Flo

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The show’s titular character, Flo Weinberg, is a wheelchair-bound Upper West Side resident who decides to make a deal with Satan – in exchange for her soul, she can have fame, wealth, and happiness. The final part, happiness, proves to be a difficult sticking point, and the two bicker over what happiness exactly means and how one achieves it. Toby Armour’s (Freedom Summer, Meltdown) script is wickedly clever, full of recurring jokes and fascinating religious themes. There’s an undercurrent of gnosticism to the play’s narrative, one that works impressively well with the show’s tone. Flo is a comedy at heart, but one that engages seriously with larger ideas even as it commits to being quite wacky.

Director Joan Kane (Almost 13, Sycorax) is an excellent conductor of the show’s madness. Things get off to a bit of a slow start, with Jenny Taher’s (film: Recurring Gig, Timeshares) lackluster performance as wheelchair-bound old Flo, but after that first scene is over the play kicks into high gear. Something new seems to be happening all the time, whether it’s members of the ensemble cast coming down the aisle to burst into song or images projected onto the back curtain during scene transitions. There are many costume changes, the cast is constantly running back and forth, and the zaniness just continues up until the end. The use of a red-light prop to indicate when someone is using magic was an excellent choice, and the actors who wield it all display impressive sleight-of-hand skills when called for. The directing, along with Tatyana Kot’s (The Chaplin Plays, Candlelight) choreography, is so full of life that one is genuinely unsure what exactly is going to happen next, but one knows it will always be something interesting.

Mikayla Petrilla (TV: Saturday Night Live, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel) holds her own onstage as Flo, the show’s protagonist. While Petrilla’s comedy background often shines through – many of the show’s jokes are dependent on her character, and she delivers them well – she is often outshone by John Cencio Burgos (The Red Rose, Booked) as Max, the incarnation of Satan that Flo makes a deal with.

Burgos is simply an endless font of charisma. His rich baritone voice, bright red suit, and very controlled movement all make him an incredibly compelling presence from the show’s opening moments to its end. He commands the audience’s full attention whenever he’s onstage, with the entire room seeming to bend towards him. Burgos’ performance excellently walks the line of making Max feel like a deity, not a person, but still having a distinct personality. Max’s genuine frustration at Flo’s stubbornness is a particular highlight, as is his wicked glee whenever he finally feels as if he’s won something. Burgos also sings during some points, and his singing voice is simply beautiful.

The show’s production is very strong, especially Billy Little’s costume design. Max is clad in an appropriately devilish sequined suit, Flo at one point is given a sheer black dress that is impressively sparkled, and the camel costume during the desert sequence was utterly hilarious. The ensemble cast, meanwhile, go from matching leather jackets to cloaks to formalwear to a number of other well-put-together outfits. The lighting design (Bruce A! Kraemer) and sound design (Joy Linscheid and Alison Nolan) only enhanced the show’s exceedingly delightful chaos.

The set design (Lytza Colon) adds much to the production – a curtain is draped behind the stage where images (Roy Chang) are projected onto it, giving the images an ethereal quality. In addition to simply looking nice, this adds a fitting layer of unreality during scenes that take place in Max’s constructed false reality.

The play’s narrative ends up being quite gnostic. Flo’s journey in the play is to transcend the false material realm by progressing through a series of false realities and acquiring esoteric knowledge in order to merge with Max, then finally to acquire his powers after learning his true name. Meanwhile, Max himself is less the modern Christian Satan and more the Valentinian gnostic Demiurge – he is cast as a divine crafter, more immature than evil, that operates in the material realm – while the higher God, who is a separate entity, exists purely in the spiritual world. Flo is initially enchanted by Max’s magic tricks, but eventually dramatically rejects them, and only then is she free.

Flo is, above all else, incredibly fun. It’s chaotic, it’s brimming with interesting ideas and clever production choices, and it’s short enough to never wear out its welcome or feel as if it’s dragging along. This wonderfully offbeat show follows a retired woman who makes a deal with the Devil to regain her youth. Every choice that director Kane made seems to work effortlessly, and Burgos’ is able to pave over any potential flaws through sheer force of charisma. Spectacular directing and a great performance from Burgos make this show truly excellent.

Flo (through April 26, 2026)

Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit https://theaterforthenewcity.net/shows/flo/

Running time: 85 minutes without an intermission