Reviews
Praise for The Animal Kingdom
"I wouldn’t have felt that tenderness for Rita, of course, if actor Advah Soudack hadn’t inhabited the character so thoroughly..."
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"...I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more authentic performance than Lili Martin delivers as Sam’s younger sister, Sofia."
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"Of all the characters, Sam must inhabit the largest expanse of emotional territory. It’s a gift to watch Mayaleh negotiate it: the extreme containment, the easy bonhomie, the rage."
Colin Thomas Fresh Sheet
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"...The Animal Kingdom has such a ring of authenticity to it, the audience feels it could be on the outside of a two-way window, listening in..."
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"Sister Sofia initially says little, obviously caught in the middle of this unhappy family, ...a late-in-the-play revelation blows everything apart and we suddenly get a window into Sofia. It’s heartbreaking."
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"Thomas’s script feels searingly, even clinically, real, and the performances are flawless."
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"As the therapist Daniel, Meen is relaxed and unflappable, a kind and sympathetic character. Soudack’s Rita drives us nuts, but the playwright shows such compassion toward the character, that we, too, are moved by Rita."
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"Under Christy Webb’s direction for Christy Webb Productions, the play and the production fuse to provide a window on a family situation that we all hope never comes to our door."
Jo Ledingham On the Scene
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Praise For ANNAPURNA
Combined, Frangione and Shuttleworth are electrifying, with two of the best performances you’re going to see on stage all year....So realistic is Glenn MacDonald’s set that it was only lacking a fourth dimension, the smell. And even though you know it isn’t the case, when Emma opens the small fridge you’d swear the odour of rotting meat inside wafts through the room. Lighting designer Michael Methot brings an exquisite opening sequence that casts desert shadows inside MacDonald’s cutaway set...In her program notes, director Christy Webb claims Annapurna as her last directorial undertaking. What a way to go out. You should get your tickets now. Mark Robins, Vancouver Presents
This play is a splendid combination of a great set.... terrific acting by two mature actors ( Daryl Shuttleworth and Lucia Frangione), and a demanding, nuanced script (this is one that particularly depends on the quality of the acting to reveal the internal drama of the characters).... Tragedy coexists with humor in real life, and it does in this play also.
Beyond YVR
photo Anne Marie Slater
Annapurna is lovingly directed and acted, and this short but bittersweet play perfectly reveals a complex story of love, nostalgia, and memory, each at its best and worst. I would highly recommend seeing this performance if not just for the earnest chemistry between Frangione and Shuttleworth. Review Vancouver
Praise For The Other Place
In 2014 Christy Webb assembled an all star cast and crew and brought Sharr White's
play The Other Place to Vancouver to make its Canadian debut.
Sharr White’s Broadway hit The Other Place dissects in devastating detail personal identity and the fragile nature of reality. At the same time, it gently reminds us that hope and forgiveness spring eternal. These two seemingly opposite themes make for haunting yet compelling theatre. Vancouver Observer
The harrowing suspense of “The Other Place” is palpable and almost visible. Beyond YVR
This is a must-see play, as the actors are outstanding. Kudos to Director/Producer Christy Webb and her staff for a well-presented production. Review Vancouver
Daryl Shuttleworth is exceptional as helpless husband Ian, flipping between frustration, fear, anger and tenderness on a dime, with complete authenticity, as various tactics to get his wild wife under control.
VanCity Buzz
