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A RECENT REVIEWS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
- CLICK ON PLAY FOR AUDIENCE REVIEWS FOR THAT
PLAY
- An Evening With Olaf
- Angry Jellow Bubbles
Anything Show
Avalanche
Beatrice And Virgil In Paradise
Benefit Of Doubt
Breton's Dream
Chain Reactions
Chasing Rabbits
Condensed Works Of Frank Cullen
Counting The Ways (A Vaudeville)
Crazy Lady
Devil, Doctor Faustus And …
Disengaged
Don't Tap On The Glass
Double Counterpoint
Dr. Constance Cumming …
First Woman Plural
Floating Bone
From Shit Grows The Roses
Gretl
Happy Endings Are Overrated
Hold Me!
Imbecillus
It Came From Beneath The Kilt!
Jack The Ripper Slept Here …
Kiwi Standup Experience
Male Diva
Ma-Ma-Mamalia
My Penis In And Out Of Trouble
Myth Of Sisyphus
Neo Surrealists
Number 2
Opium
Regular Show
Run Jenny
Seeds Of Longing…
Slam, Bam, Thank You Ma'am
Sole Searching
State Of The Empire Address
Stew!
Ten
That Dorothy Parker
Theatre/Plague
Thicker Than Water
Tim's Magic Lantern Show
Tragical History Of Dr. Faustus
Trailer Trash Tabloid!
Treachery
Withering Glances
Woven
Zewski's Folly
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- 1play = Gretl
2name = dgeypscun
3email =
4rating = None
5review = If It is a shame to see someone with talent like Michi Broman,
use that talent to produce a show that sets the feminist movement
back 30 years. I left the theater so angry I couldn't see straight.
Here's the story in a nutshell, Gretl forgoes friends and career
as she tries to find some selfworth through the eyes of some jerk.
In the end she learns nothing and is primed to do the same thing
again, but she's hopeful that it will be better next time. In the
show women and men don't fare very well. Women are reduced to the
stereotyped, "I'm not complete with out my man" type and men
are
represented by mannequins, soul-less nonpeople. Part of my frustration
comes from the fact that it can't quite decide what it is, the show jumps
awkwardly from monologue to video segment to dance, all of which have the
feel of
separate projects forced together. The video segments are amateurish
and overlong and the dance pieces were weak and confused. The strongest
moments are the monologues.Broman has acting ability, however the person
she has created for this piece is, well, in a word pathetic.
- 1play = Gretl
2name = Christabel
3email =
4rating = 4 Stars
5review = A good piece utilising mulitmedia (video and sound) to provide
a message about relationships. This showed what every woman probably knows,
how hard it is to admit to yourself that the one you want doesn't necessarily
want you..... At least in the story Gretl went off and married someone
else. Good production qualities and flowed well.
- 1play = Gretl
2name = Vince Vitale
3email = WorldGazer@aol.com
4rating = 5 Stars
5review = Gretl
Yes, this is the Gretl of Hansel and Gretl, but all grown up and still
trying to make her relationship with Hansel work. This is also something
like a performance version of at least one chapter from Robin Norwood's
book "Women Who Love Too Much." Michi Broman blesses us with
a lovely performance as the everywoman who has been trained to give and
give to men who cannot give back. Video segments give us a clear visual
metaphor of Gretl's inner emotional life.
The counterpoint of the repetitious dialogue with the parents after each
visit Gretl makes to see Hansel reinforces how our "education"
is ingrained. Charming performance. But the prince is not Prince Charming.
Or maybe he is ONLY Prince Charming.
- 1play = Gretl
2name = John Levesque
3email = Seattle Post-Intelligencer
4rating = None
5review = It’s hard to take one’s eyes off Michi Broman’s
face. Granted, “Gretl” is a one-woman show and, aside from some
photographic images on a screen and a masculine mannequin/coat rack onstage,
Broman is indeed the focal point of this piece.
- But not all performers have that something that makes people want to
watch them. Call it energy. Call it truth. Call it talent. Broman has it.
And ”Gretl,” a humorous and poignant exploration of one woman’s
tendency to measure her self-worth solely in terms of her relationship
with a man, is enjoyable theater that, in less capable hands, would be
merely silly.
- Director Lindy McLaine manages to get Broman to give a lot of herself
in “Gretl,” no small task when it’s clear that Gretl’s
“Hansel” is the sort who only knows how to take.
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