Small Engine Repair Reviews

Los Angeles Times- Highly Recommended

"...In a sequence of horrific, grotesque and comic twists, persuasively directed by Andrew Block, every passing remark becomes significant. The actors take their characters so far beyond type that they can even, refreshingly for dramatis personae, laugh at themselves. What first seems like a theatrical version of Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" or Nickelback's "Photograph" (middle-aged men acknowledging the pathos of their own nostalgia) turns into a stunning investigation of classism, sexism, the lonely joys and terrors of bringing up a child, and the limits and possibilities of friendship."

LA Weekly- Highly Recommended

"...Pollono's script is an exquisitely modulated gem, gripping the viewer with a storyline that is both shocking and sobering in its commentary on modern interactions in the technological age. Director Andrew Block extracts such realistic performances from his cast that we almost forget we are watching a play, as the appalling action unfolds mere inches away."

Backstage- Highly Recommended

"...John Pollono's gritty dark comedy, set in a machine-repair shop in sleepy Manchester, N.H., cannily pulls the wool over the audience's eyes. What starts out seeming like David Mamet lite-a comedic bromance charting the testosterone-charged reunion of three 30-something pals-takes a startling turn. It would be unconscionable to spoil the surprises. Let's simply say there's much more than gears and pistons churning in this greasy repair shop. Director Andrew Block's pitch-perfect world-premiere staging packs a potent punch."

Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended

"...It isn't easy to review the world-premiere one-act Small Engine Repair without giving it all away. Because what is really good about the piece, and what is questionable about it, all fall under the heading of spoilers."

Stage and Cinema- Recommended

"...Most of Small Engine Repair feels raw and unfinished, but it has an energy that eludes more polished productions of more studiedly articulate plays."

StageHappenings.com- Highly Recommended

"...Perhaps the most striking accomplishment occurs once we have left the theatre and issues such as internet abuse, past mistakes and the tenuousness of friendship haunts our psyche, forcing us to examine our own misuse of technology. At what price are we willing to destroy the very art of socializing that this electronic purgatory purports to support' Small Engine Repair may be short in length, but the themes are huge. Perhaps the engine that needs repairing is the most complicated of them all – the human heart."