Westport Country Playhouse

Review

8/21/08 - Fairfield County Weekly - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by Michael Ragozzino
“…part Dickens and part Hitchcock…While the beauty of Tryst comes from its expertly crafted script, the production reaches such a stunning level of artistry because of its cast…the final curtain will leave you both undoubtedly satisfied and just a little breathless.” – Fairfield County Weekly MORE

Review

8/14/08 - Trumbull Times - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by Joanne Greco Rochman
“Mark Shanahan steps into the role of George Love as if with a hot branding iron. He burns his character deep into your thoughts, until you know you will never forget this character, this actor… Quite simply, he is terrific. Andrea Maulella as the less-than-trusting young bride is a study in authenticity. She is superb….they will not le... MORE

Review

8/15/08 - Ridgelea Reports - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by Tom Nissley
“…my advice is to drop everything else and get to see it. You will talk about it in detail after you’ve seen it, but for now I’m not saying anything more. Go!” – The Ridgelea Reports on Theatre MORE

Review

8/14/08 - Minuteman - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by E. Kyle Minor
“…the play grabs your attention off the bat…likely to satisfy theatergoers seeking juicy melodrama…” - Minuteman MORE

Review

8/14/08 - The Hour - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by David A. Rosenberg
“Firm directing gives 'Tryst' strong atmosphere…an intriguing evening.” – The Hour MORE

Review

8/14/08 - Brooks Community Newspapers - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by Geary Danihy
“…intense, at many moments riveting… the evening seems to rush by as the audience is drawn deeper and deeper into this battle of wills… the two (actors) move about the stage in sequences that almost seem to be choreographed, such is Joe Brancato’s deft direction…showcases two fine actors who create characters who will stay in the viewers�... MORE

Review

8/14/08 - WMNR Fine Arts Radio - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by Rosalind Friedman
“…breathtaking… the language and ideas have a bite that lasts way after the two hours with intermission ends…director, Joe Brancato, keeps the action and the audience on a tight taught rope, never letting cast or audience off the hook.” - WMNR Fine Arts Radio MORE

Review

8/13/08 - Connecticut Post - Tryst

Tryst Review Excerpts
by Irene Backalenick
“…leaves the viewer gasping and crying for more. In all, “Tryst” provides a two-hour roller coaster ride, an evening of thrills and chills.” – Connecticut Post MORE

Review

8/12/08 - Shoreline Publications - Tryst

Tryst
A Penny Dreadful With a Twist
By Bob and Karen Isaacs
“…you will be totally absorbed in the details and in the machinations of each person. There is no question that the performances will hold your attention and have you shifting your cheering from one side to the other as you await the outcome.” MORE

Review

7/24/08 - Fairfield County Weekly - Scramble!

Putt Jokes
Scramble!
By Michael Ragozzino
...a first-rate night out at the theater...Wiltse freely admits he didn't set out to write anything deep or meaningful. "I wanted to write a farce," he says. "Something that would entertain people and make them laugh." What he ended up with is a work of comedic gold...Scramble! elicited not only countless bursts of loud laughter at Westport... MORE

Review

7/21/08 - New Fairfield Citizen News - Scramble!

Slapstick with the Office Staff: Scramble! at
the Westport Country Playhouse
By David Begelman
David Wiltse, author of the peppy two-act, Scramble!, has a lot going for him. He is a virtuoso playwright of the snappy comeback, the mordant quip, the riotous one-liner, the hilarious riposte, the well-timed gag. What he isn’t is a playwright who in this case delivers memorable drama... MORE

Review

7/24/08 - Middletown Press - Scramble!

“SCRAMBLE” FOR FUN, FARCE AND PROFIT
By BONNIE GOLDBERG
Job security or lack thereof is the comic premise of “Scramble!,” a new and funny farce by David ‘Wiltse, playwright-in-residence at Westport Country Playhouse. You’ll need your running shoes to keep up with the fast paced patter until Saturday, July 26. MORE

Review

7/20/08 - New York Times - Scramble!

Job Insecurity, and No Lack of Hanky-Panky, in an Office Farce
By ANITA GATES
Everyone in “Scramble!” has a quirk (or at least a noticeable distinction). Jane is sometimes so nervous she can’t be understood when she speaks. Otis, no longer a young man, is always searching for a word that he can’t quite remember. Sam, the brusque Holland Taylor-ish boss, thrives on flinging insul... MORE

Review

7/17/08 - Scarsdale Inquirer - Scramble!

A fast-talking farce of love, work and golf
By JACKIE LUPO
The editorial office of a golf magazine seems an unlikely place for a comedic farce. But it makes perfect sense in the context of “Scramble!” by David Wiltse, playwright in residence at the Westport Country Playhouse.
Actually, “Scramble,” isn’t about golf at all; it’s about a very typical small office and the ... MORE

Review

7/17/08 - Minuteman - Scramble!

