Los Angeles Times
- Recommended
"...This powerfully acted production of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," which opened Wednesday at the Mark Taper Forum under the direction of Phylicia Rashad, is a gift for audiences hungering for theatrical nourishment after being fed a steady diet of snacks."
Variety
- Recommended
"...Thesps Keith David, Glynn Turman and John Douglas Thompson take a radically different approach to each of their assignments on stage, and that's as it should be, but Rashad weaves those performances into a seamless acting tapestry, along with notable work from supporting players, that makes this a boarding house worthy of repeated visits."
LA Weekly
- Recommended
"...Directed by Phylicia Rashad, beautifully framed by John Iacovelli's atmospheric set, with its dark orange and gold hues and misty horizon, the production captures the warmth and passion of a subculture still richly imbued with the magic and myth of its African heritage. Some performances are capable, others outstanding."
Stage and Cinema
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Even though the powerful cast still has the ability to elicit emotion and laughs from the viewer, some of the show's main themes go overlooked by the direction, making this feel like an actors' showcase more than a transcendent experience. Plus, the shoddy sound, confusing regional dialects, and incomprehensible mystical elements will leave some viewers baffled."
The Hollywood Reporter
- Recommended
"...A pitch-perfect realization of perhaps the late August Wilson's most ambitious and richly accomplished work. Don't wait: this is essential theater."
LA Splash
- Recommended
"...This production is both haunting and funny, with extraordinary performances by Glynn Turman and Keith David as Seth & Bynum respectively."
StageHappenings.com
- Recommended
"...Directed in an extraordinary style by Phylicia Rashad, the astonishing company made Wilson's words and characters come vividly to life; it was funny, moving and alive."
Examiner
- Recommended
"...Don't bother going to see the Mark Taper Forum revival of August Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" (playing in Downtown L.A. through June 9). Unless you want to see what true perfection looks like on stage, when every actor is flawlessly cast and impeccably directed."
ArtsBeatLA
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Unfortunately, director Phylicia Rashad (renowned for a recent and brilliant staging at ERT and CTG of another American classic, Raisin in the Sun) fails to permit Wilson's magic to take flight. This production suffers from ill-focused staging and poor vocal projection that robs the audience the opportunity to hear every spoken word, a problem compounded by thick regional dialects. Additionally, it is not as strong a play as Wilson's more contemporary classic Jitney, also recently staged."
ArtsInLA
- Recommended
"...This new mounting is resplendent in every way, alternately delicate and wildly boisterous, epic and humble."
LA Stage Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The climaxes of each act are beautifully executed in Rashad's version, but I grew impatient with some of the play's less vital moments in a way I don't remember from the last Joe Turner's I saw - the Fountain Theatre production in 2006."
On Stage Los Angeles
- Recommended
"...The poetry of the author and its expert interpretation by director, Phylicia Reshad and her cast delivers well."
OC Register
- Recommended
"...Phylicia Rashad reveals the genius of an American masterpiece."
Total Theater
- Recommended
"...August Wilson's 1986 play, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, part of his Century Cycle, has been triumphantly revived at the Taper, thanks to the splendid work of its cast and director. Credit the Center Theater Group, as well, for providing strong production values - especially John Iacovelli's lavish boardinghouse set and Karen Perry's evocative period costumes."
