“ It’s interesting to read a play and then experience it in production. Nuances may be lost in a director’s interpretation while insight not caught on the page may be brought into focus. Such was my experience with this deeply moving family drama; while it’s fun being on the outside looking in, the Hamiltons are one group with whom you do not want to spend Thanksgiving. It’s Ruyle’s gift that he keeps all their machinations spinning seamlessly in short, nearly cinematic bursts of sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking dysfunction, on page and on stage. ”

“ Politics – world, financial, personal, sexual (especially sexual, and not just in the bedroom) – are the driving force in Juan Alfonso’s MIDDLE OF THE WORLD, a theatrical equivalent to a bundle of dynamite if there ever was one. And as provocative, engaging, and thrilling as it is to read, I can only imagine how provocative, engaging, and thrilling it will be in the hands of a gifted director and cast when it is on stage – which it should be. As I said: dynamite. ”

“ Reneé Flemings does a deep dive into personal identity and family history, taking us along with her on a journey into murky waters that leaves us gasping; her use of jazz motifs throughout is extraordinary, particularly the way she conveys them concurrently through her use of language, an audacious choice that propels the play forward at an ever-quickening pace. I’d love to see this staged. ”

“ This “what if” rom-com is filled with hilarious one-liners which keep the piece floating along like a genially lethal bubble; lethal because the couple at the center aren’t an exactly well-matched duo. Petretti-Stemper’s warts-and-all portrayal of these two gives them a wonderful sense of reality, however, and despite their flaws they are both extremely likable; one ends up rooting for them at the same time doubting their future. There are great roles for five actors to sink their teeth into, including an ex-wife who steals the show in her one, desperately funny scene. ”