Jesus H: A Solo Play for the Zealot in all of Us

I enjoy solo shows; the best happen when we get to see the actor's true self. She told her story truthfully and entertainingly. I would recommend this to all.... full review

Mariah is a natural beauty, talented, smart, funny, and we take this ride with her across the country that strikes a chord. she doesn't need bells and whistles, doesn't need wigs, she just transforms and takes us on a ride through her experience with religion prompted by her seat-mate. It was deep, funny, touching... she's great with characters, great with worlds... and I love in the end how much it meant when she went to jerusalem. her beautiful family. her husband. the women on the plane. It was just a different perspective, and it flowed and showed me a whole different world. (even though, i too, have been to israel, but I had it from the perspective of a jewish 15 year old... not a true-blooded italian catholic)... it was great. ... full review

Mariah is absolutely captivating! She holds the audience in the palm of her hand. Moving and funny I would recommend this show to everyone. It really is for the Zealot in all of us! GO SEE IT! ... full review

Mariah is simply wonderful. Her transition from character to character is sharp, funny, compelling, and seamless. Her story is riveting from start to finish and I loved every minute of it. I am also from New Jersey, and could relate to SO much of what she shared! She truly captured the essence of growing up in an Italian family and the culture that shapes your life. Her energy is through the roof and yet, she manages to stay grounded with the audience the entire time in an honest, brave, funny, and vulnerable way. Whether you are religious or not, her story cuts right to the truth of the spiritual questions we all find ourselves asking..the innate need to believe in something.. to have faith.. to have hope in order to live day in and d... full review

Mariah Freda is a breath of fresh air. From the moment the lights come up, she captivates the theatre with an electric stage presence - you can feel that she genuinely wants to connect with each person in the audience. Though the subject matter deals with religion, cultural identity, and anxiety, Mariah keeps the show light and breezy as she deftly navigates a quick-witted script filled with colorful characters. Solo shows like this frequently come off like a series of caricatures, but Mariah avoids this trap - instead, it feels like she is celebrating the uniqueness of each human that inhabits her play. And as a bonus, it turns out she has a beautiful singing voice, too. A total delight. ... full review

I found "Jesus H" especially moving because of my own religious upbringing, but it is still universal in its themes, as the subtitle suggests ("for the zealot in all of us"). It is also universal in its impact. This is all credit to the fact that Mariah Freda is such a breath of fresh air as a performer. Her performance shimmers with energy, grace and specificity. Highly, highly recommended. ... full review

A fun show full of unexpected realizations and heartwarming moments.Mariah's characters are brilliant, endearing and fascinating to watch, and her story is funny and poignant. Loved watching this journey into how our past helps mold us into who we grow up to be. ... full review

Seen 15 shows at this years Fringe so far and this is one of my top top picks. She has only one show left and I encourage all to go. Such a beautiful, charming and honest story of Mariah's story of being terrified by a long flight and having to endure the journey next to a Jehovah's witness who brings her back to her strict catholic upbringing and the questions that have arisen throughout her adult years. Mariah is an amazing storyteller, never did she seem like she was performing. She was just telling us a story as if we/I was the only person in the room. So many times in this piece I had to close my eyes and think about how I related and what I thought about her perceptions of her relationship with religion (Not God) I found myself nodd... full review