JONATHAN MCCRORY
DIRECTOR. PRODUCER. CREATIVE DOULA
IN THE NEWS:
REVIEWS:
"As a work of stagecraft, Hope Speaks is impressive, particularly given the relative youth of its creators. It seems styled after works by The Civilians, Tectonic Theatre, and Anna Deavere Smith: the various interviewees' words are presented verbatim, with the actors recreating the general diction and verbal style of each subject without trying to do a full-out impersonation. Actors portray people whose gender, age, and/or cultural background differs from their own, which I liked; I also liked that the annoying insistence on reproducing every "er," "uh," and other vocal tick is not so faithfully adhered to by McCrory and his cast—a great choice because it focuses us on what the individuals are saying rather than how they are saying it."
-Martin Denton
"As a work of stagecraft, Hope Speaks is impressive, particularly given the relative youth of its creators. It seems styled after works by The Civilians, Tectonic Theatre, and Anna Deavere Smith: the various interviewees' words are presented verbatim, with the actors recreating the general diction and verbal style of each subject without trying to do a full-out impersonation. Actors portray people whose gender, age, and/or cultural background differs from their own, which I liked; I also liked that the annoying insistence on reproducing every "er," "uh," and other vocal tick is not so faithfully adhered to by McCrory and his cast—a great choice because it focuses us on what the individuals are saying rather than how they are saying it."
-Martin Denton
“It's compelling and important work that reminds us how treacherous it is to try to navigate a path toward success against the odds of irrational, institutionalized bigotry; in this regard, Last Laugh transcends the issue of racism to take in every kind of hurtful pop culture stereotype, from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to Tonto.”
- Martin Denton
ONLINE PUBLISHING:
THE STATE OF BLACK THEATRE
PRESENTED BY HOWLROUND.COM
CURATED BY JONATHAN MCCRORY
Featuring Articles From
Black Theatre Network, The Ensemble Theatre, The Hansberry Project, MPAACT Theatre,
National Black Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, &The Robey Theatre Company.
Emerging from the Crucible :: Indomitable Spirit The Legacy, Vitality, and Sustainability of Black Theater Today :: Interview with Ron Simons :: Keeping the Flame :: The Black Theatre Network Past, Present & Future :: The Tradition of Defining a Tradition :: The Way Back Home :: What Shall We Tell Our Young Playwrights Who Are Black :: Who We Are_ Black Theater in the Bay Area :: Working at It
