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HOUSE NOT MEANT TO STAND (2011) - Director
RAVE! - Los Angeles Times - "A MASTER PLAYWRIGHT
STANDING TALL! - Williams’ caustic 1982 swan song is remarkably forward-looking in its outraged swipes at social ills:
unaffordable medicine and healthcare costs, skyrocketing insurance rates and rapacious greed... Director Simon Levy emphasizes
Expressionistic grotesquerie as Williams’ characters exploit one another with relentless glee, and A FINE CAST ENSURES
THE GRIM LAUGHTER IS CONTAGIOUS. Alan Blumenfeld’s splendidly belligerent patriarch, Cornelius McCorkle, faced with
his wife Bella’s (Sandy Martin) slide into dementia, is concerned only with getting her to reveal where she’s
hidden her grandaddy’s moonshine profits before he has to put her away for good... Williams as late-career social satirist
never equaled the inward-looking dramatist with uniquely poetic insights into fragile, sensitive souls trampled by a brutishly
inhospitable world. Here, the focus is mostly on those doing the trampling (the only character with the stature of Williams’
classic protagonists — the McCorkles’ gay, alcoholic son — has already died before the play begins). Nevertheless,
as the play eventually delves into Bella’s unraveling mind via Martin’s haunted performance and some nifty staging
effects, Williams’ language, rhythm and imagery LEAVE HIS REPUTATION AS A MASTER PLAYWRIGHT STANDING TALL."
RAVE! - Back Stage - CRITIC'S PICK! - "MUST VIEWING!... flashes of brilliance... An exceptional cast and astonishing
design add to the rewards of this bracingly intelligent rendition... The performances of Blumenfeld and Martin are riveting,
illuminating the craziness and torment within this toxic family, without lapsing into melodramatic clichés. As a character
who's somewhat closer to sane, though hardly a beacon of class, Billet provides a good counterpoint to the adversarial parents.
Newcomb has hilarious moments as the sexually liberal Bible thumper. The Fountain is to be commended for taking a chance on
an imperfect but powerful piece that is MUST VIEWING FOR ALL WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES WILLIAMS AFICIONADOS."
RAVE! - BroadwayWorld.com - CRITIC'S PICK! - 5 OUT OF 5 STARS! - "Astutely directed by Simon Levy and PERFORMED BY
A BRILLIANT ENSEMBLE, this House has the symbolism and lyricism expected of Williams with the addition of a few surprising
features... As in many Williams plays, humor is a staple, and House's black comedy is one of its finest assets. There is nothing
more heartbreaking or funny than watching various characters scramble desperately to pick up spilled meds or swill down a
plethora of pills with beer. Tennessee Williams was an original whose poetic language and multi-layered imagery, both real
and surreal, of the decaying South stand the test of time. ADD A House Not Meant to Stand TO HIS LIST OF CLASSIC MASTERPIECES!"
RAVE! - StageAndCinema.com - "SUPERB!... The discovery of A House Not Meant To Stand makes this not merely AN
IMPORTANT THEATER EVENT, but a revelation of just how potent Tennesee Williams’s talent was in a period that has been
categorized as one of decline. And Sandy Martin’s great performance does for Bella McCorkle what one imagines Laurette
Taylor did for Amanda Wingfield. What she is doing doesn’t even look like acting. What higher compliment can one pay
an actor?... a career-transforming performance... House may or not come to be counted among his genuine masterpieces, but
Levy has at least given us a chance to see how fecund and bountiful his talents continued to be right up to the end. He was
still experimenting with structure and content; he could still create characters, with all his art at his command, who matter;
he was still capable of writing those insanely beautiful arias that any actor, rising to the occasion, can take pleasure in
singing... HILARIOUS... TRAGICALLY MOVING."
RAVE! - CulturalCocktailHour.com - "MUST-SEE! - The Fountain
Theatre’s “A House Not Meant To Stand” deserves A STANDING OVATION. The dynamic cast, its Gothic set
spewing forth leaks, and the darkly wry barbs of Tennessee Williams added up to A RIVETING PERFORMANCE of Williams’
'Southern Gothic spook sonata.' The Fountain Theatre’s “A House Not Meant to Stand” offers a rich
and worthy tribute to a master playwright. Happy Birthday, Mr. Williams."
RAVE! - ReviewPlays.com - "FANS
OF WILLIAMS WILL LOVE THIS PLAY AND THOSE NEW TO HIS WORK COULD NOT FIND A BETTER PLACE TO GET INTRODUCED TO ONE OF AMERICA'S
GREATEST WRITERS... Every nuance of the original presentation has been carefully captured by Director Simon Levy who leads
a superb cast that makes the characters vibrant and believable... this play is a powerful denunciation of a type of life in
the South and the Fountain Theatre’s production is another example of the EXCELLENT WORK that has become a trademark
of the company."
Variety - "THE FOUNTAIN PRESENTS CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF LIFE IN THE OLD BOY TO THE END
IN HIS FINAL OPUS 'A HOUSE NOT MEANT TO STAND.'... Sandy Martin's shattering central performance counters any preconception
that Williams' sweet bird of youth flew off with his talent in its talons... it's quicksilver Martin, playful even in distress,
who's indelible here. At first Bella lurches about like Cornelius' marionette, but once the strings are cut she emerges as
a worthy epilogue to all Williams' faded Southern belles bereft of hope at the end of the Camino Real. In their best tradition,
the actress keeps her comical yet ever real... As battered in reality (a truck nearly flattens her) as those heroines were
metaphorically, Bella dissociates into that fugue state of memory and grief with which so many Williams plays wind up. Behind
a scrim, Martin's valedictory is like the author waving from the grave... VISUALLY SPLENDID PRODUCTION!"
