LA Weekly
- Recommended
"...Directed by Wendy Worthington. the production eventually comes alive around Dagney Kerr's sidesplitting portrayal of Althea, an obsessive fan who perceives the wussy Free as the source of her own salvation. Donaco Smyth is likewise extremely funny as Althea's hulking husband with the disposition of a lamb. Also noteworthy are McPherson as the hotel housekeeper who inspires Free's decision to change his life, and Albanese as a wannabe slick operator who turns out to really have a heart."
Backstage
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Wendy Worthington elicits broadly farcical performances that primarily slip into stridency, undermining the play's eleventh-hour attempts at earning empathy. The bickering between Stoney and the whiny Free becomes redundant once we grasp the point that Stoney is functioning as a crass businessman who is insensitive to the feelings of his reluctant partner. Reid's depictions of panic and childlike helplessness rapidly become tedious. Kerr's hyperkenetic portrayal obscures the supposed sadness of her marital disappointments. From her first entrance, Kerr cavorts like Lucille Ball on speed, not convincing us that the material calls for such a goofball. McPherson dutifully fills the requirements of her cynical but uninteresting character, and Smyth is efficient in his relatively brief role as a wimpy spouse."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...In plays like this, the metaphors dominate the characterizations, and its ideas can be seen as obvious and simplistic, but, with some straightforward direction by Wendy Worthington, and some neat work by a very capable cast, the play becomes more and more affecting as it moves forward, until finally, if we surrender to its notions, we become dreamers, too."
EyeSpyLA
- Somewhat Recommended
"...With such a magical premise and a terrific cast, it's difficult to dislike this production outright, but the story does not move. The fault is mostly with the text and although the interpretation is at times overzealous, this production does an admirable job of overcoming its inherent weaknesses. Highlighting the humor keeps the audience tittering, but along the way, it loses too much heart from all the crazy physical antics. Even the requisite "floating" scene is not enough of a payoff."
StageHappenings.com
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The acting is all fairly good though I feel the director has allowed the two main actors to push the limits of their characters and when they yell at each other with ferocity, you actually worry that some harm may befall one or both. Because these characters act excessively at times, mainly for effect, we lose a lot of sympathy for them."
CurtainUp
- Not Recommended
"...Under Worthington's direction, if characters are not declaiming, they're rolling around on the floor, underscored by a cartoony soundtrack, like something out of a farce. This happens twice, both times involving - not surprisingly - Kerr's Althea who comes across far more deranged than desperate. Through a rather neat effect that does not appear to use wires, Free does indeed leave the ground. He floats. The play that bears his name, however, most certainly does not soar."
Socal
- Somewhat Recommended
"...To be perfectly honest, this story did not resonate with me. Though I racked my brain for answers and hidden meaning, I did not discover the symbolism of Free's ability, or of his transformation throughout the play. In fact, I wondered if my lack of biblical knowledge handicapped my understanding of what was going on…after all, the protagonist sports a Jesus beard, has people who believe in him, and can perform a miracle. Overall, I just felt like there was something I was missing."
