Lines in the Dust at The Matrix

Los Angeles Times - Recommended

"...“Lines in the Dust” proudly flaunts its social justice agenda. Salter’s approach is comprehensive, intelligently and informatively presenting a complex portrait of a seemingly intractable societal issue. But the play is overwritten, with points of argument often getting the better of dramatic finesse."

LA Splash - Recommended

"...Director Desean K. Terry helms the play with a sure hand, ably assisted by an excellent cast headed by Kelley Jenrett and Erica Tazel – who will switch roles back and forth (Beverly and Denitra) during the course of the show’s run. DiMaggio cunningly sneaks in as the man you love to hate. The production team also does an excellent job of creating just the right environment. Mark Mendelson’s scenic design is effective; Wendell C. Carmichael’s costumes strike just the right note; Derrick McDaniel’s lighting and Alexis Tongue’s sound add dimensions to the piece."

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Nikkole Salter examines inequities in public education in her powerful, thought-provoking, thoroughly engrossing Lines In The Dust, a memorable debut collaboration between Collaborative Artists Bloc and Support Black Theatre at the Matrix."

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

"...But unlike Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline which, differences in plot notwithstanding, builds around the fervent desire of a Black mother to have her son attend a magnet school, Lines in the Dust (which at an hour and 50 minutes with no intermission runs way too long) hasn’t much nuance. There’s no psychological layering, no clear picture of the other people or particulars in these women’s lives. Devitra’s daughter Noelle may be the precious treasure her mother is fighting for, but she never emerges in the dialogue as more than a point of reference for the conflict at hand."