RAVE!
- StageSceneLA.com - "WOW!... SIMON LEVY AND THE STERLING CAST HE HAS ASSEMBLED all do the kind of accomplished, multi-layered
work that audiences have come to expect at the Fountain Theatre. For those willing to throw away preconceived notions of what
a Tennessee Williams play ought to be, A House Not Meant To Stand is likely not only to entertain, but to spark many a discussion
of just how his wild-and-crazy last produced play fits in with the rest of Tennessee’s much loved, much lauded body
of work."
RAVE! - Examiner.com - 5 OUT OF 5 STARS! - "A RARE COMEDY AND MEANT TO BE SEEN!... features
a superb cast... Alan Blumenfeld deliciously portrays bombastic McCorkle patriarch Cornelius... Sandy Martin’s portrayal
as matriarch Bella McCorkle was mesmerizing... The Fountain Theatre’s contribution to the Tennessee Williams Centennial
is NOT TO BE MISSED and with a show this splendid and a limited run, it is sure to sell out, so don’t delay."
RAVE! - StageHappenings.com - "YOU MUST RUN TO THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE!... Not only will you gain insight into the
alcohol-soaked and pill-ravaged mind of one of the theatre’s greatest writers toward the end of his days, but you will
witness what an amazingly beautiful production can be created with a script that is seemingly incapable of being produced...
Thanks to Simon Levy’s luminous direction, however, this House is a Haunted Mansion I wouldn’t have missed for
the world."
RAVE! - Buzzine.com - "I thank Simon Levy and the award-winning Fountain Theater for
bringing me Williams’ birthday centennial... A LIVELY AND BOISTEROUS ROMP!... Tennessee Williams was a writer who always
laid his own open heart naked on the table. And with this “comedy” at the end of his life, he had done the same
thing. I had been given the privilege of witnessing a STRONG PRODUCTION of what was a final cry (laugh?) of despair... A House
Not Meant to Stand is a darkly comedic version of Tennessee Williams’ familiar themes: the yearning heart, the frantic
heart, the damaged heart, and family cruelty... an amazing performance by Sandy Martin!"
RAVE! - AssociatedContent.com
- "THIS IS ONE NOT TO BE MISSED!...The Fountain Theatre HAS A MARVELOUS REPUTATION OF PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY THEATRICAL
PROGRAMMING for the community it serves, and though it is a small theatre, it is more than capable of delivering excellence
in theatrical productions. Its current run of A House Not Meant to Stand, BRILLIANTLY PRODUCED AND DIRECTED by Simon Levy
(with assistant producers Deborah Lawlor and Stephen Sachs) is A SPLENDID EXAMPLE OF THIS KIND OF EXCELLENCE... a fabulous
look at the lives of a family in the midst of turmoil... a cast that is more than superior... An engaging and powerful production
that should not be missed."
RAVE! - Examiner.com - 4 STARS OUT OF 5 - "IT IS WORTH SEEING AND SEEING
AGAIN so as to fully grasp what was on Tennessee Williams' own ebbing mind... Bella is brilliantly portrayed by Sandy Martin.
Her characterization is so nuanced, idiosyncratic and committed that I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. She is
captivating!"
Pat Taylor in Tolucan Times - "On Saturday, I went to the Fountain Theatre as a guest of
my friend Andrea, another theater critic. We saw Tennessee William’s last written play, A House Not Meant to Stand,
compellingly directed by Simon Levy. Having not visited this long respected theatre in ages… it was a joy to be reminded
of the dedicated and high quality of work always offered here. Kudos to co-artistic directors Deborah Lawlor, Stephen Sachs,
and Simon Levy."
RAVE! - StageHappenings.com - "IT WOULD BE A SHAME, INDEED, TO MISS THIS TERRIFIC PRODUCTION!...
It's a fun play... SUPERB CAST!"
RAVE! - WeHoNews.com - "WHAT A HOOT! A BRIGHT, HILARIOUS HOOT SPOT-ON
IN ALMOST EVERY WAY!... the only rowdy, broad and bawdy comedy (plus some darkness) I know of by Tennessee Williams... a funny
but haunting and remarkable portrayal by Sandy Martin... a hilarious Alan Blumenfeld... done to perfection by Lisa Richards...
Every part of this production by Simon Levy deserves praise; all the actors do fine jobs... ABSOLUTELY WORTH SEEING!"
RAVE! - Los Feliz Ledger - "A POWERFUL PRODUCTION THAT DESERVES TO BE SEEN BY THOSE WHO LOVE AMERICAN THEATER
AND APPRECIATE EXCELLENT ACTING... Sandy Martin is brilliant as the fragile yet wily Bella, a character based on Williams’
aunt Bella. Alan Blumenfeld’s portrayal of Cornelius Williams, drawn from Williams’ own father Cornelius
Williams, is riveting. The character of the McCorkle’s son Charlie who provides a more human counterpoint to his sparring
parents is well performed by Daniel Billet. Virginia Newcomb’s interpretation of his sexually emancipated, born
again fiancée Stacey’ adds humor. The play is beautifully directed by Simon Levy who was recently honored with
a lifetime achievement award by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle."
RAVE! - EDGELosAngeles.com - "AS
BEAUTIFUL AS ANY OF WILLIAMS' PREVIOUS WORKS... Director Simon Levy deftly navigates the many layers of this final effort
of the great playwright... ALL PRINCIPLE ACTORS ARE FORMIDABLE IN THEIR ROLES, but it’s really Ms. Martin’s performance
that centers the play. She balances dementia and confusion beautifully with her lucid determination to care for her remaining
children... Even to the very end, the ghosts that haunted Tennessee Williams in his own life and work - his family- still
resonated with him."
