Jenna Wadsworth McCarty

With apparently casual confidence, Laser somehow walks the line of hard truths, honest vulnerability and hilarity while telling the story of transitioning into his manhood. His ability to hold the audience and the stage is clearly a well-honed gift. His songs reveal added dimensions to the tell-tale story that leads us through his journey of discovery and self-acceptance, woven with a historical journey through time, while advocating from the present moment. ... full review

Pure Artistry. Captivating. Transporting. Elena's subtle and convincing acting brought to life the entire world she is portraying, and each new scene expanded the view into that complex world. The depth of meaning within very simple scenes is mind-boggling and thought-provoking. Elena embodies her solo performance so fully that the singular characters she portrays within each sparsely set scene, comes vividly to life. Her use of the large screen with simple visual and sound cues added to the ... full review

We are carried along for the journey with this performance, experiencing the fluidity of identity, the ever-changing sense of who one is. Clever lyrics and catchy tunes are full of an earnest searching that enhances the plot. This is a life unfolding before our eyes, intimate and honest. ... full review

Austin Nation’s sweet spirit shines thru every moment of this performance, no matter what the costume. As he transforms his appearance into the dazzling Afrika Nature, we are carried thru all the ups and downs of his life. Within the intimate setting of his dressing room, he shares the intimate story of growing up black and gay and coming of age in the early years of HIV. His story is not an easy one to have lived, but we are invited to join him in celebrating the triumphs. A beautiful story ex... full review

Beowulf becomes accessible! It did not take long for my mind to meld with the rhythm of the language of this production of Beowulf translated to modern language by Charlie Bethel and flawlessly performed by John Heimbuch. John transports us with the ease of a master bard. On the simplest of sets, John’s embodied performance is all we need to clearly see the visceral scenes he portrays. ... full review

Queen of Fishtown knocked my socks off!!! Katierose knows her audience and has us in the palm of her hands from the start. She relentlessly draws our laughter out until our guards are down, and then stares unflinchingly at us with all the fury and rage and futility pent up from a lifetime of mocking her own big hearted love. As she opens her own heart, so too do we. She’s created an uncensored, caricatured amalgamation of a sub-culture that is oh so very real. ... full review

Legendary Patti Smith music for a Rock Opera telling of the mythic story of Cassandra? Yes, please! I love the concept and hope this initial implementation will be further refined. I found myself a bit distracted from the story because of versions more familiar where Apollo was the rapist rather than the lover. The love story made for a happy ending but May have lost some of the impact of Cassandra’s story. ... full review

This was a fully embodied performance. What must have taken tremendous work to craft looks effortless as Lisa weightlessly transforms from character to character and buoyantly moves thru this triumphant performance. In Too Big for Her Britches, Lisa reveals the heavy hurts of childhood and adulthood, revealing the wounded self with a lightness that allows us to travel with her without burden. Ultimately, we can all celebrate the grand accomplishment of healing work that Lisa guides us through. ... full review

This was a stroll down memory lane to find the root of her own body shaming. Maria uses multi-character acting to share her personal story of trauma and self-discovery, reclaiming her joy in her own body. ... full review

En Route was beautiful, raw, honest, compelling. Steven Knox brings a level of self assessment that was refreshing, examining beneath the exterior to reveal his authentic self even to himself. ... full review