Project: Theater: Press

MANGELLA

MANGELLA was among the top 10 Off-Off Broadway shows of 2011 according to Tom Murrin! Check out the full list here.

Cyber fun pure-joy shtick.

Staged with imaginative, low-budget flair by Joe Jung and performed with total conviction by the ensemble, “Mangella” is a virtual, LOL hoot.

3 out of 4 stars!

Frank Scheck

(Ali) Perlwitz (is) a game performer with ripe comic timing.

Jung’s direction is genuine, and the performances are outstanding—Manna navigates the tonal shifts skillfully, while Wilson does sexy/mysterious and sincere/verbose with equal dexterity.

Mangella is a smart and unpredictable play, and a risky one too—primarily in the trust and patience it requires of its viewers. In this case, it’s a risk that pays off handsomely.

Jason Bailey

Cheeky…thought-provoking…stylish, Ken Ferrigni penned a script that is ripe for the madness that is pop culture in the 21^st century.

"Mangella is well-produced, with Perlwitz’s representation of the “clingy” computer played at perfect pitch as she squawks about incoming emails and suggests everything from eBay to porn in an effort to monopolize her human’s attentions."

"Anthony Manna’s performance as Ned is realistic: cerebral and fussy, frustrated and well-intentioned."

"Ferrigni definitely has a handle on his geekese, and what’s more the actors have come to a point where it rolls effortlessly off most their tongues."

"In the end, Mangella is a play that opens up many new ways to think about avatars – the ones in our minds, the ones we create online, and the ones we envision for other people, to name a few varieties – and how as people it is easier for us to project our image of someone else onto them than to listen to who they really are. Simultaneously, it is a reminder that “actual” reality, as opposed to “virtual” is not consensual and does not need our permission to happen around us – but that we can still be active participants in determining how our lives move forward in time."

Rachel Lynn Brody

Connectivity takes on a whole new meaning...

While all the actors are excellent, Ali Perlwitz handles a particularly Shakespearean fugue in the play with special finesse.

A well-observed love story.

Joe Jung directs the action at a lovingly fast-pace, balancing the energy and innocence of the characters with the absurdist storyline.

Tamara & Burt Becker

A COMPUTER HACKING LOVE STORY: Interview with Joe Jung.

Tom Murrin

A COMPUTER IN LOVE: Interview with Anthony Manna and Ali Perlwitz.

Mark Blankenship

"Ken Ferrigni's MANGELLA starts out as a twisted romantic comedy between a man and his computer, and gradually becomes a twisted philosophical comedy about the ambiguity of notions like "privacy" and "identity" in the technological age."

" Joe Jung keeps the energy high without losing control of the material."

A.J. Mell

Director Joe Jung has accurately captured all...types of introversion, while making the characters quite sympathetic.

J.J. Bernard and Francois Portier are responsible for the fabulous scenery...

Nick Borisjuk’s sound heightens the tension a lot...

Jessi Blue Gormezano’s costumes are very sexy, from the restless computer trappings of Gabriella to the almost nothing that Lily wears.

Ed Malin

Overall, the show was enjoyable, funny, and bizarre. It was an excellent piece of off-off-Broadway.

GurlNxtDoor

MY CUSTOM VAN

Great news!  My Custom Van just got a write-up on Punchline.com.  Click here for the full article.  In it you can read all kinds of useful information about the show.  Be advised that you will be tested on this info at the show when you come.

Dylan P. Gadino

The Secretaries

"It is a blessing, then, when a theater troupe decides to breathe life into a more forgotten work. Such is the case with Project: Theater’s’s current production of The Five Lesbian Brothers’ barbed mid-1990s work, The Secretaries…"

"Both subject and style have been embraced wholeheartedly by director Joe Jung and the rest of Project: Theater’s immensely talented ensemble…."

"…this particular production is great fun, and its excellent cast deserves a lot of credit..."

Doug Strassler, OffOffOnline.com

"The acting in The Secretaries is outstanding, with each actor milking out as much humor as possible from the role, and leaving each character grounded in reality, even as the situations get wilder and wilder."

"Production values are strong as well, particularly J.J. Bernard and Francois Portier's flexible set and Gracie Law's lighting. Joe Jung's strong directing help make this an excellent production. For a fun, campy, and laugh-out-loud good time, I heartily recommend The Secretaries."

Byrne Harrison, Stagebuzz.com

Shel's Shorts

"The production has a whimsical, handmade feel, which is a perfect accompaniment to Silverstein’s poetic approach and illustrative style."

"The talented cast delivers meditations on the peculiarities of life situations, mundane and far-fetched, and teh great pleasure is watching the arc and the development of each individual storyline."

"It’s a great evening of comedy, and a perfect way for the audience to rediscover the talented Shel Silverstein that they never knew existed."

"The actors are uniformly excellent..."

Allison Ford, New York Cool

"Project:Theater fully embraces this hilarity in their production of Shel’s Shorts."

 

"Fortunately, in this off the wall recreation of Shel's work, Project: Theater did more than just stay true to the beloved author’s words; they also stayed true to his spirit."

Adrienne Cea, OffOffOnline.com

J.B.

2007 Innovative Theatre Awards Judges

JUDGE #1 "An incredible show...that spent its money and time in all the right places. Joe Jung's direction was seamless. The piece moved fluidly and beautifully through a variety of different times and places, and the ensemble was remarkably strong in some places."

JUDGE #2 "I really enjoyed attending J.B. It was wonderful to see what other young companies are doing, and I thought it a compelling play, well produced, and well directed. The ensemble work was tight and effective. I really appreciated the minimal production value, that was more than made up for by the actors movements and sound filling the stage...a great evening at the theater, an ambitious project well done.

The Great American Desert

"It's all delivered with likable high energy by a young cast…"

Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times

“It's Ayers's well-heeled ensemble cast that grounds the work, which runs a very taut 50 minutes. All of them demonstrate a remarkable amount of energy and focus...”

“Ayers has turned the show into a labor of love, creatively fusing old genres and styles into something fresh.”

Doug Strassler, OffOffOnline.com

Language of Angels

“The drama transports the audience from the cramped reality of the black-box theater to the eerie, frightening caves of rural North Carolina where much of the play is set.”

“One of the most captivating elements of Language of Angels is the overall aesthetic and sinister ambiance created by the starkly designed set and the creative coordination of the cast members.” 

“The success of the director-cast dialogue...is thanks to the "hardworking and creative" spirit of the members of the company, many of whom have worked together in the past. Their history is apparent...”

Marynell Nolan-Wheatley, Columbia Spectator