RAVE! - CynthiaCitron.com - "THE ALWAYS WONDERFUL FOUNTAIN THEATRE!... under the
inspiring direction of Simon Levy and BRILLIANT PERFORMANCES BY A STELLAR CAST... The patriarch, Cornelius, is a blustering
bully, loud, offensive, and arrogant, and Alan Blumenfeld plays him exquisitely... it’s being presented at the Fountain,
which is a house that, we believe, is meant to stand for a very long time." OPUS (2010) - Director CRITIC'S CHOICE! - Los Angeles Times - full review - "THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE SCORES WITH ITS BRISK AND ENTERTAINING STAGING of Michael Hollinger's inside
look at the passions and betrayals within a string quartet... BUOYANT PERFORMANCES... A romance
set to music... Simon Levy's direction moves con brio, invisible yet exact, the rhythm of the line readings
creating its own musicality. Each actor offers a specific tone: Cooper Thornton's Alan is a droll Lothario, while clear-eyed
but reticent cellist Carl (Gregory G. Giles) holds secrets of his own. Lebano's vain Elliot makes the hard decisions but
can't hear the exquisite musical shadings that obsess Blinkoff's tremulous, childish Dorian... ACCOMPLISHED CAST...
It's the smaller moments that compel, creating an intimacy that make 'Opus' A STYLISH MIDSUMMER DATE NIGHT."
- Charlotte Stoudt CRITIC'S PICK! - Back Stage - full review "Director Simon Levy's LOVINGLY CRAFTED production perfectly captures the tension and the
aesthetic beauty that make this INTELLIGENT PLAY take flight... Startling plot reversals keep the play
fascinating up to the final melodic fadeout... The five member ensemble is rock-solid... Levy's classy production
delivers a symphony of harmonious pleasures." - Les Spindle RAVE! - BroadwayWorld.com - full review - "BRILLIANT!... What more can be said that has not already been extoled?... Sensational work from
all five actors!... Levy's direction is impeccable... With an astounding cast and direction, THIS PRODUCTION IS ONE
MORE CLASSIC FOR THE CLASS-A FOUNTAIN THEATRE." - Don Grigware RAVE! - CultureSpotLA.com - full review - "THE MUST-SEE PRODUCTION!... The characters are richly drawn, the dialogue true to life and
the story compelling. The actors, all with exceptional credits in theater (and some having made recognizable TV appearances),
make wonderful music together... Hollinger portrays human relationships with an accuracy and sensitivity
that give it a universal appeal. That’s what makes “Opus” compelling and assures its longevity."
- Julie Riggott RAVE!-
LATheatreReview.com - full review - "I CAN SUM UP MY REACTION IN ONE WORD: 'BRAVISSIMO.' Opus is an all-around professional
production, with artistry, craft and attention to detail that is not lost on the audience and has become the hallmark of
Fountain Theatre productions... The acting is excellent all-around." - Joel Elkins RAVE! - ReviewPlays.com/Santa
Monica Daily Press/San Diego Jewish World - full review - "MAGNIFICENT! - Exquisite play! - Impeccable timing... Gorgeous music... an altogether
absorbing study of very real and very human individuals as they cope with their lives and prepare for the most important
performance of their careers. A performance to which we, along with the president, can only shout “Bravo!”
- Cynthia Citron RAVE!
- Park LaBrea News/Beverly Press - full review - "THERE'S LITTLE TO SAY ABOUT PERFECTION. EXCEPT THAT THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE DOES IT AGAIN!... The
play is not just about a string quartet; it's about relationships, commitment, connection, survival, ambition, the individuality
and the plurality in harmony, life, love and every worthwhile endeavor... EVERY PERFORMANCE IN THIS UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL
PLAY IS A GEM, DISTINCT AND PURE... And there is the hallmark of meticulous directing, which always abounds in
Levy's work!... 'Opus' demonstrates how working together creates beautiful music." - Madeleine
Shaner GO! - L.A. Weekly - full review - "CANNY SCRIPT... Because classical music can be such a sublime art form, one tends to regard those
musicians as inhabiting a more celestial sphere than the rest of us. Playwright and classically trained violist Michael
Hollinger confutes that notion with this PERCIPIENT DRAMA, which examines the political and emotional fracas
within a string quartet... SOLID ENSEMBLE." - Deborah Klugman RAVE! - L.A. Weekly (2nd review) -
full review - "What happens at play's end, after the White House appearance, could be Shakespearean, were it the story of a king
rather than a little-known string quartet. But it's all there: The personal intrigue, democracy, hypocrisy and tyranny walking
arm-in-arm. Sometimes in four or five people, you can see the whole world. And that Hollinger has pulled
that off in a somewhat minor key is no minor accomplishment. Then again, HE'S WELL SERVED BY THE ENSEMBLE, AND THE
DIRECTOR, not to mention music advisers Roy Tanabe and Larry Sonderling. Frederica Nascimento's set has a quasi-expressionistic
backdrop, which captures the rich veneer of the instruments themselves, and Peter Bayne's crucial sound design is impeccable."
- Steven Leigh Morris RAVE! - StageSceneLA.com
- full review - "THIS IS L.A. INTIMATE THEATER AT ITS BRILLIANT BEST... Director Simon Levy adds Opus
to the string of hits he’s directed at the Fountain, most recently last year’s equally gripping Photograph
51, and neither his work nor the cast he has assembled could be any better... The Fountain has a history of long-running,
multi-award-winning productions, and Opus looks to be no exception." - Steven Stanley
RAVE! - Buzzine - full review "SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENS WITH A PLAY THAT WORKS... It's a theater experience that doesn't always
happen. It happens in Opus... all excel in this small, well-crafted play." - Clare Elfman
RAVE!
