to be super clear that these are outdated but also an important part of history that cannot be ignored/brushed under the rug.