Blue Reviews

Broadway World- Highly Recommended

"...Our proximity to the actors and the action makes the experience that much more unsettling. Nobody should have to witness a proud man's fall or a principled cop's compromise; with Matthews steering the ship and Hill and Colella as his co-pilots, we get a front row seat to both occurrences."

LA Splash- Highly Recommended

"...Produced by Guillermo Cienfuegos, Sara Fenton, Kila Kitu, Mildred Maries Langford, Tarina Pouncy, and Betsy Zajko, BLUE is a controversial play about a controversial topic which will intrigue audiences with thought-provoking questions and frequently hazy answers. Director Matthews carefully manages the delicate balance inherent in such cases. Chidi-Hill and Colella do a splendid, passionate job of building suspense as the see-saw of inquiries slowly works its way to a climax. When two people engage in conversation - and both feel deeply that they are right - the fur will surely fly."

Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended

"...Award-winning L.A. stage star June Carryl proves herself a playwright to be reckoned with in Rogue Machine’s Blue, a ripped-from-today’s-headlines stunner now riveting audiences in the Matrix Theatre’s ultra-intimate Henry Murray Stage."

Hollywood Progressive- Highly Recommended

"...Blue is a perfect choice, an auspicious beginning for the inauguration of the Henry Murray Stage, which "will primarily be used for small world premiere productions and new play workshops," according to press (or should I say, "dossier"?) notes. When it comes to Lorraine Hansberry's dictum, June Carryl fits the bill, being young, gifted and Black. An actress as well as a bard, with Blue she has put one of America's central pressing problems onstage, with the urgency of a wailing siren with swirling lights and shouts of: "Pull over!""

Stage Raw- Recommended

"...Murder-by-cop. In Blue, playwright June Carryl lays out a blueprint for this grim, all-too-frequent horror show, building her story around a character who has taken the life of another human being and is struggling to justify this action both to himself and the person recording his take on events."

Discover Hollywood- Highly Recommended

"...The play begins before the audience enters the theatre space. Once they climb the stairs entering into a unique setting where the 4th wall is broken, it's as if they themselves become the walls of the investigation room. One strong light is hovering over the darkness all around. In this realistic ambiance the water cooler was used by some audience members, not realizing that it was a prop on the stage. As everyone took their seats the space became silent. Only the wonderment of expectations lingered."

Glamgical- Recommended

"...Director Michael Matthews achieves of all of this with just a light, a table, and two chairs. The set is arranged as an interrogation room; it is a closed and suffocating space, “like a pressure cooker” in the words of Matthews. Blue is an unfiltered view of what lies under the surface of apparent civilized relationships. It is an impactful image that needs to be analyzed on our path to mutual understanding."