- StageHappenings.com - full review - "A HELLUVA THEATRE EXPERIENCE! This is one high-toned evening that should be viewed by lovers of
theatre and of classical chamber music... Director Simon Levy has worked his signature magic with
the entire production and the five actors are to be congratulated on such intense individual and ensemble work."
- Dale Reynolds RAVE!
- CultureVulture.net - full review - "A GEM!... Sometimes it seems like the best way to review something terrific is to just lean
back and say, "You must go, see for yourself. It's wonderful." "Opus"
at the Fountain Theatre is just such a gem. It is 90 minutes of tightly written and meticulously acted theater,
entertaining and thought provoking... Watching "Opus," it is hard to believe that the actors
in front of you are not musicians, or for that matter, that they are not a real quartet performing before you... BEAUTIFUL!"
- Karen Weinstein RAVE!
- Santa Monica Mirror & Splash Magazine Worldwide - full review - "THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE IS ONE OF L.A.'S MOST RESPECTED VENUES having garnered over 200 awards for production,
performance, and design in its 20-year history. Its latest production is certainly destined to be yet another notch on its
belt. Working with a brilliant script by Michael Hollinger, Opus, a stirring look at the behind-the-scenes
drama of a string quartet, award-winning director Simon Levy put together a fabulous ensembleOpus
is a pitch-perfect production that is an extra special treat for classical music lovers, but you don’t
have to love classical music to thoroughly enjoy the performances by this gifted ensemble... A THEATRICAL BREATH
OF FRESH AIR." - Beverly Cohn and created a fascinating evening
of theatre... RAVE!
- LAStageBlog.com - full review - "A MINOR MASTERPIECE under Simon Levy's direction." - Don Shirley
RAVE! - Hollywood Reporter
- full review "THE ACTING, LIKE MOST STRING QUARTETS, EXCEEDS THE SUM OF ITS PARTS. There is real teamwork, whether
as characters in the play or just actors on a stage doing battle and interacting with one another... Cooper Thornton as the
second violin increasingly dominates the play with his resigned sense of humor, bringing a Jason Robards Jr. sense of pathos
to his work along with a split-second sense of timing. Gregory G. Giles gets bad news and delivers it as only a cellist
with his feet firmly on the ground could do. Between them, Christian Lebano as the controlling first violinist and Daniel
Blinkoff as his ephemeral lover and rival capture the stilted, awkward rituals classical music relationships must go through
in their final stages, like black holes of mortality. The set is cleverly designed to provide the labyrinth through which
all touring ensembles must continually travel... Rips open the heart of classical music." - Laurence
Vittes RAVE!
- Los Feliz Ledger - full review - "HILARIOUS AND POIGNANT!... Director Simon Levy has skillfully drawn out the different personalities
of the five characters... Classical music mavens and theater enthusiasts alike will savor “Opus,”
an insightful look into the emotions and angst of a string quartet at the Fountain Theatre. The play was so successful
in its July run that it has been extended through August." - Marilyn Tower Oliver RAVE! - StageHappenings.com
- full review -
"DROP WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR 'OPUS'... exquisitely directed
by Simon Levy... five superb actors... the audience sits mesmerized... This intimate production is LIVING
THEATRE AT ITS BEST." - Shirle Gottlieb PHOTOGRAPH 51 (2009) - Director L.A. Weekly - PICK OF THE WEEK - "SHOULD NOT BE MISSED! - Simon Levy
efficiently orchestrates the manipulation of time and space, turning vast leaps into imperceptible segues, and inspiring powerful
performances from his actors. The entire cast sparkles." - Mayank Keshaviah Santa Monica Daily Press - "ENTHRALLING! - Impeccably directed by The Fountain’s Simon
Levy... Despite her prickly personality and personal tragedies, director Simon Levy has presented her as a rich and sympathetic
character. And the men around her, treacherous as they might have been, are also presented with sympathy and understanding. Further,
what might have become a fairly static recitation about a complex and barely comprehensible scientific subject is rendered
enthrallingly exciting with the help of Travis Gale Lewis’ innovative set design and Kathi O’Donohue’s dramatic
lighting. Lewis’ set, a series of angled, solid black walls, comes to life as blackboards as Franklin, in her lab,
and Watson and Crick in theirs, rush to chalk up their arcane formulas and drawings as they approach the solution to their
quest. 'Photograph 51' is an important slice of history, beautifully acted and intriguingly presented. An exciting
adventure all around." - Cynthia Citron CurtainUp.com
- "This STUNNING PRODUCTION of Anna Ziegler's prize-winning play is whipped into a tightly-paced 90 minutes
by director Simon Levy at The Fountain Theatre... Ziegler superbly sculpts the humanity and emotional lives of these scientists
into their race for the prize. The play was the winner of the 2008 Stage International Script Competition for Best New Play
About Science and Technology. It well deserves the honor and this production does it justice." - Laura Hitchcock Back Stage - "Ziegler uses considerable ingenuity
to explicate dense scientific information; create clever, credible characters; and tell a story that won't conform to standard
notions of plotting. Franklin's early death means the tale has no real climax or emotional payoff, but Ziegler juggles her
materials so skillfully that we scarcely notice the lack. Director Simon Levy gives the piece an IMPECCABLE PRODUCTION, with
an admirable young cast. Alpert combines Franklin's brusque authority with vivacity and charm." - Neal Weaver Variety - "TERRIFIC! - Polished and entertaining...
