Friends Like These

Friends like these was an absolutely stunning piece of theatre. Congratulations to Gregory Craft and the entire cast and crew for creating a powerful and moving story that is sure to leave you thinking. The acting was superb all around, especially Scott Sharma's performance as Garett. The direction was also wonderfully poignant and highly effective at evoking a response from the audience! Not a show to be missed! ... full review

Poignant and provocative play by Gregory Crafts. I first saw Friends Like These in December of 2013 at CSUF and was amazed how he was able to catch teenage angst so well. It was the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting and the day before, there had been a high school shooting in Colorado. Fast forward to June 7, 2014 with all the latest news about high school and the UCSB and Seattle Pacific college shootings and stabbings; this play couldn't be more relevant. I recommend seeing Friends Like These to everyone, especially to parents and their teenagers to open up a dialogue about the hot button topic of bullying or being different. I think just about every teenager has been picked on for one reason or another and adults need to be awa... full review

Wonderfully well acted and directed, this is an incredibly moving story portrayed with love and sincerity by each of the actors. If the ending doesn't leave you shaken, you're just not an actual human being. Heartbreaking and beautifully and painfully well acted and directed.... full review

This play is an amazing piece of art that calls attention to an important and pertinent topic. Thank you for producing this beautiful show that really grabs the attention of audiences and asks them to carefully think about the world we live in today. Actors Scott Sharma and Sean Flanagan gave an incredibly real performance that managed to portray real characters with flaws, emotions, and achingly human moments. I urge everyone to see this show. ... full review

A MUST SEE. Gregory Crafts has crafted a painfully relevant, timely, topical, truthful drama, brought flawlessly to life by an impeccable cast. As heavy as the subject matter is, the play deserves extra points for never teetering into melodrama, and maintaining a lightness and infectuous warmth, through Crafts' deft blend of humor with the play's more dramatic moments. Los Angeles needs more thought-provoking, socially conscious fare like this. Catch it before it's well-earned trip to San Diego Fringe.... full review

Midway through this show, I was a bit upset, under the assumption that I knew where it was going, and it wasn't a direction I cared for. Making that assumption was a mistake, on my part, as the messages of the play and the tendencies of the characters in it are blurrier than I had assumed, and while I worried it might try to tackle this issue with simplistic moralism and a clear-cut resolution in a situation where there clearly is none, it proved to be an even more impressive piece of art than I had hoped initially. The performances are strong, with several performers I hadn't previously seen delivering strong performances, in roles that could potentially be very taxing as the shifts in the show between the silly fun of LARPing and the heav... full review

This was a good show with a talented cast. Well done.... full review

I cannot begin to express how wonderful this show was. The entire cast was amazing! A definite must watch, I was truly moved and plan to return with more friends and family. Thank You!... full review

This was truly an amazing show! The cast and crew were amazing! I highly recommend you see it and bring a box of tissue. ... full review

Friends Like These is a MUST see. The writing is great and really portrays these sensitive topics and issues from a truthful and personal place. This production was full of great directorial and acting choices. The whole cast brought these characters to life on stage in a whole new way. Each member of the cast brought something special to the stage and shared great moments with the audience (Scott Sharma and Sean Flanagan in particular). They shined individually and as an ensemble. The dynamic between Sharma, Flanagan and Lappin was great. The topics and themes in Friends Like These are very relative to today and very close to home for many of us. I laughed and cried through out the entire show. By the end of the show I could tell that e... full review