Benjamin Schwartz (he/him)

A well-rehearsed long form sketch with some funny over-the-top performances. ... full review

Clever and conceptually successful, this show is filled with laughs from beginning to end. Great use of audience interaction, riffing off those moments in real time and also using that material for callbacks later. All-around a very funny show.... full review

A slice-of-life naturalistic stoner dramedy with tinges of Beckett absurdism and some Brecht thrown in. The play is artistically ambitious in its quest to be a character study piece, driven by a main character with goals that never attempt to be reached. I loved the opening crepe monologue and thought it served the style and theme of the play rather well. Also, quite an achievement to successfully stage a play in the Studio with so many cast members, they made it work well.... full review

Wildly artistic, powerful and strange, Murder Blood Bear Story Part 2 features one of the most committed acting performances I've ever seen. The range of Katelyn is unbelievable, as Katelyn is able to conjure different characters on a whim, expertly communicate intent to an audience, and shifts from laughter to the visceral, dark moments in the play are always earned. Always such a pleasure to watch a great artist like Katelyn excel at their craft, and this is no exception. And there's a charming... full review

Laughter from start to finish. Riley has a great sense of comedic timing and charismatic stage presence. As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy the LOTR films, I can recommend to those that share the same sentiment to not let that be a barrier for you to consider. Riley does a fantastic job of interpreting and adapting the source into a hilarious event. For fans of the movies, I do think they will be even more appreciative of the show, as some of the moments do tend to feel like an inside joke... full review

Reminiscent of the early road-trip comedies of the early 2000's, Road To Nowhere tells the story of an angsty struggling artist who receives a massive opportunity to showcase their art in an exhibition, but must rely on her boy-crazy estranged Mother to drive her there. Comedy ensues and family relationship drama unfolds. Leonard does a great job at selling the main character, with dynamic, flawed qualities.... full review

A swift and snappy political parody with a zany cast of characters that doesn't take itself too seriously, but still reminds us that our government is predominantly filled with a bunch of nepo babies and juvenile over-achievers who will do whatever it takes to get ahead in life. Senator Lionel Humphreys, played by Reid Emmoms, delivers a show-stealing performance, and is entrusted with some of the most poetic dialogue of the play, flowing beautifully as its spoken his smooth southern draw. ... full review

A cheery, overly positive in-home nurse takes on more than she can handle when meeting her new client: a foul-mouthed, demanding and manipulative patient with a bad knee. As the play, and their relationship, take twisted dark turns, the story intentionally starts to spiral in on itself, turning into a meta character study that delightfully examines the tropes and conventional devices used by the great dark, comedic playwrights of our time. Vibrant writing that wears its heart on its sleeve ... full review

Chock full of laughs and film references for cinephiles, a string of meetings between Hitchcock and Brooks explores not only their relationship, but their individual fears, and the women in their life. Cohesive aesthetic and visually arresting props. Tight direction and genuine performances. Chott as Hitchcock is a standout, with complete embodiment of the legendary director and total command of his unmistakable voice, dialect, and body mannerisms. ... full review

Sometimes the worst moments of our lives inspire art. We can never expect when and where it will come from, and we certainly don't know how we'll deal with it once we are in the situation. In this one-woman show we get a vulnerable, comedic snapshot of an artist (Miller) going through the process and logistics of dealing with a formidable life-changing tragic event. While some moments are comedically absurd, the sentiment and gravitas of the content is not lost. Miller has shown in prior work... full review