“This excellent group effort speaks well for director Cara Gabriel, [who shows] a great understanding of making a play dynamic.”
“Props, tools, and toys… add to the experience, as is easily seen by observing an audience of children rapt with attention and adults eager to find the fun.”
“The work is in excellent hands in the production. Director Gabriel coaxes some humor out of what some might expect to be a too-dour classical approach.”
“a physical, aural, and emotional journey”
“brilliant interpretation”
“a wholly original interpretation”
“Director Cara Gabriel’s production outlines a distinct place, time and household dynamic, and some sequences capture the poignancy of McCullers’s coming-of-age tale, which evokes Frankie’s anguished longing to both escape her small-town surroundings and become a full participant in the adult world.”
“Under the fine direction of Cara Gabriel, each character is fleshed out in a way that the novel merely hints at and each actor brings a sense of the ambiguity of adulthood to their role.”
“lovingly directed”
“almost effortless, soft, and evocative”
“The tender loving care in Cara Gabriel’s direction is evident everywhere.”
“Sensitively directed by Cara Gabriel, the 1st Stage production of The Member of the Wedding is far more than about a lonely 12-year old girl named Frankie.”
“As close to perfect as any production that has appeared in Washington this year.”
“The enterprise is frisky and pointedly inclusive in terms of re-conceived characters and casting.”
“contagious, rose-colored energy
“A visual delight. With a stage setup that places audience members close to the action, it’s like sitting in the middle of a fairytale pop-up book adorned in vines, flowers, and fairy lights.”
“As You Like It has been around since roughly 1599—that’s about 420 years of reruns of the same show. So it’s both a happy coincidence and somewhat of a shock that one of the best versions is being put on in a small Dupont theatre during November of 2018… It’s a meticulous play that spares no detail or expense, nor does it overlook any single word, note, quirk, dance move or fight scene. This contemporary remix of Shakespeare’s classic is well worth your time.”
“an appealingly personal and idiosyncratic vision, rich in telling detail.”
“as clear and specific as a total-recall memory”
“Director Cara Gabriel keeps a nice balance between the immediacy of the domestic turmoil and the theological discussions on religion and cultural coercion.”
“Director Cara Gabriel does an excellent job of making the most of the limited space on the pier as the actors move ever-closer to the edge, both physically and emotionally.”