Take Me To The Poorhouse

Liz is such a powerhouse! She's inspiring to watch.... full review

Liz Femi is positively effervescent! This is a beautifully told story that kept me laughing and "awww-ing" beginning to end. Don't miss it!... full review

What a brilliant performance! Thank you Liz.... full review

Liz Femi is a deliciously charming comic performer with exquisite control of her lithe, athletic frame and warm expressive face--a pleasure to behold. Solo performers would be wise to attend a performance of this show to see how Femi frames and focuses characters, seamlessly moving from one to another. And that face...oh, my. Such warm, sassy, funny, loving, and sardonic looks, telling it all in a glance. Alas, the acoustics in the back room of The Lounge where Femi performs this Fringe run are abominable. Most of the laughs in the packed room--and they were plentiful--came from the front two rows, because behind that, Femi's stage-Nigerian accent when given full voice bounced mercilessly between the brick walls and the wooden beamed ceili... full review

Amazing performer and great show. We felt it needed a bit more work on the plot as it felt a bit unfinished in some parts. And while it was hard to understand her speech/accent sometimes as she spoke so fast and confidently, that didn't matter -- her gestures, emotions, and intent were so clear and fantastic. See this show if you can get a ticket! More more!... full review

Liz Femi Wilson is an sophisticated expert performer, good enough to play Sat Night Live or any level. Here's she's mostly... comedy. Her performance is a tour-de-force of characters (mostly in her native Nigeria) who are exquisitely human and universal. The play is a true slice-of-life in a well, "adorable" little girl's life, so maybe it's a cheerful puddle of school, friends and family. The family meet adversity, the poorhouse may loom and Wali's hot square room where they end up is tough, but Liz's incredible performance ability shines right through it like a search-light. Bravo, Liz.... full review

From what I already knew of both Liz Femi and Take Me To The Poorhouse I assumed it would be a solid/enjoyable production. But I wasn't prepared for just how charming and wonderful this play really is. For how much of a powerhouse Liz Femi is. She takes God knows how many characters and infuses them with a clear and specific voice, giving each unique physical mannerisms. The show has minimal set design and yet through lighting and words you really do feel transported to Nigeria. You feel transported into the head space of a young girl desperately in love. If you haven't figure it out yet, I pretty much loved this show. ... full review

What a performance! The show alternates between moments that are touching and hilarious, and is effortlessly thought-provoking. GO!... full review

Walking into The Lounge Theatre for the world premiere of “Take Me to the Poorhouse,” one is struck by the possibilities of a practically empty stage. With only a knee-high square box on one side of the stage and a shallow square-shaped step on the other, it’s difficult to believe the petite actor, Liz Femi, will enter and not only fill up the stage, but enlarge it into a middle class Nigerian kitchen, a classroom closet, a shanty one-room neighbor’s house, and a street scene with story-hungry kids sharing in a circle. Writer and Performer Liz Femi was born in England, but raised in Nigeria. She has performed in theatre, film and television and holds two Masters degrees, one in Education, the other in acting from Harvard. The play opens w... full review

I know Take me to the Poorhouse travels to the 2013 United Solo Festival this fall and has dreams of further touring. The writing already impressed me at their living room reading. especially as I knew there were many solo shows in my near future of Fringe. I was a little scared, honestly, because I loved the script so much and worried that ‘producing’ it might ruin it. Often a solo show would be just as good if it stayed as a story-telling piece rather than a play. Not the case here; Take Me to the Poorhouse works even better on its feet. Femi is tight. Her story of class and love and mistaking real life for musicals feels close yet very distinctly far from my own experience. There’s a lot of distance between Nigeria and Massachusett... full review