Hymn Reviews
Stage and Cinema- Somewhat Recommended
"...Hymn by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti is a well-crafted piece, with detailed characters and dialogue that is enunciated with sincerity. Drina Durazo of Lower Depth Theatre, in collaboration with The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s Sally Essex-Lopresti, has mounted a slick two-man drama, which director Gregg T. Daniel has staged with a deft touch and stunning attention to detail. The crew at the Odyssey Theatre has performed to the high standard one would expect of LA’s premiere Equity Waiver venue for the last half-century. A tip of the hat to set designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, costume designer Wendell D. Carmichael, and a “big tip” to Donny Jackson for his subdued but evocative lighting work."
LA Theatrix- Highly Recommended
"...While the story seems simple, remaining in the recognizable world of the everyday, its depths are profound, especially as directed by Gregg T. Daniel and enacted by two actors embodying their likable but flawed characters — the affable Gil (Chuma Gault) and intense but grounded Benny (Jason Delane)."
TheaterMania- Recommended
"...Chakrabarti’s inventive dialogue gives the actors meat to chew on. There’s a strong sense of time – not only the period in which the play is set, but the time Gil and Benny missed growing up together. Chakrabarti portrays them as thick as thieves: dressing up like MTV stars, duetting to the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” before heading to the clubs—details that evoke the ’80s, when the brothers would have been teens."
Stage Raw- Not Recommended
"...Hymn, British playwright Lolita Chakrabarti’s play about half-brothers who meet and bond later in life, pays tribute to the idea of brotherly love and male fellowship in the best, most humanistic sense of the term. Unfortunately, a worthy theme won’t compensate for a fractured narrative, and despite the efforts of two skilled and sensitive performers and an accomplished/seasoned director, the production stumbles."
Larchmont Buzz- Recommended
"...With a running time of 95 minutes, Hymn serves up serio-comedy with many themes to laud. However, there are issues with the writing. Hymn's delicate, touching scenes start to feel like long-winded, action-free exposition. I ached for less talking and more doing (especially given the number of characters that are named, but never seen)."