The Player King

Fantastic show! A real tour de force. It's an amazing piece of theatre...a fascinating piece of history told in a spellbinding way. It will be the quickest 90 minutes you'll ever experience! Go!!!... full review

BOOTH IS THE BOMB! no need to know much about Booth's history - the play will tell you all, and in the MOST engaging way! I came away disliking Julius (the father), understanding John Wilkes (the brother) and loving Edwin (the star) Very tight and well written, well directed, lit and staged, the 90 min production sped by as I was taken on a wild ride with this family. BRAVO!... full review

#SeeItLA - There are some actors that when they perform Shakespeare, it doesn't sound like they are reciting poetry, it sounds like they are speaking in their native tongue. Darin Dahms is one of those actors. So it is only fitting that he should portray Junius, Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, actors reknowned for theyr prowess with Shakespeare's roles. The Player King is an intense look into the lives of these three men, at the most trying times of their lives. Dahms, a consummate performer, transitions between the three men easily and embodies their heartbreak beautifully. For those unfamiliar with the lives of these men, there is a brief biography of each in the program, and Dahms takes care of the rest. This is truly a beautiful piece that ... full review

THE PLAYER KING (Platinum Medal) Darin Dahms has worked on his one man show based on life of Edwin Booth (1833-1893); considered the greatest American actor of the 19th century and the older brother of John Wilkes Booth, for a number of years. He will stage it every so often as he did for this year’s Fringe. When he decides to stage it again go and see it. If when that happens, you happen to be held prisoner chained by your leg in a basement somewhere, well then chew through your leg and crawl to wherever Dahms is playing. Trust me; you will see a performance that will stay with you all your life. It’s unlikely you’ll ever see a one man show about Van Gogh performed by a great artist. In “The Player King” you can see a show about... full review

Saw this play last year and loved it. Playwright-performer Darin Dahms takes us back to the mid-19th century, where we meet the three significant members of the historic Booth family. There is Junius Brutus, the patriarch, a man possessed by demons, with an equal passion for the soliloquies of Shakespeare and the numbing magic of liquor. The sane member of this trio, Edwin, is a gentle man forced into acting, and struggling for years, until he is hailed as the greatest American actor of his century. Then there is the younger brother, hothead playboy, John Wilkes, boasting he will be the most famous actor of all time, and succeeding with the act that changed history: the assassination of Lincoln. Dahms’ boldly weaves in Shakespeare’s words, ... full review