Santa Monica Mirror - Highly Recommended
"...This is a three-act play with two intermissions and I will tell you each act is as strong as the previous one and leads us through this complicated family dynamic which will ultimately reveals shocking surprises you had no idea were coming. And, that's about all I'm going to say other than get your tickets to this perfect theatrical presentation and fasten your seat belts for a bumpy, and sometimes funny ride awaiting you."
Broadway World - Recommended
"...There is much to unpack here and to plunge too much more deeply into the plot would give away key plot revelations. Suffice to say that with the possible exception of Leslie, just about every character we meet is living a compromised life and is therefore a simmering cauldron before Colston's script manages to set it ablaze. Some of these circumstances feel organic while others come off as hugely contrived."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...Even with a fine cast doing solid work across the board, there seems to be no clear protagonist or through line in Breath. Tackling far too much, the play loses itself in itself. Even with its lengthy running time (a big ask for any audience, especially if one can’t deliver the goods), it still manages to leave us with loose ends long after it — and we — have run out of steam. Amid all its fat, there’s a leaner play in Breath, and likely a good one. It just needs reconfiguring, and mostly, room to breathe."
LA Splash - Highly Recommended
"...Originally developed in 2018 at the Festival of New Plays in Chicago, THE FIRST DEEP BREATH makes its Los Angeles debut in 2023. Passionately penned by Lee Edward Colston II – former prison guard turned actor, playwright, director, and author – THE FIRST DEEP BREATH is a powerful psychological study which plumbs a family’s deepest and darkest secrets from an African-American perspective."
ArtsBeatLA - Recommended
"...Director Steve H. Broadnax III gets great work from his cast, and he paces everything swiftly, so even though it's a long play, it moves right along. Michael Carnahan's two-story luxury home set is impressive, filling every inch of the Geffen stage space. Colston clearly has a lot of talent as a writer, and a lot of the play works very well."
Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended
"...But some of the most essential performances feel off. Thomas (who struck me as miscast) needed a lot more vulnerability and naturalness in her Dee Dee. As the beleaguered ex-felon, craving his family's love and acceptance, Colston radiated a deer-in-the-headlights aura - which is fine, but I wanted more breadth and color for this complicated character, who has made a disturbing choice. The same went for Newsome, potentially a good fit for the autocratic pastor, and yes, doing an OK job, but not yet living and breathing the role. (The actor originally was cast as understudy, stepping in recently when the original cast member became unavailable, so timing may be a mitigating factor, for him and for the production as a whole.)"
Larchmont Buzz - Recommended
"...With parallels to television's Greenleaf (a similarly scandal-laden family led by a mega-church pastor), The First Deep Breath discusses race both subtly and in-your-face. It's ambitious, a family saga that isn't always logical but offers the actors unlimited opportunities to hurt each other and show their undeniable power as performers."
Theatrely - Highly Recommended
"...Lee Edward Colston II’s The First Deep Breath, which opened last week at the Geffen Playhouse, is a compelling new take on this classic form that explores the complexities of honesty, the criminal justice system, and the importance of family ties. The play is anchored by a talented cast that deliver universally great performances."
