2 out of 5 stars

For "The Fallen," Manhattan Repertory Theatre creates a convincing Old West setting with little more than a few sticks of furniture and a couple of gun holsters. The problem is, to what end? Rita Lewis's play about a mother and daughter suffering and escaping abuse is dramatically intense. But it mostly sets up a collection of thinly drawn Western archetypes who conflict in familiar ways: Villainous preacher, violent ranch hand, virtuous daughter, long-suffering wife, misunderstood criminal with heart of gold. Things get tied up far too neatly in the end, more due to cheery plot points than evident character growth. — Adam Z. Horvath

At the Chain Theatre, through Oct. 25, 2026. manhattanrep.com.