Ashley Steed

Stop. Look. Listen. Sage advice from the placid, amiable guru who serves as an anchor in the interweaving lives of the 8 other characters – each played distinctly by Paul Cosentino. The guru asks the class participants to think over the connections they’ve made that day and to look deeper. From the middle-aged Jewish wife, to the young pregnant black girl, to the gay Yoga instructor – these characters remind us that we’re all connected. Michael Levesque’s script craftily interweaves the story ... full review

Recently saw Kent Valentine -- I give him 4 stars. He's a wonderfully funny story teller whose attention to detail is equally spectacular and funny. From his story about making napalm and blowing up the neighbor's drive-way to getting a pram for his newborn daughter, he certainly keeps you captivated and laughing. A top-notch stand-up comedian. ... full review

WARNING: Do not hire these clowns for your 5-year-old's birthday party. But definitely go see 4 Clowns (sans the little ones, of course). The archetypal clowns (Nervous, Mischievous, Angry and Sad) go through the stages of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and death. Not necessarily a morality play, it does leave the message that even though life is horrible - I mean really f***ing horrible - at least we can laugh our way through the pain. Each clown is an honest, albeit exaggerated, vers... full review

Stacy Mayer’s one-woman show is a collection of stories about death and funerals. An interesting idea, however it is underdeveloped. After a traumatic car accident, it seems she’s got a penchant for death. Drawn to dark and twisty humor she begins interviewing people about their experiences at funerals. One person whom she draws inspiration from is a Buddhist comic who philosophizes about death. The main thing that is lacking from this show is the why-factor. Why are these stories being tol... full review

I'm not going to lie - I had no idea what New Zealander Jay Ryan was saying half the time - which didn't matter because his characterizations are precise and cleverly distinct. This funny and dark one-man show, written by Dianna Fuemana, takes us into a seedy lifestyle of drugs, prostitutes, alcoholic mothers and philandering fathers. There's no real story line or even character arcs, rather The Packer is more of a collection of characters - all of whom stay the same. Which is fine because Ryan m... full review

I think this group of young actors has great potential. However, Pagan Play seems more like a class workshop rather than an actual production. The idea is there, but the story is not quite there yet. It feels like it is trying to be too much with no real focus. The rectangular set with sticks and leaves is great and very effective but the moving of each set piece for every single scene change makes the story drag on...and on. Costumes were interesting and creative and I personally loved music cho... full review

Elaine Del Valle and a charming, charismatic and optimistic woman. Her infectious smile and Brooklyn accent will capture you instantly as she takes us on a journey through her childhood neighborhood in the Brownsville projects. The writing is strong and her seamless transitions between characters are even stronger. Director Paul J Michael has masterfully guided a stunning performance from Del Valle. She'll have you laughing and crying and leave you wanting more. Open, honest and heartfelt - t... full review

There's a lot in Brandon Baruch and Michael Ciriaco's "Deicide: A Sort of Musical" that ought to be funny. After all it makes fun of religion, science, liberals, stupid people, fanaticism, botox and Oprah. But making fun of something doesn't necessarily make it funny. The look of the production is interesting, reminding me of children's Bible storybooks with wonderfully saturated costumes (Laura Wong) and the cool card board cut out set and props (David Offner). The music was just ok, no... full review

This is specific to "Life of SI" -- The quibbling duo, Simon Feilder and Sy Thomas, have a fun repertoire but their comedic strength really lies in their videos. ... full review

Mary Poppins is a BUTTERFLY at Art|Works Theatre by Ashley Steed~ Famed author of the Mary Poppins children’s books P.L. Travers often said “thinking is linking.” Meaning that everything is connected, no matter how tenuous the connections may seem. Writer and performer Suzan Averitt has taken this concept, linking Mary Poppins with the Virgin Mary, sexuality with spirituality, the comical with the serious. Averitt plays a delightfully charming and perceptive young girl named Mary who shares... full review