Clarkston Reviews

Los Angeles Times- Recommended

"...Although not technically a two-hander, “Clarkston” has some of the contrivances inherent in that form. Cordoned-off dialogue has to do a lot of narrative heavy-lifting. Sometimes Hunter’s impeccable realism buckles under the weight. But the context of the characters’ interaction — a big-box store world of limited economic mobility and unlimited snacks — is eloquent."

Stage and Cinema- Recommended

"...Head north to the small town of Lewiston, Idaho, and you’ll discover how the town got its name. One of the town’s main attractions is the Lewis and Clark Discovery Center. Located along the banks of the Snake River, the center chronicles the journey of 19th-century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Right across the Snake River is Clarkston, Washington, which also owes its name to the famous pair. I’ve been there, and it’s basically the same town separated by water."

Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended

"...No one writes with more insight, depth, and compassion about ordinary lives in the American Northwest than prolific Idaho playwright Samuel D. Hunter, whose unique talents are once again on display in the West Coast Premiere of Clarkston, the latest Echo Theater Company spellbinder."

ArtsBeatLA- Somewhat Recommended

"...If you want to see some strong performances from a trio of superb actors, Clarkston is certainly worth your time. But as a play it doesn’t quite come together."

On Stage Los Angeles- Recommended

"...This predictable love story becomes,, at least, a sympathetic and kindly polemic that peeks beneath the each character's motivation. The audience may embrace the idea, well past Post Colornial times. Gender aside and also on deck, we are all searching: to find some sort of a "family".. where it's okay to 'be who you are' and in so doing, to 'find yourself.' Two lonely gay guys at the top of the Idaho panhandle' Each has his 'demons' that might be not so much of a problem in more sophisticated climes. Factor in Tricia's 'demon' and the conflict gives the story some traction."

Stage Raw- Recommended

"...Clarkston, Washington — the latest census put the town’s population at 7161 — is located near the border of Washington and Idaho, off the banks of the Snake River. The town is named for William Clark, a historic figure whose fame, along with that of his partner, Merriweather Lewis, is indelibly memorialized in American history textbooks for the duo’s historic trek to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. On their way, Lewis and Clark and the men who accompanied them passed westbound down the Snake River by canoe, which accounts for the name of the town and that of its sister community, Lewiston, a mere 4.2 miles across the river in Idaho."

Ticket Holders LA- Highly Recommended

"...Now in its west coast debut from Echo Theater and directed by the company’s artistic director Chris Fields, this austerely mounted but hauntingly beautiful production is one of the best presented in Los Angeles this year and its cast of three contributes significantly to that designation."