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OPUS (2010) - Director 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. The splendid Doughman radiates dignity and strength as Grace works to watch out for herself
when the fur starts to fly. Lebano expertly conveys the egotism and self-assurance that are his trump card and his Achilles
heel. As the temperamental artiste, Blinkoff offers a characterization rich in nuance and wit. In subtler roles, Giles and
Thornton provide welcome balance in their well-modulated portrayals. Levy's classy production delivers a symphony
of harmonious pleasures." - Les Spindle RAVE!
- Los Angeles Times - full review
"A ROMANCE SET TO MUSIC... WITTY... ENTERTAINING... 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 RAVE! - ReviewPlays/Santa
Monica Daily Press/Examiner.com/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
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! - 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
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
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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!” |
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