Matt Ritchey

I was walking out of this show saying "Y'know, I've seen a lot of really good modern theatre with fun scripts, good material, and poignant stuff." But WITCHES has a GORGEOUS, lush, poetic script with beautiful imagery delivered with pitch-perfect poise, grace, and style by Lisa Wyatt - it was a reminder of what great classical theatre done right felt like. A simple yet evocative set, great direction by Kate Motzenbacker, and fun use of props and audio (allowing nuanced reactions from the sole act... full review

GORGEOUS! A gigantic idea with oodles of complexity which boils down to simple, profound, and emotional truth. The set and design are delicious - I want to LIVE in that space - and the corresponding costume design is elegant. Great direction with interesting and unique points of entry for the audience, and truly great performances by all - Katelyn Schiller and Amanda Zarr standing out as raw, incredibly real people in a dreamlike world we should all be so lucky to visit. And the cat. Is fantastic... full review

The songs and choreography were fantastic, the characters are well-drawn, and the story structure is really solid. The themes and situations do a wonderful job of highlighting the problems of technology in our day to day lives, it's effect on us as a society and as individuals, and does a good job of telling both sides of the story, creating real conflict and emotional tension. I was totally in for the ride. The show abounds with incredibly well-done and synced video footage. Ironically, this... full review

SO much fun!! I've only seen, like, maybe five episodes of BUFFY ever and I force-watched a scene from TWILIGHT so I could write a parody scene years ago, but this great musical works even if you don't intimately know the characters from these shows (it's a bonus if you do!). With a fantastic cast of great actors and voices, great fight choreography, a funny book and lyrics, and very specific and funny direction, BKE is a must-see for a good uber-Fringy time!... full review

Stephen Spielgel gives a charming, energetic, wonderful performance as JWB! Owning the stage and setting the scene for Sic Semper Tyrranus, Spiegel exudes a "Tom Cruise does theatre" magnetism! Bravo!... full review

What is the nature of humanity when there is no more humanity? Can our personal fears and relationship insecurities stop us from connecting even when there's only one person left to connect to? How can you trust someone to help bear your weight when they may not be able to bear their own? These are some of the questions explored in a truly impressive movement/character piece featuring great performances and effective staging. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I first sat down, but by the... full review

This show is fucking amazing. The best thing CPC has done, bar none. Packing eleven million people onto the postage stamp stage of Three Clubs doing an Elizabethan wedding dance to "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?? Seriously? How did they do this???? Bar. Raised. Every character had an arc, the new players were spot on, the choreography was amazing, the (vague spoiler) Ophelia scene was a new unbelievably dark shade to the usual fun times, it was laugh out loud funny, super sexy (as always), I alway... full review

A super cute night of short musicals! While the shows vary in idea and writing quality, they're all well put on by a committed cast - and some of the ideas - CLIMB THE SMALLEST MOUNTAIN and ESCAPE ARTISTS - are really fun! Some great performances and funny lyrics to boot! ... full review

What's to say that hasn't been said? Engrossing, brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, brilliantly directed. Gorgeous imagery and dialogue within a barren, desolate world. Ben Moroski's Boone (imagine if Sid Vicious and Danny Zucco fused) and Michael Shaw Fisher's Chester (a grounded mix of Yosemite Sam and Sammy Hagar - complete with a "5150" namecheck) are wonderfully at each other's throats and psyches for sixty minutes that I would gladly enjoy again. The character physicalization and lang... full review

He's done it again, kids. Ryan JW Smith plates out another wordtastic dish for the educated masses and hits the mark once more. Having seen three of Smith's shows now, the thing that's wonderfully clear is not how skilled and talented he is (I figured that one out last year), it's how talented his casts are! The use of language, asides and TIMING are always on point and make the shows fly by wonderfully. He's a Renaissance Man, I am once again annoyed by his great talent, and of the fantastic wor... full review