Tiananmen Annie

From the moment you walk in the theatre and see the simple but elegantly evocative, highly functional set you know you're in good hands. Ann Starbuck delivers an endearing, honest and heartbreaking performance as she tells the tale of her year as a college student in China culminating in the Tiananmen Square Uprising. This is a beautifully structured piece. Tales from the Tiananmen Square Uprising are the bones. Lighter tales of her year leading up to it provide both comic relief and the building blocks of her skills and growing understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture that allows her to be of great help to CNN as a student translator during the Uprising. Her characters are sharp and well-defined while tinged with the genuine... full review

Ann Starbuck is a masterful storyteller. The story itself is riveting, but Ann brings a whole other life to it with the characters she presents. The simple but inspired set transports the tiny black box stage into an instantly iconic Chinese landscape. The sound design was evocative and poinent- perfectly designed to only add and never distract from the real emotion and story. This story and performance had so much heart and transported the audience right there to Tiananmen Square. Congrats to everyone involved! I hope to see this show take on a longer run or tour. It's a work of art!... full review

I can't stop thinking about this show! I loved seeing Anne Starbuck embody her 21 year old self--a young student yearning for adventure. It's a fascinating story told with precision and wit, feeling and keen observation. I felt like I was there with her watching these incredible events unfold. The stage design and lighting added so much to the feeling tone of the show. There's always a sense of danger lurking, even in the most charming, every-day moments, which keeps you on the edge of your seat. Great show!... full review

A beautiful piece of theatre. Annie transported us to a powerful time in China where we got to meet humans who affected her and ultimately affected us too. The set design/music only added to an already beautiful show. A most necessary show for NY!... full review