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A
(Bearded) Lady
BLESSING
HER HEART
Break-Upocalypse
Carnival
Of Chaos: "Survival Tips For The Reckless"
Cemetery
Golf
Cockroach
De
Rerum Natura; Or, Love The One You Whip
Eat,
Pray, Laugh!
Fists
of Funny
FOOL
FOR A CLIENT
The
Fox
The
Frank Diary of Anne
The
Godling
Hell,
The Musical
I
Prefer Fur
Inside
Private Lives
J.Lo.Hew
JESUS
IN MONTANA: Adventures in a Doomsday Cult
Knitting
LandEscape
Legs
and All
Marriage:
a queer institution
MISSING:
fugue #9: wear a warm coat
No
Ordinary Nut
Open
Season, A Queer Performance Spectacular
Play
4 Play
Poste
Restante
PUBLIC
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Comedy and Justice for All
Pulp
Scripture
Recess
Searching
for the Voice of the Third
Show
No Show
Spider
Baby the musical
Suicide
Me!
The
Surprise
The
Tao of Everest
Tater
Stew
tempestuous(ness)
or HIStory is Told by the Victors
The
Texas Chainsaw Musical!
Theatre
of the Battle
Ticonderoga
The
Unbearable Lightness of Raya
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Lisa k
5 Stars
I could'nt disagree more with Avery's review! This play had a clear vision
and inspiring staging. It was dark, strange and beautiful. Kudos to this
young company for bringing this thoughful, well performed work to this years
fringe!
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Emily
3 Stars
Well written; embarrassingly directed and choreographed. It was the kind
of cringe-inducing choreography that embodies every bad cliche of "interpretive
dance." The powerful text would have been better served with subtler
movement.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: NYCCritic
1 Star
Trite, shallow and empty. A total performance art cliche down to the silly
penis speech for no reason and the bad, toneless "music". Like
someone read a book on performance art called "Performance Art for
Dummies." The "poetry" in particular is just awful, sagging
beneath it's own weight and belief that it is "profound". Overly
long and boring, not at all disturbing, and the performances aren't good-
just loud and "intense." In New York we call that "shouting."
The intent here seems to be "to shock" but true shock requires
content and subversive ideas- both lacking in this production. Reminds you
of what pretentious college kids call "art."
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Aaron T
5 Stars
A haunting, sometimes frightening and sometimes (oddly, shiveringly) funny
piece. I agree with the review of Alison Sacha Ross
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Avery L.
2 Stars
There was really nothing New or Provocative about Cockroach. It was not
a show that made me “Think” or “Feel” anything, except
somewhat board by a concept that is done at every Fringe Festival all over
the world. I understand what was trying to be done. However, I feel that
it was executed poorly in terms of clichéd writing and directing.
The kind that says “No you don’t understand this is how it REALLY
is” I feel like Darkporch took the best moments from an Improve or
a Meisner workshop and put them on stage. The acting was solid, brave and
inspirational but not enough to make this show stand out by any means. If
you want to WOW your audiences you need to work harder at what THEY want.
Not what you think they ought to see. One doesn’t have to travel far
or pay anything to witness schizophrenics pushing a cart around talking
gibberish.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Vonn Scott Bair
4 Stars
Play: THE COCKROACH
Reviewer: Todd Pickering
5 Stars
The Cockroach is an intense evening of words, images, emotion and movement
and dance. Nathan Tucker is the center of focus as he pushes his laundry
cart around the stage and takes of becoming the glass the children walk
upon. A fantastic actor! He then descends into a personal sort of madness
and is backed up by a haunting woman (Played AMAZINGLY by a replacement
so sorry I cannot remember her name. KUDOS) There are also three dancers
that move beautifully and bug like together across the stage. It all flowed
very nicely and even though I didn't always know what was going on I was
engaged. THe sound and lighting were fantastic and the direction tight.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Wendy O.
2 Stars
You ever see a show that tries to hard to be cool or avant garde? I've been
to Fringes here and NYC, and a lot of shows are like that. I loathe them.
