In The Forest, She Grew Fangs @ defunkt theatre is a HIT!
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| photo by Rosemary Ragusa Photography |
The reviews are in and In the Forest, She Grew Fangs is a SMASH. Rave reviews all around, from critics and audiences alike. Make your plans to see this show now as it must close November 15th!
Portland Monthly:
“Fortunately, the play is not just timely, it’s good, and Defunkt does Spotswood’s script more than justice. Confident direction from Andrew Klaus-Vineyard... The lead performances are brimming with charisma. In the Forest succeeds largely because it doesn’t shy away from the variance and the gray areas inherent to a teen-bullying epidemic that, though its victims are high school kids, is not a “high school problem.” Spotswood gives us a violent and bloody condemnation of a society that still seems content to sit back and watch as the emotional and psychological effects of bullying percolate through our young people. It’s crucial material, and Defunkt tackles it fearlessly.”
“Intense and hypnotic... In the Forest is notable partly because director Andrew Klaus-Vineyard and his cast and designers use the compact Back Door space so well. And for a story with such a gothic sense of good and evil and retribution, Spotswood’s version is surprisingly subtle and complex. We see layers and levels of abuse, some of it malicious, some of it thoughtless, and the silent scars that run as deep as claw-slashes across a face. The whole thing has an intimate hothouse effect, as if the story just grabbed you by the throat and pulled you in for a good theatrical mauling.”
“Opening night was sold out and I attended that performance directed by Andrew Klaus-Vineyard. I am still trying to process the myriad of emotional responses that the performance conjured up in me and trying to answer a few questions about what I experienced that night. These are two clear indicators that the playwright, the actors, the director and the crew did their individual work brilliantly and cohesively in my book: I can't stop thinking about the play.”
“This is the 15th Season for this very successful black-box theatre and, if this play is any indication of things to come, then they will have many more years of good fortune. Klaus-Vineyard, the director, has assembled quite an impressive team and it just became the hottest ticket in town. Season for this very successful black-box theatre and, if this play to produce this show And he has his cast, wisely, underplay their characters in a story that could easily have been over-acted. Modica is excellent as Granny, especially in her monologues. Quite honestly, I could have listened to her telling stories all night.”
“The rapidly shifting power dynamics, coupled with snappy dialogue, mirror the widening gyre of teenage life, and prove an apt reminder: In the scariest stories, you never discover who's the real monster.”
We look forward to seeing you at the theater!
2014-2015 Season sponsored by Ronni Lacroute/Willakenzie Estate, Ellyn Bye, James F and Marion L Miller Foundation
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