Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended
"...Justin Tanner's '90s-nostalgia-filled autobiographical gem Little Theatre once again showcases the prolific playwright's gift for out-of-left-field laughs, especially when delivered by a couldn't-be-better trio of Rogue Machine stars."
ArtsBeatLA - Somewhat Recommended
"...As it stands, Little Theatre will likely entertain local audiences who are familiar with the source history or may have even known the protagonists, but I think if this show is ever to have a production somewhere other than in L.A., it needs a rewrite."
On Stage Los Angeles - Somewhat Recommended
"...Zacary Grant's character arc is a little tough to believe. Soon after his introduction to the El Centro for his community service job, James submits a play about Barbie and Ken on the skids at their ages of 28 that the El Centro chooses to mount to qualify for a grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. James goes on to become the Golden Boy playwright of the El Centro with the mention of my dear friend, LA Times' Theatre Critic, Sylvie Drake, credited with supportive reviews."
Total Theater - Recommended
"...Little Theater recalls the halcyon days of LA theater, when a budding local playwright like Tanner could get his work produced fairly easily. In the play Tanner calls himself James (Zachary Grant). He walks into the El Centro Theatre and lands a job as an intern. His boss Monica (Jenny O’Hara) is based on Diana Gibson, who ran the Cast Theater for many years. Her main helper Danny (Ryan Brophy) is a jack-of-all-trades who runs the box office, builds the sets and keeps the books."
Showmag - Recommended
"...Lisa James directs the play with the breathless speed and clarity of a farce, but she finds some telling moments beyond the laughs. Zachary Grant’s James easily channels the loopy innocence of the young James. But the heart of his performance lies in wordless moments when we watch the play of thoughts and emotions cross his face. As Danny, Ryan Brophy is lovable, dedicated, and seems to be the only character with a connection to the real world."
Stage Raw - Highly Recommended
"...Brophy's snide smirk and dry readings as "rich kid" Danny offer additional comic relief, especially on a hysterical trip with Monica and James up the California coast to celebrate James's first TV deal check. Grant also offers up a convincing performance, starting off as naïve innocent - though Tanner has admitted in press material that his character is "much nicer than I was in real life," - who transforms into a cynical professional. While James's and Monica's confrontations sometimes pull some punches, there is enough pugilistic spark to fire up the tension."
Haines His Way - Recommended
"...Lisa James has skillfully directed her trio of actors through the high drama and low comedy of the script. John Iacovelli designed the lived-in chaos of the theatre’s cramped office as well as the stately grandeur of Monica’s home. Grant brings a deer-in-the-headlights innocence to James that slowly builds into a more assured person of worth. Brophy has the laid-back charm of a slumming rich boy. But it is O’Hara who inhabits every fiber of the Gibson character, fire-breathing her way around the stage in a tour-de-force comic masterpiece portrait of a woman who lived life full out. Little Theatre is worth seeing for its time capsule look at the 1990s little theatre scene in LA. And if you were there, it is a rollicking reminder of the fun times that were to be had then."
Larchmont Buzz - Recommended
"...Little Theatre feels like a scandalous expose of people you’ve probably never heard of but come to care about deeply. The audience, however, is inevitably sprinkled with those who have lived through the times presented here. Their knowing laughter and groans add emphasis throughout."