This was one of those. As a student of psychology, I found this portrayal
of insanity overwrought and hackneyed and almost offensive. It wasn't poorly
acted so much as poorly written. The female actress was pretty good. The
movement of the cockroach dancers had that annoying modern dance quality
that is sort of embarrassing. They were trying to make a show filled with
a palpable dread, and they kind of succeeded--because it was another self-conscious
play trying too hard to be Fringe material.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Dod Andrew
5 Stars
Kudos to Marty Schwartz and Margery Fairchild for creating such a visceral
theatrical experience. Cockroach is a moving piece that plums the depths
of schizophrenia. Lead actor Nathan Tucker grabs the role by the throat,
tosses it about the room and has his way with it. Highly recommended
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Chris Struett
5 Stars
NOH SCHMOH...lets be real here. Ms. Fairchild's choreography was at once
stinging raw fresh brutal. And the words.. oh the words! Mr. Schwartz' libretto
delivered through Mr. Tucker's raving mad horror resplendent performance
all in the thick of Mr. Phillip's aphotic sound montage forced my heart
vibrating between a rock and a hard place on the bottom of the sea. A wake
up call for the blind faint of heart optimist and a must see for all.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Syzygy
1 Star
Wait...what?
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Helen
2 Stars
I think I would have enjoyed this production more if I had gone in with
no expectation that what I would see was related to Noh Theatre. This expectation
of aching, slowly unfolding beauty in the grotesque was not met and I was
left sadly disappointed. The performances were solid and virtuous but, I
was not moved because I was constantly pulled out of the moment by the speed
and lack of ensemble precision. I never would have had my expectations shattered
had the show not been advertised as having any association with Noh.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Kate
5 Stars
Never boring, never overwrought, and refreshingly strange, Cockroach exemplifies
the unique pleasures to be found only in the theater.
While this meditation on madness is definitely unsettling and thought-provoking, its intellectual heft is unfolded in perfect measures by steady and sure hands; Nathan Tucker's performance is spooky brilliant and Alison Sacha Ross is terrifyingly sadistic. An eerie soundscape, excellent lighting, and creepy dancing take this show to yet another level of greatness.
How lucky we are to be able to enjoy a show of this caliber for only $10! It's been a long time since I've seen anything as excellent as Cockroach - even at very high-priced venues. Thanks SF Fringe!
Play: cockroach
Reviewer: kyle garrett
5 Stars
fabulous! provocative, humbling, and captivating. brilliant choreography
with unbelievable dancers!
Play: "COCKROACH"
Reviewer: JAY RAY
5 Stars
Bravo Dark Porch Theater! Bravely crisp dialog, vivid imagery, and the bold
depiction of a man at wits-end. I can't wait for your next production.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Lanny Baugniet
5 Stars
Drawn from "vague outlines of Noh theatre plots [and} German performance
art" [from the program note] "Cockroach" externalizes the
fragments of a crazed man's mind, like the shards of broken glass that figure
so importantly in the story. Nathan Tucker gives a riveting performance,
exquisitely nuanced and technically dazzling. Alison-Sacha Ross provides
a measure of support in counterpoint to his manic outbursts. Margery Fairchild's
kinetic choreography, as executed buy 3 supremely athletic male dancers,
is startling and very impressive in its bold, unexpected angularities. Derek
Phillips' sound design punctuates the rapids of Martin Schwartz' stream
of consciousness like so many splintered tree branches. Altogether a highly
successful 50 minutes of daring and innovative theatre, "Cockroach"
is fascinating to the point of being mesmerizing. Whether or not this is
your cup of tea, Tucker's performance is not to be missed. Highest recommendation.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Harvey Romulan
5 Stars
Cockroach is a play that typifies what the Fringe Festival is all about,
and is one of the Fest's best offerings in years. Set against the backdrop
of an evocative original score, Nathan Tucker brilliantly balances reality
and illusion in his portrayal of the grotesque schizophrenic forced to repeatedly
relive a tortured experience. Mr. Tucker's performance is itself worth the
price of admission. The script, expertly crafted by Martin Schwartz, never
fails to disappoint in its exploration of the faulty schemas and repetitive,
circular logic in which his protagonist's ailing mind is stuck. Haunting
movement by a trio of well-trained performers adds to the eerie air that
surrounds the events in this play. Sounds dark, but the play is punctuated
by moments of great levity, including Alison Sacha-Ross' delivery of a monologue
in which she explores what delineates the man from the 'member'. If you
enjoy the Fringe Festival, then Cockroach is not to be missed.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: Ronnie
5 Stars
Loved it. Kept my normally fleeting attention span right on spot the whole
time. Was dark, funny, truthful. Had to smoke a cigarette afterwards and
I'm not usually a smoker.
Play: Cockroach
Reviewer: clapclap
5 Stars
aggressively thoughtful, crisp and compelling language, taut and dynamic
staging, driving intention, mad mood, excellent committed resonant performances...a
harsh spotlight on a harsh existence in a harsh time. excellent! still thinking
about it.