Freud's Last Session Reviews
LA Weekly- Recommended
"...Of course no one wins this debate. But Pete Hickok's period-piece replica of Freud's study, with its imposing books and collection of artifacts, frames it handsomely, while Derrick McDaniel's artful lighting adds a final poignant touch."
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
"...Director Robert Mandel deftly breaks up the ping pong of atheistic and Biblical facts with a stunning air raid attack, frequent phonecalls to Freud's daughter Anna (Rayner's distinctive "Hello" answering the phone just adds to Freud's charm), and then there's the incidents of Freud suffering through his oral cancer and the ill-fitting apparatus stuck in his mouth to keep him alive. The tension and the playful challenging of the two great minds never waiver."
Culver City News- Highly Recommended
"...I cannot offer enough praise on all levels to Mandal and the amazingly talented Rayner and Stanbridge for their overwhelming dedication to bringing the thought-provoking and incredibly intellectually interesting "Freud'S Last Session" to the Odyssey Theatre"
Stage Raw- Highly Recommended
"...Director Robert Mandel has done his work so well that we are scarcely aware of it: the events on view seem to be arising organically from the men and their situation. Rayner's Freud captures the essence of what we know of the man - irascible, opinionated, and fierce in his defense of his beliefs. At first tentative and apologetic in his respect for the older man, Stanbridge's Lewis soon proves that he can give as good as he gets. And the two actors work together seamlessly, like musicians performing the late Beethoven quartets. The events of the play may be fictitious, but here they are given a convincing and rich reality."
Theatre Notes- Highly Recommended
"...Freud's Last Session is theatre at its finest with great performers, a top notch script, and exquisite production design all the way around. It is easy to see why this terrific company has been around for well over forty years. Readers, it would be sad if you missed this show!"
Haines His Way- Recommended
"...The actors are evenly matched and play very well off each other in the 80 minute intermission-less piece. This is the rare one-act play you wish was longer so you could experience even more intellectual fireworks and first class acting. Freud's Last Session should be one of the first plays you see in 2018."
Theatre Ghost- Somewhat Recommended
"...As usual at the Odyssey, the production values are high. The writing is intelligent, witty, and often surprising; it's a shame St. Germain doesn't dig deeper than a debate and venture into the depths that Freud - and Lewis - would surely have braved."
Los Angeles Post-Examiner- Recommended
"...Writer, producer, director Mark St. Germain found a book entitled The Question of God written by Dr. Armand Nicholi. The book focused on the widely different perspectives of Sigmund Freud versus those of C. S. Lewis. This sparked a powerful thought in the mind Mark St. Germain: what if Freud and Lewis met and had a lengthy discussion about God? As so came the critically acclaimed play by Mark St Germain Freud's Last Session an off Broadway hit and currently at The Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles."