Deconstructing Holly

This is a piece that helps unveil what can happen when something traumatic interrupts and changes your identity, your plans for life and your creative spirit; and how a person can bounce back with new vistas and paths back to self-fulfillment. ... full review

Real and deep and very emotional - pretty much everyone in the audience was in tears. So bring some tissue to this performance. What made this such a genius show is the humor incorporated into the very dramatic subject matter. The humor allowed the audience to breathe a little between the emotional parts so it almost made the emotional material even more absorbing! This was such a fantastic show! ... full review

Holly' solo performance exudes dignity and smart humour from the very beginning to the end. It's a story of resilience and hope. That's what we need today, and for that I'm deeply grateful. Despite what she says in her show this is the "most feminine" solo of the Fringe. Grazie Holly... full review

Great show ! Amazing performance -- Holly creates such distinct characters, and gets from narrator to character so sharply.... full review

As a woman, it’s not hard to relate to Holly Sidell’s struggles to find a new way to define herself outside of what we have come to look at as the norm (get married, have kids, look perfect, never get sick). The choice to mine those struggles to craft this one-woman show was a brave one and in many respects, the risk pays off handsomely. It’s lovely to see how honest she is when it comes to saying goodbye to parts of her body and wonderful to see that she doesn’t dwell wholly on her surgeries but also dives deeper into her life as a whole, her thought processes and her relationships. One can only hope that Holly and women who come to see this piece can find the strength to break free from what feels like stereotypically ‘female’ expectati... full review

In Deconstructing Holly, she recounts her surgeries, “facing the loss of all the biological organs that deem one a woman,” and seeing her lifelong dream of motherhood being stolen from her with both honesty and humor and under Jonathan Fahn’s direction shows herself to an be exceedingly engaging presence on stage.... full review

Holly's show is superb at so many levels: writing, performance, staging, and informational. Holly reveals her self in a loving entertaining way that allows all of us to a closer look at how we treat ourselves. The time flew by, I was completely engaged!... full review

This was my third time watching this astounding, heart-wrenching, funny, and very very wise show. I have nothing but awe for Holly's talent and courage in telling such a vulnerable story so openly, and full respect for her and all her co-creators for making it such a vibrant piece of theater. Can't recommend it strongly enough. ... full review

Holly shares her deeply personal story with loads of heart and creativity. The show is fast-paced, well-structured, and she's just so likable. We watched it virtually and it played great, almost like we were there. Don't miss it!... full review

I was deeply moved to accompany Holly on her journey of loss and finding herself anew. Her humor, sensitivity and vulnerability were both heart-wrenching and incredibly compelling. Amazing woman and amazing show!... full review