Death By PowerPoint

***This Review first appeared on Stage Raw.*** There are no actual deaths in this sly and clever satire by playwright-director James F. Robinson, but one character experiences near-death.Four motivational speakers are finalists in the National Global Influencers contest. Lucy (Scarlet Bermingham) begins by telling us they’re here to destroy all our most cherished beliefs. She tells us the secret of success is to ignore depressing facts and to practice self-delusion: Just tell yourself, “You are freakin’ Awesome.” Mark (Eric Pierce) assures us that the way to achieve the Inevitability of Cosmic Bliss is to concentrate on the pushed-in face of an endearing pug-dog. Joan (Emilly Thomas) is so distracted by her chocolate addiction that she l... full review

Very fun, very funny, very entertaining and often even thought-provoking! Don't think it quite achieves all it seems to be aiming for. But quite good and done with great skill and talent.... full review

i feel a bit duped by the other reviews for this one. it just wasn't my cup of tea.. in my opinion, this piece went nowhere. i didn't find it funny, and i didn't experience any dynamic storytelling unfolding or see a cohesive point of view here.. that being said, there were some redeeming philosophical topics being raised, and the performances were alright. i was hoping it would add up to something meaningful or amusing or twisted on the a whole, either as a parody or whatever, but it didn't amount to much, and the ending fell flat. the powerpoint concept is fun though, and i do think there's potential here.. sorry if that was harsh..... full review