2025 Audience Reviews

Company: Jennifer Vosters
Show: Songs Without Words (or, The Mendelssohn Play)
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre

The best one-person show I’ve ever seen.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jennifer is one of the most polished actors I have ever seen. She seamlessly transitions between Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn with a simple theatrical convention. Her deep love of the material is evident and must have taken her dozens of hours of research. You may think that a play about two 19th-century classical composers sounds like a snooze fest - it is anything but. I know very little about their compositions, and I am not even a fan of classical music. That doesn’t matter to enjoy this work. It was funny and poignant and brought me to tears. I don’t give 5 Kitty ratings lightly- I gave 0 Kitties to the last show I saw. I am a brutally honest critic. She received a standing ovation, and it was deserved. Bravo! Encore!

Company: Kalal Productions
Show: GUNS! the Musical
Venue: Theatre in the Round

I could not hear any of the words in the songs

"Guns!" is a silly, satirical musical that I found entertaining overall. However, I was disappointed that the actors were not mic’d, which made it difficult to hear the lyrics they were singing most of the time. Although the band was not excessively loud, in a small venue, the singers struggled to compete with the amplified sound of the musicians. Despite this issue, I did enjoy the music itself. The show offers a comedic take on America's obsession with guns, making it a fun option if you're looking for some laughs.

Company: Jason Schommer
Show: 50: A Totally Rad Comedy About the Gnarly Reckoning of a Gen Xer!
Venue: Strike Theater

Very Sweet and Funny

Jason is delightful and excels at showcasing his ability to portray multiple characters in his storytelling. The show features stories from Jason's personal life. However, I found the inclusion of a pianist to be a distraction. The musical interludes were too lengthy and created awkward transitions between sections of the performance. The music could have been more effective if it had consisted of short recorded excerpts from the original songs instead of live versions. However, I understand there may be copyright issues to consider. The show is worth attending if you enjoy one-person performances that share personal stories rather than traditional plays.

Company: Destiny Davison
Show: DOLLY WHO?'S HOLIDAY HORROR SHOW
Venue: Open Eye Theatre

I wanted to like it.

The opening of Dolly's show is bizarre—in a fun way. However, after that, it quickly becomes a series of ideas that never come together. I can see the kernels of concepts she had for her performance, but they were never fully developed. It seemed like she wanted to explore the theme of fear within the safe confines of horror movies, in contrast to the fundamental concerns in our lives, but this aspect never materialized. Perhaps she aimed for the show to be humorous and heartfelt, but she never presented herself in a way that allowed me to connect with her disjointed ideas. Much of the performance was improvised, which was a significant risk for a one-woman show. Unfortunately, it gave the impression that she had thrown the show together without any rehearsal.