Cigarettes and Chocolate/Hang Up Reviews
Los Angeles Times- Recommended
"...No-frills production values notwithstanding, Peretzian and his first-rate ensemble of Pacific Resident company veterans render Minghella's precisely inflected dialogue with polished authority - particularly when it comes to the failures of communication that figure prominently in both pieces."
LA Splash- Somewhat Recommended
"...Since these two pieces are presented as radio plays, Mallory Gabbqard's set design is simple: enough chairs to seat each cast member and several lecterns for intermittent monologues. The production team does a competent job of maintaining this as a radio play. This reviewer, however, couldn't help but wonder if the occasional commercial might have added to the radio feel. Nevertheless, CIGARETTES AND CHOCOLATE and HANG UP are thought-provoking and involving. At the same time, they were also sometimes confusing; and the characters' motivations were often vague. Perhaps trying to mimic "real life" does not hold a candle to the more satisfying "wrap-up" where all becomes crystal clear. Like the characters in the plays, the audience may become frustrated by a pervasive lack of clarity. Perhaps it is important to remember, however, that it is frustration and lack of closure which may lead to conversation after the show ends."
Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended
"...And now for something completely different, Pacific Resident Theatre treats L.A. audiences to the West Coast Premieres of Cigarettes & Chocolate and Hang Up, a couple of Anthony Mighella-penned BBC radio plays from the '80s that add up to considerably more than a staged reading, slightly less than the "fully designed/staged production" that's been advertised, yet one that's every bit as gorgeously acted as PRT's compelling best."
ArtsInLA- Recommended
"...In their West Coast premieres, two one-act radio plays by Anthony Minghella grace the smaller stage at Pacific Resident Theatre. Though the two are produced as radio plays, the actors speaking from music stands, Michael Peretzian directs with enough subtext and reactions to start the audience's imagination moving and filling in any blanks."
Will Call- Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Michael Peretzian's job here is fairly uncomplicated since the cast is certainly talented, can glance at the script if necessary, their British accents pass muster and nobody has to worry about bumping into the furniture. This is a West Coast premiere."