Los Angeles Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite its crucial lapse into illogic, "Bound" is elevated by the technical proficiency of the performers and a dynamic staging. If, like Alice, you can practice believing impossible things and suspend your disbelief, it may be worth a try."
LA Weekly - Recommended
"...Steve Apostolina's dark and thoughtful dramedy, Forever Bound, starts out as two disparate narratives that come together in an intense, disquieting way. Commencing as a wry comedy about a nebbish whose life is on the downturn, it culminates as a riveting face-off between good and evil, and highlights just how hard it can be to sever the formidable bonds that bind us to our past."
Broadway World - Highly Recommended
"...The world premiere of playwright Steve Apostolina's FOREVER BOUND artfully produces scores of suspenseful "will he/won't he" moments performed by the talented cast of four. What starts out as a day in the life of a depressed book scout about to be evicted takes welcomed twists and turns to its very satisfying end. Director Ann Hearn Tobolowsky keeps a firm hand in guiding this intermission-less piece smoothly and efficiently to its conclusion."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Art thrives when it dances on the edge of a razor - flaunting itself and teasing us - fully embracing the risk of toppling over at any moment and smashing itself to smithereens. In Forever Bound, a world premiere at the Atwater Village Theatre, playwright Steve Apostolina, director Anne Hearn Tobolowsky, and an astonishingly talented cast fearlessly take residence on that razor's edge, and best of all, they make it seem effortless. It is a thrilling experience."
LA Splash - Highly Recommended
"...Possibly at least somewhat motivated by such current events or possibly merely by a very focused imagination on the workings of the minds of people who commit such horrors and the deep and lasting impact it has on the victims motivated playwright Steve Apostolina to write "Foverever Bound" now playing at Atwater Village Theatre. But whatever the motivation or inspiration what appears onstage in "Forever Bound" is without question one of the most compelling plays currently on stage anywhere."
Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended
"...Expect the unexpected from the money-making scheme concocted by the cash-starved protagonists of Steve Apostolina's astonishing Forever Bound, now getting a rock-your-socks-off World Premiere at the Atwater Village Theater"
On Stage Los Angeles - Recommended
"...Fancying himself a sort of Prospero, Thomas calls her Miranda. They eventually bend the trajectory of the story into a dark and nicely played mystery. Suffice it to say that Apostolina's homage to classic writers and his ability to meld them into these twists and turns... that may or may not be revealed... is considerable. Forever Bound is foreboding and funny and leaves us pretty much asea."
Gia on the Move - Highly Recommended
"...Emily Goss is intelligent and riveting creating a triumphant turnabout at the finale that is so juicy one can't help but remark about the villain, "He must be proud. He taught her well.""
Stage Raw - Recommended
"...Director Ann Hearn Tobolowsky manages to make both aspects of the play effective, from the light comedic scenes to the darker dramatic ones. Pete Hickok's interior, an apartment complete with framed comic book covers and cockroaches taped to the wall, nails the desperate ambience. Joanie Coyote's costumes are similarly choice, from Rosalind's flowery dress to Edmund's Batman bathrobe. Apostolina's writing is smart and witty, with a literary flair. His characters are credible and compelling, even the more outrageous ones. My only quibble is that the two genres seem like separate plays that have been stitched together in a somewhat inorganic way."
Theatre Notes - Highly Recommended
"...The actors, under the incisive, fast paced direction of Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, deliver crisp, nuanced performances that are at once both searing and emotionally gripping while dancing on the knife edge of riotous comedy. The opening night crowd left the auditorium with smiles and laughter looking at one another in the joy of a shared experience. That kind of camaraderie is rare."
