Tag: Review

Nancy Worssam, The Seattle Times
[quote]Playwright Christi Stewart-Brown has cleverly tied the universal to the particular in her funny but thought-provoking play, and director Roy Arauz has pulled together a gifted cast, capable of eliciting the nuances and layers within the script… Amelia Meckler as homebody Mira, the needy mate, is a little too girly, initially. But when she discovers her partner’s infidelity, she’s spellbinding… Carey sensitively portrays Claire’s love, her sorrow at her indiscretion and her wholehearted effort to make amends. The cast does well at making this a completely traditional family.”
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John E. Allis, Seattlest
[quote]My favorite moments were those in which laughter ceased, which either says something about the execution of this particular comedy or my own taste. Probably both… The actors are topnotch; particularly Amelia Meckler and Colleen Carey as Mira and Claire, portraying a dynamic and believable couple, complex individuals. It’s so nice to see complicated characters from so many angles and these two handle the task masterfully… Maybe it’s a bit bubblegum, but The Gene Pool is a show that hits its mark.[/quote]

Jay Irwin, BroadWorld.com
[quote]Director Roy Arauz has taken these characters and made sure they were not stereotypes or caricatures but that they simply showed a family you could see anywhere.… Meckler is delightful as the bubbly house wife trying to make sure her family is happy and attended to. But beyond that she manages some wonderful moments of angst and betrayal when secrets come out. Johnson is endearing as the well raised teen just trying to cope with having the “cool” parents…. Carey seemed to take her character to a place of incredible subtle honesty… So while Arouet’s examination of a family with same sex parents may not have provoked any epiphanies, the performances are well worth the trip. [/quote]

Mike Showalter, CultureMob
[quote]Colleen Carey as Claire and Amelia Meckler as Mira both bring the characters to life in a way that convinces us… Kyle Johnson owns the role of their son, Peter. You can nearly feel the hormones bouncing around as he confronts his budding sexuality, and ultimately his need to identify and come face to face with his sperm donor father Harold, played by Bruce Erickson… (Zandi) Carlson sets the right tone in a key role, and rides a mean motorcycle… “The Gene Pool” is a great reminder that we’re all just trying to find our way. Be supportive of those you love, be forgiving of the inevitable missteps they’ll make, and celebrate being human.[/quote]

The dissenting opinions (we recognize we can’t possibly appeal to everyone):

• Ian McCarthy – South Seattle Beacon
• Kevin Phinney – Seattle Weekly

You know what? It’s kind of exciting to get a good review from the Seattle Times.

[quote]…director Roy Arauz has pulled together a gifted cast, capable of eliciting the nuances and layers within the script. It’s staged with minimum props and set, but clever theatrical tricks make it appear far more elaborate.[/quote]

Read the entire article and interview at The Seattle Times

We are totally grateful for such a supportive review from The Seattlest, but we would like to point out that the following comment is totally inspired:

[quote]It’s like King Lear lamenting, “Who is it that can tell me who I am?,” except Lear is a prolific masturbator, has a potty-mouth, and is constantly confiding his innermost sexual desires to his two moms.[/quote]

Read the entire article and interview at The Seattlest

Jay Irwin wrote a great review of The Gene Pool at Broadway World.

So while Arouet’s examination of a family with same sex parents may not have provoked any epiphanies, the performances are well worth the trip. But maybe that was the point of the production. Families, are families, it’s what you do with them that matters.

Read the article BWW Reviews: THE GENE POOL at Annex Theatre

Mike Showalter of CultureMob has some things to say after the opening night of The Gene Pool. I like how he addresses the elephant in the room:

Do you think the basic outline sounds a bit like last year’s hit movie, “The Kids are All Right?” Let’s be honest: if you’ve seen the movie you won’t be able to help yourself thinking that way once the play starts, which makes the opening few minutes a bit awkward as you try to match up what you’re seeing on stage to what you saw in the movie. It’s an unfair comparison, because in spite of the similarities the stories and characters are different. Just stop comparing, and let “The Gene Pool” stand on its own – which it’s quite capable of doing.

Read the article Review: ‘The Gene Pool’ is more than all right.