Director Simon Levy directs the show smoothly, segueing from straight drama to narration to the lead character's private imaginings
with admirable clarity. Attention clearly has been paid to the actors' performances...Alpert is terrific as Franklin, full
of astringent authority and tart humor, a woman in full control of herself, if not her world." - Terry Morgan LA CityBeat - "ABSORBING AND TOUCHING! - The
no-nonsense Franklin is seen here not simply as a casualty of sexism but also, more dimensionally, as a woman whose loner
obstinacy might even have irritated other women scientists – if any of them had been in the labs. Partially because
of her premature death at age 37, from a cancer that Ziegler suggests might have been caused by her work in the lab, she assumes
a tragic stature that elevates the play and Simon Levy’s staging into an absorbing and touching event." - Dpn Shirley THE MILK TRAIN DOESN'T STOP HERE ANYMORE (2007) - Director L.A. Weekly - GO! - "SUPERB! - Director Simon Levy and a terrific
cast headed by Karen Kondazian do a magnificent job of bringing this black comedy to life. The production design is as superb
as the cast." - Sandra Ross
Back Stage West - CRITIC'S
PICK! - "Fascinating production! - Director Simon Levy skillfully manages to make this world of isolation, privilege,
deception, lust, and hallucination work as a richly textured whole." - Wenzel Jones L.A. Times – “TALENTED CAST! – The Fountain Theatre’s new production lunges into this problematic
play with energy and enthusiasm… the cast is deliciously game.” – David Ng CurtainUp.com - "It's getting the best performance it's likely to have at the Fountain
Theatre under the direction of Simon Levy, whose intuitive understanding of the playwright has earned him exceptional privileges
from the vigilant Williams estate." - Laura Hitchcock IN Magazine
- "COURAGEOUS! - Levy's handsomely staged production (awesome set by Travis Gale Lewis, fine costumes by Shon Le Blanc,
marvelous lighting by Kathi O'Donohue, superb sound effects by David B. Marling) is crisply professional. Kondazian is a consummate
actress... Rodgers is superb... Pelikan brings welcome down-to-earth realism to her role... Rhino Michaels, Dominic Acosta
and Lauren Silvi offer fine support. Valiant production under Simon Levy's assured direction." - Les Spindle MASTER CLASS (2007) - Director Santa Barbara News-Press - "KONDAZIAN
DAZZLES! It's easy to see why Kondazian won an Ovation Award for this role... The Santa Barbara Theatre production provides
the rare pleasure of watching one virtuoso portray another... Under Simon Levy's direction, the three students also do fine
work... Of the three productions of the play I have seen, this one EXEMPLIFIES WHAT CALLAS STOOD FOR." - Tom Jacobs CASA Santa Barbara - "A MASTERFUL MASTER CLASS!... Karen Kondazian is mercurial, mesmerizing... [she] displays
her mastery, her artistry in the role... DIRECTOR SIMON LEVY HAS ORCHESTRATED THE PLAY PERFECTLY!" - Alex Henteloff The Independent - "ENTERTAINING AND MOVING!... Karen Kondazian was wonderful... GENIUS PRODUCTION... BRILLIANT!"
- Charles Donelan Special to CASA - "BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE... Under the direction of Simon
Levy, Karen Kondazian DAZZLED the Lobero audience... hitting the STANDING OVATION button at the finale. BRAVO!" - Hedda
Moneycuts THE GREAT GATSBY (2006) - Writer Seattle
Post-Intelligencer - "SEATTLE REP SUPERBLY MINES THE ESSENCE OF FITZGERALD'S 'GREAT GATSBY'... Playwright Simon Levy
does a BEAUTIFUL JOB of distilling Fitzgerald's sometimes fussy prose. Levy's combination of narration, dialogue and action
delivers most of what is best in the novel... BEAUTIFUL... STUNNING... AMAZING... A BRILLIANT DISTILLATION." - Joe Adcock Minneapolis StarTribune - "GREAT START FOR NEW GUTHRIE!... in a new stage adaptation that provoked historic
excitement... a clean, imaginative and sometimes surreal work... a production that is FLEET-FOOTED and, thankfully, not freighted
with theatrical froufou." - Rohan Preston The Falcon Newspaper - "A STUNNING PERFORMANCE...
artfully synthesizing the writer's renowned work onto the stage with Simon Levy's adapted script... With these colorful and
profound characters, the dramatic performance engages the audience both in laughter and in genuine sympathy. BOLD AND ENTICING,
the intense and convincing acting, the simple yet fitting sets, and the elaborate costumes all add to the EXCELLENCE OF THIS
PRODUCTION. THIS PLAY GIVES LIFE TO FITZGERALD'S TIMELESS STORY." - Sara Lee Variety - "SWEEPING...
EXCELLENT... AN UNDENIABLE CHEMISTRY AT WORK HERE THAT'S LAUDABLE... Levy's adaptation wisely anchors itself around the first-person
account of narrator Nick Carraway... A SATISFYING CONCLUSION... AFFECTING!" - Quinton Skinner Performing
Arts - "A CLASSY AND ELEGANT PRODUCTION THAT IS CAPTIVATING AND MOVING... The Guthrie's dramatization of this classic
was BEAUTIFULLY ORCHESTRATED." - Terry Rindfleisch Post-Bulletin - "IT'S NOTHING LESS
THAN MAGNIFICENT, a powerful realization of Fitzgerald's novel of obsession, love, money and the American dream. There's no
question that 'Gatsby' has all the elements of GREAT THEATER... a grand christening of the main stage in the Guthrie's $125
million new home." - Jay Furst Tacoma Weekly - "A BRILLIANT REWORKING!... the only play
version authorized by the Fitzgerald estate since 1926... The use of the Saxman to establish mood was a great touch... MAGNIFICENT."
