Friends Like These

The level of emotional intelligence, language and teen experientiality of the material is spot on, thus, and relevant as all hell. Read the full review at: http://giaonthemove.com/2014/06/09/17383/... full review

A smart, serious and often funny look at the dark side of one of America's most serious and seemingly unsolvable problems. ... full review

Gregory Crafts has written an insightful play about what teens must deal with daily in high school, both the good and the bad. Taking his inspiration from the Columbine shooting, Crafts has put together an assortment of characters easily recognizable from the Geeks to the Jocks and the Popular crowd, letting us see both the camaraderie with their peers and bullying from their haters, for whatever reason. Produced by Theatre Unleashed and directed by Wendy Gough Soroka at the intimate Elephant Space, the show takes a hard look at what we now call bullying in the years before the term became common place or Facebook and Twitter carried the practice to the internet. The five students are all trying to find their way, never mentioning any h... full review

See this show! It's emotional, funny, touching, and very real. The characters are believable and completely invested in the story. I was laughing throughout, which put me in a false sense of security so in no way was I ready to feel what this play gives. I had tears in my eyes multiple times from completely opposite emotions. From the beginning, I thought I could guess the ending but in no way did I expect the surprises that the script threw my way. It is far from predictable. The minimal set and props allow for the story to be the only driving force, though I think more attention to design elements could help really push this show further (not that it needs it at all, though!). Really, go see it.... full review

The acting was good. Could have used a lot less profanity. Good job starting and ending on time.... full review

I saw this show during it's preview and was very impressed by all the actors, as well as the writing and direction. It's a super relevant piece that I hope inspires people to think and even take action. The story has many comedic moments too, which sets an inviting and comfortable mood; the play has a perspective, of course, but it does so in a strong and entertaining way. Excellent work to all involved. Even almost a week later, the play has stayed with me and keeps me thinking! Go see it! ... full review

Friends Like These by Gregory Crafts. Review by Pauline Adamek. ***This review first appeared on www.StageRaw.com *** Gregory Crafts’ drama Friends Like These tips its hand during its prologue. In the pitch-dark theater, we hear a montage of news coverage and eye-witness accounts of a shooting rampage at a high school. The lights then come up on a trio of teens wielding foam swords, garbed in medieval attire, spouting archaic English. It’s confusing for a moment until we realize these three are merrily participating in a “Live Action Role Playing”game. Nerdy Garrett (Scott Sharma), Emo girl Dis (Sammi Lappin) and sometime jock Brian (Sean Casey Flanagan) are geeky gamers who hang out together, copping a fair amount of bullying and daily a... full review

SO GOOD. I attended the first preview this past Saturday, and it is arguably the best show I've seen at the Fringe so far!! This story hit home for me on many levels, and I think anyone who has survived high school will recognize the characters on stage--either as friends you had, friends you wished you had, or you might even recognize yourself. You are there with them--you are in the middle of the madness and the joy and the pain they are representing so beautifully on stage, and the tragedy is that there's nothing you can do to help. I was so enthralled, that at moments I felt compelled to yell out "No!" and "Stop!" several times. I left the theatre in tears. This show is beautifully written, choreographed, acted and directed. And the soun... full review

A great show that displays the complication of high school (and human) relationships, and weaves a compelling story of scenarios that could lead to a school shooting. It's humorous, relatable, and I appreciated the fact that it humanizes each character, from geek to jock, illustrating that everyone has the potential to make mistakes and poor choices that can lead to tragic consequences. The cast is great (at times some of the emotion gets a little overly-theatrical, but still nice work). While some audience members commented on the lack of social media presence in the story, I liked the focus on person-to-person relationships. (I also was a high school senior in Colorado during Columbine, so the lack of social media - and the great soundt... full review

This was good theatre. Very good theatre. Rock solid foundation to work with via playwright Greg Crafts, light and deft direction by Wendy Gough Soroka, and actors that punch you right in the conscience. This play is a perfect example of tragicomedy that reaves everyone at the end. If you're not thinking hard at the end of this one, you have no soul.... full review