"Scramble" a loud, frantic, randy farce
by E. Kyle Minor
....a randy farce akin to "A Mid-summer Night's Dream" revised by Joe Orton...those who have ever spent time in an office and dipped their toe into the chilly water of politics and rumor-mongering will identify with all their hearts. MORE

Review

6/20/08 - Newtown Bee - Hot 'n Cole

Theater Review: Hot ‘n COLE
By Julie Stern
If you like Cole Porter and grown up music, Westport offers you a delightful evening... MORE

Review

6/24/08 - Hersam-Acorn Newspapers - Hot 'n Cole

Nifty Cole Porter revue: ‘It’s the Top’
Written by Fran Sikorski
Performed on an elegant set designed by Hugh Landwehr as a high-end Manhattan loft, Hot ‘n Cole, a Cole Porter Celebration is just what audiences need for 90 minutes to forget troubles in the cruel outside world. MORE

Review

6/19/08 - DC Theatre Scene - Hot 'n Cole

DC Theatre Scene
By Richard Seff
...a trip to the recently refurbished and magnificent Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut offered a surprise treat in the form of Hot ‘n Cole, a revue using 48 of Cole Porter’s classiest songs, performed by 6 ‘bright young things’ who seemed to the manner born. Under James Naughton’s stylish dire... MORE

Review

6/19/08 - Minuteman - Hot 'n Cole

Hot 'n Cole, runaway hit for WCP
by E. Kyle Minor
...a tasty dish that delights audiences of all ages….There are no lulls in Hot ‘n Cole and everything to recommend it. I’d advise betting the ranch on it being the runaway hit of the Playhouse’s season, but who’d bet against it?.... MORE

Review

6/19/08 - Variety - Hot 'n Cole

Hot 'n Cole
by Frank Rizzo
....a nonchalance that is charming and disarming, celebrating the music's self-conscious sophistication while making it as simple and natural as falling in love…it's nice to revisit the material with such a comfortable company. It's like wearing slippers at the Ritz.... MORE

Review

6/16/08 - Shoreline Publications - Hot 'n Cole

Hot ‘n Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration
You Must See This
By Bob and Karen Isaacs
You will definitely enjoy yourself at the Westport Country Playhouse for Hot ‘n Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration, a lively song and dance revue directed by the Tony award-inning James Naughton. With more than 40 Porter songs you are assured of hearing a few of your favorites if not many more. The tal... MORE

Review

6/16/08 - Theatermania.com - Hot 'n Cole

Hot 'n Cole
Reviewed By: David Finkle
Musical comedy revelers on the alert for something Elsa Maxwellish need to know about Hot 'N Cole, the bubbly two-act revue of Cole Porter songs being thrown at the Westport County Playhouse. This swellegant, elegant tribute has been smartly devised by.... MORE

Review

4/17/08 - The Middletown Press - "Time of My Life"

Go to Westport for the Time of Your Life MORE

Review

4/10/08 - Shore Publications - "Time of My Life"

You will surely enjoy this latest effort at Westport MORE

Review

4/11/08 - West Haven News - "Time of My Life"

Ayckbourn comedy well-served in Westport MORE

Review

4/13/08 - The New York Times - "Time of My Life"

"Tomorrow’s Hopes Tinged With Regret" MORE

Review

4/11/08 - The Wall Street Journal - "Time of My Life"

...an outstanding revival of "Time of My Life,"... MORE

Review

4/10/08 - The Minuteman - "Time of My Life"

Great time for all, 'Time of My Life' at WCP MORE

Review

4/8/08 - Hartford Courant - "Time of My Life"

Stage Review
'Time' Bends At Westport Playhouse
by Frank Rizzo

GENEVA CARR, left, Jason Antoon and James Waterston... MORE

Review

4/8/08 - Hartford Courant - "Time of My Life"

In Alan Ayckbourn's comedic universe, time has a way of going in all directions.

In the delightful production of the British playwright's "Time of My Life" at the Westport Country Playhouse, encounters at a restaurant begin in the present when a family gathers to celebrate the mother's birthday. MORE

Review

4/8/08 - TheaterMania.com - "Time of My Life"

The Westport Country Playhouse powers-that-be know a good thing when they see it. Obviously pleased with how John Tillinger treated Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking last summer, they invited the director back for another go-round on Ayckbourn's Time of My Life, which proves to be one of his best works. MORE

Review

3/4/08 - Variety - "Vigil"

Variety Tue., Mar. 4, 2008
By FRANK RIZZO

A Westport Country Playhouse presentation of a play in two acts by Morris Panych. Directed by Stephen DiMenna.

Kemp - Timothy Busfield
Grace - Helen Stenborg

MORE

Review

3/1/08 - Middletown Press - "Vigil"

By BONNIE GOLDBERG

If you have ever been in a sick room with a loved one who is dying, you know that communication may not be easy, no matter how much you wish to convey. Thoughts of final goodbyes, obituaries, funeral arrangements, last wills and your love one’s wishes crowd your head but may no... MORE