- Peg Doman Seattle Gay News - "'GREAT GATSBY' CONTINUES TO PACK IN CROWDS AT SEATTLE REP
PREMIERE... The Seattle Repertory has one of its strongest audience hits in recent years with its solid solid production...
AN OUT-AND-OUT AUDIENCE PLEASER AND A HOT TICKET!" - Milton W. Hamlin St. Cloud Times - "'The
Great Gatsby' SUCCEEDS BEAUTIFULLY with its haunting quality. It is a fitting play to open the new Guthrie, leading the theater
on to conquer new dramatic heights... You could feel the excitement in the air with Simon Levy's carefully honed adaptation."
- Christopher Trussell THE GIMMICK (2006) - Director CRITIC'S CHOICE! - Los Angeles Times "RIVETING AND INSPIRING! ELEGANT AND POETIC! This solo piece
is guaranteed to touch the soul of anyone who's ever aspired to a better life. With understated supplemental music and lighting,
Simon Levy's staging deftly showcases his performer's talents to best advantage... Orlandersmith's performance mines brutally
honest anguish, longing and beauty that transcend time and place in a voice all her own. In the end, she leaves us heartbroken,
stirred and above all GRATEFUL FOR LETTING US INTO HER WORLD." - Philip Brandes CRITIC'S PICK! - Back Stage West "INTENSELY INTIMATE AND POWERFUL! With pulsing
physicality and a visceral embrace of language... Orlandersmith has such a strong connection to her material that it's impossible
not to be completely drawn in; HER WORDS AND PRESENCE ARE INESCAPABLE... Simon Levy directs, and the production makes beautiful
use of lighting by Kathi O'Donohue and sound by David B. Marling." - Jennie Webb Hollywood
Reporter - "SPELLBINDING! POWERFUL! POETIC! Orlandersmith combines the riveting personal power of a Maya Angelou with
the theatrical command of a professionally trained actress... Orlandersmith is more than a charismatic talker; she is physically
gifted as well. BRILLIANT!" - Lawrence Vittes
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WHAT I HEARD ABOUT IRAQ - (2005-2007) - Writer/Director (An
Electronic Published Version of the play is available for $10.00 at http://fountaintheatre.com/buytickets.html.) Adelaide Fringe
Festival Production (2007): Winner - Advertister Fringe Festival Award Nominated - Adelaide Drama Critics Circle Award THE ADVERTISER 5 Stars! - "PITHY,
POLITICAL, DARK HUMOUR - Simon Levy's play based on Eliot Weinberger's essay arrives in
Adelaide with a delicious Australian touch. IT'S FAST, FIERY, PITHY AND DRENCHED IN FEROCIOUS IRONY - an up-to-date litany
of the spurious justifications the world has endured about the war on Iraq. In her directorial
debut, Martha Lott presents a tight, professional production. The cast sits on a series of television sets in front of a big
screen and on top of a brilliant newspaper floor. It's all focus and timing as they machinegun their reportage . . . IT'S
A SNAZZY AGITPROP SHOW, DESTINED TO BE A FRINGE HIT." THE
ADVERTISER - "In a Fringe program awash with tired and decidedly unfunny comedians, it's refreshing to see A THEATRE
PIECE OF THE QUALITY AND POWER of "What I heard about Iraq". I am certain none in the large audience last night
allowed their attention to wander for even a second so much had this production to say. There is no room - even for
Howard supporters - to hide. For my money, "What I heard about Iraq" is sure to be AMONG THE BEST OF THIS
YEAR'S STAND-ALONE FRINGE FESTIVAL!" Edinburgh Fringe Festival Production (2006): Winner - Fringe First Award SCOTSMAN 4 Stars! - "OF ALL the verbatim and documentary
shows on this year's Fringe, What I Heard About Iraq - adapted by Simon Levy from a ground-breaking London Review of Books
article by Eliot Weinberger - must be the most straightforwardly news-based, best-organised and most exhilaratingly sure-footed
and hard-hitting. BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED, BEAUTIFULLY PERFORMED, POWERFULLY DIRECTED." THE
GUARDIAN 4 Stars! - "POWERFUL! It makes you question just about everything you've heard and read. REAL IMMEDIACY!"
LONDON EVENING STANDARD 4 Stars! - "That rare thing, an IMPASSIONED and DYNAMIC piece of
verbatim theatre." METRO 4 Stars! - "This is a stark, powerful piece!" EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS 4 Stars! - "GRIPPING AND THRILLING POLITICAL THEATRE." THE
STAGE 4 Stars! - "Compelling stuff... A strong piece of theatre." BROADWAY BABY 4 Stars!
- "Likely to become one of the Fringe's MOST TALKED ABOUT SHOWS, and rightly so." EDINBURGH
FRINGE INDEX 4 Stars! - "Another POWERFUL piece about George Bush's War on Terror." SCOTSGAY
MAGAZINE 5 Stars! - "One of the unexpected HIGHLIGHTS of this year's Fringe." Los Angeles
Production (2005/2006): LOS ANGELES TIMES ****RECOMMENDED! - "SUPERB! STUNNING!
COMPELLING! ... FIERCE IN ITS ANTIWAR BLOW... Levy's razor-sharp staging features superb production elements [with a] KEENLY
CALIBRATED ENSEMBLE... Levy is clearly a man on a mission, and his passionately antiwar play is unapologetically biased.
