Broadway World - Somewhat Recommended
"...A quick browse through the program for King Liz, the latest offering from the Geffen, tells us that the story unfurling before us has not only been embraced as a piece of theatre but is miraculously (and maybe impossibly) equally a suitable premise for the pilot of a television show. Since coming to Los Angeles, I've sat through several noble productions hewn together by actors, designers, and directors attempting to jam a square peg (a script written by a screenwriter hellbent on landing the right agent with this new premise) through a round hole (the conventions of the American regional theatre). King Liz is the premise for a television show at best, and, despite the noble work of those who are trying to pass it off as a piece of live theatre, its plot points, the characters' relationships, and the narrative are only strong enough to grab our interest through the next commercial break, and certainly not impactful enough to engage us in any meaningful way in three-dimensional space."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...Throughout Fernanda Coppel‘s play King Liz, now receiving a west coast premiere at The Geffen in L.A., following productions Off-Broadway and in Chicago, the well-drawn characters have clear-cut motivations and back story. The story arc is there. Current issues are there. Even some humor is there. All the pins are in place for a strike. Yet as diverting the play can be at times, this production ends up with a split."
Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended
"...Broadway star Sabrina Sloan sizzles as a powerhouse A-list sports agent named Liz Rico, and newcomer Evan Morris Reiser electrifies as a high school grad with NBA superstar potential, in Fernanda Coppel’s off-Broadway dramedy King Liz, now getting a largely absorbing Los Angeles Premiere at the Geffen Playhouse."
TheatreMania - Somewhat Recommended
"...Sloan makes the title character of King Liz so enthralling, the audience has no choice but to root for her. It would have been intriguing to strip the men from the play and focus on the two women, trapped by a power struggle. The dynamics between female boss and assistant has always been fraught with fear of the limited number of chairs allowed at the table for women. The performances between Ortiz and Sloan displays hostility, but also compassion between the two, and would have been a fresh perspective in which the audience could invest. In its current state, King Liz is too superficial to be compelling and doesn't reveal the author's ideal scenario and perspective. What could have been a riveting study plays out as just a series of unfortunate events."
Total Theater - Highly Recommended
"...Playwright Coppel has put her finger on a very real problem in big-time American sport. Innumerable black kids out of impoverished circumstances have found it hard to handle the pressure that comes with highly competitive sports–-the money, fandom and media attention as well. Normally, though, by the time they have been tested and coached on the collegiate level, they manage to grow up and take control of their lives. Not so with Freddie."
Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended
"...It goes without saying that a narrative built around such a commanding character rises or falls with the lead performance. Liz is mean and un-empathetic —but she’s also possessed of rare personal power and intelligence. But while Sloan handles nuance skillfully, the larger-than-life drive and magnetism the role demands are missing from the start. The performance on offer would work well before a camera, but falls short for the stage."
Larchmont Buzz - Recommended
"...The rest of the play answers that question in ways that mirror the title: a dash of the unexpected that keeps things off kilter. It's beautifully acted. Direction, by Jesca Prudencio, gilds the lily with music, sound effects and flashing projections that sometimes detract from the compelling and multi-layered story."
