Press Quotes
For King Lear:
"Extremely well done and well directed; The entire cast was excellent"
-Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere, Broadway Radio
"As soon as Stephen Mo Hanan steps on stage, you know this will be an immensely satisfying King Lear....For much of Act I, I was on the edge of my seat. After, I thought: Gee, what a great night."
-Jesse Kornbluth, Head Butler.com
"On an almost bare stage, with few props and costumes, all you do is watch the actors and hear the words. A deft "blinding" works well, and the sword fights are like sorbet between courses—allowing you to step back from the intensity momentarily before returning to the questions that continue to haunt when you leave the theater."
-TheatreMania Audience Review
For Words Fail - part of What I Meant Was....:
"Words Fail, which kicks the show off, is a thoughtful and surprising exploration of what it means and what it takes to make art nowadays—to really persevere....The production is expert."
-Martin Denton, nytheatre.com
For Reefer Madness: The Musical:
"An excellent new production at the Gallery Players now takes the musical beyond its camp origins. The director, Dev Bondarin, serves up an unpretentious evening of silliness, with a great cast spirit and good performances overall....What this new production takes seriously is good ol' fashioned showmanship, here present in abundance....The production moves with a wild and carefree abandon."
-Culture Catch.com
"Hilariously staged by Dev Bondarin, extremely well acted, and at the bargain price of $18 a ticket, I defy anyone to leave this production without smiling."
-Pataphysical Science Blog
For A Home Across The Ocean:
"A Home Across the Ocean moves at a rapid clip because Dev Bondarin's staging transports you to many different locations, all in a black box theatre that is not much bigger than your bedroom."
-Dan Fingerman, Theater Is Easy
"A stellar production!"
Byrne Harrison, StageBuzz
For Romeo & Juliet:
"The company's well-done Romeo & Juliet is a high-energy production directed by Dev Bondarin featuring excellent actors....It's heartening to see what the company can do with the bare-bones set of the Music Pagoda, which is a beautiful (if neglected) venue but it has some limitations, which the director [Dev Bondarin] has found a way to use and to turn into strength.."
-Dumbo Books of Brooklyn Blog
For The House of Blue Leaves:
"A lively, visually appealing production that moves with pace and professionalism."
-nytheatre.com
For Raised by Lesbians:
"The actors metamorphose into different roles that alternately represent the characters' realities, desired realities and highly dramatic ids....Director Dev Bondarin's fast, nearly surreal pacing keeps up with Leah Ryan's sharp script"
-Time Out NY (4 star rating)
"Director Dev Bondarin leads a spirited and versatile cast and the play flies through its 80-minute single act."
David DelGrosso, nytheare.com
For The Last One Left:
"Dev Bondarin adds a rare touch of beauty to such a story with her quiet, musical transitions, not to mention a deft hand with the comic timing"
-Aaron Ricco, Show Showdown
From my first reviews on nytheatre.com and Backstage.com in 2006 for a short play in a festival:
"Brilliantly directed by Dev Bondarin, it illustrates the casual ignorance of chatterbox twentysomethings who are watching an older couple have a semi-public fight."
nytheatre.com
"Tactfully directed by Dev Bondarin, what begins as a comedy of modern manners becomes arrestingly violent, resulting in a disturbingly accurate portrayal of denial and inaction."
Backstage.com
"Extremely well done and well directed; The entire cast was excellent"
-Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere, Broadway Radio
"As soon as Stephen Mo Hanan steps on stage, you know this will be an immensely satisfying King Lear....For much of Act I, I was on the edge of my seat. After, I thought: Gee, what a great night."
-Jesse Kornbluth, Head Butler.com
"On an almost bare stage, with few props and costumes, all you do is watch the actors and hear the words. A deft "blinding" works well, and the sword fights are like sorbet between courses—allowing you to step back from the intensity momentarily before returning to the questions that continue to haunt when you leave the theater."
-TheatreMania Audience Review
For Words Fail - part of What I Meant Was....:
"Words Fail, which kicks the show off, is a thoughtful and surprising exploration of what it means and what it takes to make art nowadays—to really persevere....The production is expert."
-Martin Denton, nytheatre.com
For Reefer Madness: The Musical:
"An excellent new production at the Gallery Players now takes the musical beyond its camp origins. The director, Dev Bondarin, serves up an unpretentious evening of silliness, with a great cast spirit and good performances overall....What this new production takes seriously is good ol' fashioned showmanship, here present in abundance....The production moves with a wild and carefree abandon."
-Culture Catch.com
"Hilariously staged by Dev Bondarin, extremely well acted, and at the bargain price of $18 a ticket, I defy anyone to leave this production without smiling."
-Pataphysical Science Blog
For A Home Across The Ocean:
"A Home Across the Ocean moves at a rapid clip because Dev Bondarin's staging transports you to many different locations, all in a black box theatre that is not much bigger than your bedroom."
-Dan Fingerman, Theater Is Easy
"A stellar production!"
Byrne Harrison, StageBuzz
For Romeo & Juliet:
"The company's well-done Romeo & Juliet is a high-energy production directed by Dev Bondarin featuring excellent actors....It's heartening to see what the company can do with the bare-bones set of the Music Pagoda, which is a beautiful (if neglected) venue but it has some limitations, which the director [Dev Bondarin] has found a way to use and to turn into strength.."
-Dumbo Books of Brooklyn Blog
For The House of Blue Leaves:
"A lively, visually appealing production that moves with pace and professionalism."
-nytheatre.com
For Raised by Lesbians:
"The actors metamorphose into different roles that alternately represent the characters' realities, desired realities and highly dramatic ids....Director Dev Bondarin's fast, nearly surreal pacing keeps up with Leah Ryan's sharp script"
-Time Out NY (4 star rating)
"Director Dev Bondarin leads a spirited and versatile cast and the play flies through its 80-minute single act."
David DelGrosso, nytheare.com
For The Last One Left:
"Dev Bondarin adds a rare touch of beauty to such a story with her quiet, musical transitions, not to mention a deft hand with the comic timing"
-Aaron Ricco, Show Showdown
From my first reviews on nytheatre.com and Backstage.com in 2006 for a short play in a festival:
"Brilliantly directed by Dev Bondarin, it illustrates the casual ignorance of chatterbox twentysomethings who are watching an older couple have a semi-public fight."
nytheatre.com
"Tactfully directed by Dev Bondarin, what begins as a comedy of modern manners becomes arrestingly violent, resulting in a disturbingly accurate portrayal of denial and inaction."
Backstage.com
(At top: The House of Blue Leaves with Stacey Scotte & Burke Adams - Photo by Neal Freeman.)