AN OFTEN STUNNING DISTILLATION OF AMERICAN HUBRIS AND DENIAL, 'WHAT I HEARD ABOUT IRAQ' SHOULD BE VIEWED WITH AN OPEN MIND,
REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION." - F. Kathleen Foley L.A. WEEKLY ****RECOMMENDED!
- GO! - "Director Simon Levy smoothly orchestrates his adaptation [with] five VERSATILE ACTORS... THE WORK TAKES ON AN
URGENT LIFE ALL ITS OWN AS WE RE-EXPERIENCE THE ADMINISTRATION'S LUNATIC HUBRIS.- Steven Mikulan VARIETY
- "EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMERS! SPINE-CHILLING!... Their fluidly directed interplay encompasses overlapping dialogue as
they pitch lines to each other with the precision of baseball stars... A CRY OF OUTRAGE delivered by five actors, exposing
the deceptive strategies and heartless acts of violence perpetrated by the Bush administration." - Joel Hirschhorn AMERICAN RADIO NETWORK (KCLA, KLAS, KPRO-AM, KMAX-AM) ****CRITIC'S PICK! "A MUST SEE EVENT!...
Simon Levy has adapted this brilliantly and directs as well... SENSATIONAL five member ensemble... performing various roles
they vividly bring to life... IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW IS, THE PLAY IS CONTEMPLATIVE, PROVOKING,
SMART, CLEVER, WITTY, AND FASCINATING." - Gerri Garner MetroLA ****RECOMMENDED!
- "THE WRITING, DIRECTION AND PERFORMANCE LEVELS ARE UNIFORMLY TOP NOTCH!... You can't sit through this COMPELLING
EVENING without being moved, angered, and hopefully charged to take some individual action." - Jerry Jackson BACK STAGE WEST - "A RALLYING CRY to end the war quickly, but few of our responsible leaders seem willing to
adopt that position anytime soon. Instead we are forced to look back in sadness at a tragedy for which, unfortunately, we
all bear some responsibility and look ahead with trepidation to the final acts of this epic drama." - Hoyt Hilsman ENTERTAINMENT TODAY ****CRITIC’S PICK! - “The Fountain’s Simon Levy has tackled
the obscenity of the Iraqi war and the unbelievable death toll that rises there each day. WHAT I HEARD… IS AN
IMPORTANT PRODUCTION. – Travis Michael Holder
|
ACCOMPLICE (2005) – Director L.A.
Times - "RICH, SATISFYING BLEND OF COMEDY AND SUSPENSE!... This is a mystery in quotation marks, and director Simon Levy
REVELS IN ITS EXCESSES WITH ALMOST CARTOONISH GLEE!" - Rob Kendt Variety -
"AMUSING!... DIRECTOR SIMON LEVY HAS ENOUGH INTUITIVE SENSE NOT TO LET THE PROCEEDINGS DESCEND INTO HYSTERIA OR SLAPSTICK,
AND HE STAGES A ROUSING, IF CONVOLUTED, CLIMAX COMPLETE WITH... 'Accomplice' has a final twist, making it one of the few plays
to recruit a surprise --- ...." [that's all we can tell you here, you'll have to see it to find out!] - Joel Hirschhorn
Back Stage West - ****CRITIC'S PICK! - "LAUGH-OUT-LOUD!... The challenge for
any critic reviewing this HIGHLY ENTERTAINING SHOW is how to talk about its quality without spoiling any of its twists and
turns. DIRECTOR SIMON LEVY DOES AN ADMIRABLE JOB OF KEEPING THE MYRIAD RED HERRINGS SWIMMING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS, AND
HE REAPS THE BENEFITS FROM AN ADEPT CAST... This is the sort of show 'word of mouth' is made for; if you see it, you will
want to tell your theatregoing friends about how enjoyable it is." - Terry Morgan Daily
News - ***(3 stars!) - "MYSTERY LOVES YOUR COMPANY IN 'ACCOMPLICE'!... Simon Levy's production at the Colony has four
performers who are enthusiastically game for the Ira Levin-meets-Noel Coward style of performance Holmes' play calls for...
'Accomplice' enjoys its games. AND AT THE COLONY, WE CAN DELIGHT IN THE GAMES' EXECUTION." - Evan Henerson CurtainUp - "Rupert Holmes' DEFT, DAFFY, COMPLEX COMEDY OF TERRORS which is given the SPIFFY
PRODUCTION it deserves by the Colony Theatre. DIRECTOR SIMON LEVY GIVES FULL MEASURE OF CHILLS AND CHUCKLES AND HAS A SENSE
OF THE FEYDEAU-ESQUE FARCICAL BLOCKING SO ESSENTIAL TO MAKING THIS PLAY PRANCE SLYLY AND LASCIVIOUSLY ALONG." –
Laura Hitchcock AWAKE AND SING (2004) – Director Los Angeles Times - ****Recommended! - "Hard times movingly depicted in 'Awake'... DIRECTOR
SIMON LEVY'S SOLID STAGING of Odets' second play, "Awake and Sing," for International City Theatre in Long Beach
effectively marries the drama's broader themes to its nuanced portrait of struggling lower-class Bronx Jews during the great
Depression." Variety - “ICT's staging, HELMED WITH IMPRESSIVE ATTENTION
TO DETAIL BY SIMON LEVY, captures the suffocating lack of opportunity that cripples a poverty-stricken Jewish immigrant family…
Levy's efforts to qualify the personality of each character are aided immensely by Don Llewellyn's beautifully detailed setting.
