Polite Conversations and Wine

This was a very moving play. All 4 actors shined. The subject matter is sadly still very relevant and the director did a great job playing with time and texture. ... full review

A stunning display of the human connection and the ties that bind us, brought together with a few glasses of wine and family troubles aplenty, Polite Conversations and Wine blends both a unique twist of the passing of time and how two mother and daughter duos navigate their personal truths. With breakthrough performances on full display by Amy Marcs, Mikki Hernandez, Robin Mcdonald and Leah Jarvik, this dramady hits home with each performer grounded brilliantly in each part. A fantastic, touching piece written by Perlmutter Michael.... full review

A deeply engaging and inventive treatment of family dynamics with lots of belly laughs.... full review

Michael Perlmutter deserves an award for penning POLITE CONVERSATIONS AND WINE. He has crafted a play that explores the often uncomfortable corners of gender identity, marriage and motherhood, while stretching the limits of maternal love. The entire cast is superb! Amy Marcs and Robin McDonald are dynamic as the sometimes dueling mother-in-laws to Leah Jarvik and Mikki Hernandez who both deliver smart, sassy, heartfelt performances. This production is easily the best show I have seen at the Fringe. GO!... full review

I thoroughly enjoyed the show! It was truly a roller coaster ride of emotions. And a lot of fun.... full review

A well directed show with interesting staging, the characters' struggle to communicate about joyful events devolves with each downed bottle of wine. A newlywed couple and their mothers are trying to lower their inhibitions and connect, but instead of creating intimacy, the evening together trying to express love and understanding ultimately brings out everyone's meanness.... full review

Fascinating staging. Loved the levels and clever depiction of time moving forward or backwards. Excellent writing and performances and pacing and great one liners. ... full review

A sharp and insightful new play that probes the complexities and tensions of mother/daughter relationships. A well-done new work featuring strong performers!... full review

I thought that this was a wonderful display of family dynamic, dealing with issues far too uncomfortable and painful in a complete honest way ... instead choosing nuances as a way of necessity. Michael Perlmutter's writing and dialogue should be celebrated. All the actors were strong in their performances. Leah Jarvik is especially impressive, she finds the right balance between humor and pain. Her character choices are a relief because she avoids the self indulgent choice of displaying suffering ... instead choosing charm and grace as her way to deal with difficult life choices. She's a star in the making.... full review

It was a really interesting dynamic of mothers and daughters interacting over challenging situations and trying to keep the peace though the generational differences were problematic! We can all relate to dysfunctional family affairs, so I really appreciated the wit, humor and truthfulness of the moments. It's a joy to see live theater explore complex relationships without indulging in suffering~ All the performances were quite good ... the listening and connecting most interesting. Kudos to Amy Marcs, Robin McDonald, Leah Jarvik & Mikki Hernandez for tremendous performances and to Michael Perlmutter for writing insightfully such human female characters! When the impulse is to embrace life's pain, it is far more joyful & human to be resilien... full review