Comments for Philly Theatre Talk

Comment on Coming Home by Athol Fugard by Colleen Coffey

Colleen Coffey — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:09:48 +0000

I will agree, it was rather long, and at times, it felt like they’d never stop talking, but overall, I really did enjoy it.

Comment on Coming Home by Athol Fugard by theatre_goer

theatre_goer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:51:44 +0000

Were we watching the same show?? This was horrendous. It had such potential to be poignent, but amidst the overacting, AWFUL accents, and the droning on and on from the actors…TERRIBLE!!! I want my money back, thank god its closing tomorrow.

Comment on Hermitage – The Strange Story of the Ghost Men of Harlem by Frederick Anderson by Colleen Coffey

Colleen Coffey — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:40:18 +0000

I’m not even exactly sure what could be cut to make it flow better. At some point, it just started to feel off and a lot of the stuff towards the end was repetitive and didn’t necessarily tell the audience anything they didn’t already know.

Comment on Hermitage – The Strange Story of the Ghost Men of Harlem by Frederick Anderson by Aaron Oster

Aaron Oster — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:15:06 +0000

Nice review, Colleen. I agree with your analysis. I really enjoyed the show, though it felt a bit long. I think it’s hard to maintain a sense of progression with characters who finally go nowhere and do nothing. There is a similar issue with recent adaptations of “Grey Gardens”

Comment on Philly Fringe Festival Started TONIGHT! by Dan Williams

Dan Williams — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:15:04 +0000

Why not check out the Gonzales Cantata!!!!
this Fri and Sat at 7, Sun at 2. We were featured on the Rachel Maddow show last night.

Comment on TAPE by Stephen Belber by Sandy Jones

Sandy Jones — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:38:45 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed this play. It was thought provoking and humorous. The interactions of the characters were well acted. Kudos to Room6 on their first production, I look forward to many more.

Comment on TAPE by Stephen Belber by John Lichter

John Lichter — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:32:01 +0000

I thought TAPE was a play that needed to be told, it is a relevant and interesting piece. The characters were complex and left you to interpret the motives and future of the characters. The character development was well thought out. The acting was good.

Comment on TAPE by Stephen Belber by Jennifer Kilpatrick

Jennifer Kilpatrick — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:05:23 +0000

I too saw TAPE and am really surprised that the reviewer didn’t find empathy for the characters. I was immediately drawn in to this play so much so that I truly felt like a fly on a motel room wall witnessing a reunion between old high school friends. The tension that the actors were able to build over the course of the play seemed to fill the entire room. It was thought provoking on many levels. My boyfriend and I ended up discussing it all night. I would never believe it was their first production. I recommended this play to my friends and coworkers. You will not be disappointed. Is perception really reality?

Comment on TAPE by Stephen Belber by Amelia Nutter

Amelia Nutter — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:56:17 +0000

I am the producer of TAPE and it is great to see people talking about it good or bad.
When me and my Fiance came to Philadelphia and we were surprised that the theatre scene here was lacking the style of acting that we knew and loved. Like painting, there are different styles or acting, and while I am a realist, reveling in the creation of detailed realities on the canvas, Philly seems to be emersed in modernism. Which is fine, because each has it’s own loving following, but we did feel that Philadelphia had the right to see our specific style of acting, and we were greatly pleased that 95% of the audience were as excited as us about it.
They left the theatre saying to me “I haven’t seen such talent in years of theatre going. I have been to theatres twice as big, and had to watch actors with half the talent.” And we thought, wow, they get it.
Though I disliked their use of the word “talent” because the other actors they had seen might have been incredibly talented in their style, but they might have just not liked that style.

The actors in TAPE are incredibly talented in their style. They are literally, masters of their craft, having recieved their MFA’s in a program taught by one of the origional creators of that craft. And for those who do not like their style, their words are more compliment than not.
We are not artists looking to “stand out.”
Good acting goes unnoticed

“The greatest performances are seldom noticed. Why? Because they do not draw attention to themselves, and do not seek to – like any real heroism, they are simple and unassuming, and seem o be a natural and inevitable outgrowth of the actor. They fuse with the actor that we accept them as other-than-art.”
-David Mamet

I suppose it wouldn’t do anything for me to say you should see this show because you would say, well of course the producer wants us to see it. But, you really should, if only to just see something different. But don’t listen to me, listen to the audience members above have gotten something real out of this show, and the many emails I have gotten from people thanking me for such a great experience, or the people you hear talking about it and telling you to come.

Thank you,
I believe this is a time for theatre to come alive once again, come out, see, watch, learn, grow, discuss, hate or love, at least you will have an experience unlike anything else.

Comment on TAPE by Stephen Belber by Lily Cavanagh

Lily Cavanagh — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:33:01 +0000

I went to see the play last week, with 4 friends, and we all loved it, and talked about it the rest of the evening. The acting was great and as the reviewer said, you really felt like you were there, with the three of them, in the motel room, wondering what was going to unfold next. Angry at the characters at certain points, proud when they did the right thing, confused along with them, and so on. Go see it!