ICT AND HELMER SIMON ARE TO BE LAUDED for so effectively underscoring the playwright's agenda." Back Stage West - ****Critic's Pick! - "A FLAWLESS INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE ENSEMBLE, GUIDED BY THE INFORMED
DIRECTION OF SIMON LEVY, brings this haunting material to life and screams it to the rafters." LA Weekly - ****Recommended! - "VIBRANT ENSEMBLE WORK distinguishes International City Theater’s production
of Clifford Odets’ 1934 play about the soul-crushing effects of poverty... There’s no period mustiness here
SIMON LEVY DIRECTS WITH VERVE, ELICITING TOP-NOTCH PERFORMANCES FROM THE ENTIRE CAST." DAISY IN THE DREAMTIME (2004) – Director Los Angeles Times - ****Critics’ Choice! – “The enormity of the tragedy inflicted on Australia’s
Aborigines during the early 20th century hits home with STUNNING IMPACT… UNDER SIMON LEVY’S SAVVY DIRECTION,
THIS FOUNTAIN THEATRE PRODUCTION INFUSES HISTORY WITH VISCERAL URGENCY… the riveting Lisa Pelikan evokes a complex,
finely nuanced portrait… and the supporting cast consistently impress… LEVY MAKES THIS A FELT WORLD rather than
an intellectual concept, which makes the Aborigines’ fate all the more poignant.” Variety - “Effective in this Fountain Theatre preem are helmer SIMON LEVY'S INTUITIVE STAGING, Lisa Pelikan's
transcendent portrayal in the title role, an outstanding supporting cast and the HAUNTINGLY EVOCATIVE, SYNERGISTIC PRODUCTION
DESIGNS." Back Stage West - ****Critic’s Pick! – “There are
plays that teach us much about a subject, there are plays that move us deeply, and there are plays that nimbly achieve both.
But RARELY DO WE FIND A PLAY LIKE LYNNE KAUFMAN'S DAISY IN THE DREAMTIME, which richly satisfies these two hungers and also
achieves something nearly impossible: providing us with an invaluable key into a world that seems permanently sealed off to
us by the very structure of our minds... With THIS AMBITIOUS PRODUCTION, ALL ELEMENTS COMBINE to bid us entry into this world:
a uniformly stellar cast; SIMON LEVY'S INSPIRED DIRECTION.” KABC Radio - “SUPERBLY
DIRECTED, AS USUAL, BY THE FOUNTAIN’S SIMON LEVY, who directed last year’s marvelous ‘Going to St. Ives’
and this year’s ‘Master Class.’ …A POWERFUL NEW PLAY!” Entertainment
Today - ****CRITIC'S PICK!... directed by the Fountain's MEGA-TALENTED PRODUCING DIRECTOR SIMON LEVY and starring the gifted
Lisa Pelikan... this epic, remarkably challenging presentation features STUNNING PRODUCTION VALUES, instantly sweeping the
audience into another world. Levy's direction is taut and impeccable... THIS IS TRULY AN AWARD WORTHY PRODUCTION!" MASTER CLASS (2003/2004) - Director Los
Angeles Times - ****Recommended! – “Less a master class than a wrenchingly cathartic life lesson, DIRECTOR SIMON
LEVY'S HANDSOME, INTIMATE NEW REVIVAL of Terrence McNally's play reaches convincing emotional extremes in the fearless performance
of Karen Kondazian as diva Maria Callas.” Hollywood Reporter - “SUPERB
PRODUCTION!... When Karen Kondazian sweeps onstage as opera diva Maria Callas, you can almost hear a purr of satisfaction
run through the audience: This is going to be good – fireworks, tonight!… But Kondazian offers something more
in this revival, which is what makes it special. This is Callas as Callas herself might have played the role – unsparing,
raw, vulnerable and richly dramatic… THE TRIP WE TAKE WITH CALLAS, UNDER SIMON LEVY’S ARTFUL DIRECTION, IS AN
EXHILARATING ONE!” Back Stage West - ****Critic's Pick! - "MESMERIZING!
THIS TRIBUTE IS STUNNINGLY RE-ENACTED! CALLAS HAS FOUND A NEW TEAM OF SAVIORS IN DIRECTOR SIMON LEVY AND HIS OWN PERSONAL
DIVA, Karen Kondazian, who brings a glorious new life to the demanding role." L.A.
Weekly - ****Recommended! - "KAREN KONDAZIAN DELIVERS A SUPERB PERFORMANCE AS MARIA CALLAS! Under Simon Levy's direction,
Kondazian has enormous stage presence!" Daily News - ***1/2 - "HIGH ART!
- Kondazian, under the beautifully paced staging of Simon Levy, literally seizes the Fountain stage as Maria Callas... She
has it all: the accent, the attitude, the tormented isolation... an impressive performance! - A MASTERWORK!" KABC Radio - “LIGHTING UP THE STAGE AT THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE - As far as I'm concerned, the
year ends here. Because it seems highly unlikely that in the next 11 months I'll see a performance to top Karen Kondazian's
dazzling portrayal of opera diva Maria Callas in Master Class… UNDER THE SUPERB DIRECTION OF SIMON LEVY.” Easy Reader - "MY PICK FOR 2003’s BEST SMALL THEATRE PRODUCTION & BEST ACTRESS!
– “This is a MUST for anyone who loves great writing, memorable insights into humanity and terrific performances
(Kondazian seems a shoe-in for best Actress Nominations). And if you also happen to enjoy opera even a little – well,
then, don’t wait – grab the phone and make reservations before it’s sold out. Brava Divas Callas and Kondazian,
and Bravo, author McNally… SIMON LEVY’S DIRECTION IS ABSOLUTELY SUPERCHARGED, YET CREATES A NATURALISTIC FEELING
FRAMING DAZZLING PERFORMANCES!” |
