Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room Reviews
LA Splash- Recommended
"...FIFTEEN MEN IN A SMOKE-FILLED ROOM could not be more timely, an intriguing glimpse of the political elite and their methods and means of influencing the future of the United States. History buffs will certainly enjoy this production - but the contemporary feel of events which happened almost 100 years ago will also appeal to current audiences."
Total Theater- Recommended
"...Fifteen Men is certainly relevant to our times-once again widespread corruption is undermining our democracy-but the play is more of a character study than a political expose. Its portrait of Harding as a hapless, tragic figure is maybe too much of a whitewash---as a senator Harding opposed the League of Nations and voted for anti-strike legislation-but Crowley does succeed in making us feel sorry for this flawed, not-too-bright human being. Fifteen Men is skillfully acted (the cast also includes Kevin Dulude doubling as a newspaper publisher and a hotel waiter). It is also crisply directed by Jules Aaron...and looks historically accurate, thanks to Jeff G. Rack's sumptuous, detailed set."
Showmag- Recommended
"...However corrupt and inept the Harding Administration may have been, the fact that our country was able to overcome the detriments of that epoch gives us hope in our own age of political incompetence. That's the value in experiencing Fifteen Men in a Smoke-filled Room."
Stage Raw- Somewhat Recommended
"...The play is a mildly interesting look at political machinations (made by men in smoke-filled rooms), but as drama, the production only occasionally sparkles. The script is labored, and a heaviness overhangs the action. The very able director, Jules Aaron, keeps the evening flowing, but even he can't completely overcome the story's limitations."
Theatre Notes- Somewhat Recommended
"...Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room is an obvious choice for out political times, but it does not spark the interest that one might expect. Warren G. Harding famously called for a return to "normalcy" after the horrors of the World War I and the plague of the Spanish influenza that infected 500 million people world wide. He was popular with the people, but lost historical standing after his death when such scandals as Tea Pot Dome and his relationship with Nan Britton came to light. In history he is regarded very lightly, if at all. It does, however, have some parallels to the current moment."