"The inventive folks at the Stolen Chair Theatre Company explore the [Weimar] era with the existential Kinderspiel; think No Exit decked out in fishnets and Art Deco decay...The overall effect is haunting. Watching these slightly cracked adults play with desperate abandon reminds us that the worst of times may bring out the best in artists, but in the end it's the politicians who get to rule (and ruin) the world"
-Raven Snook
Time Out NY (4 Stars)
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"Will we see a more distinctive, visceral play this fall? Kinderspiel, the latest work to emanate from the extraordinary and increasingly well-regarded Stolen Chair Theatre Company, defies easy categorization and simple analysis. It is dazzlingly entertaining, extremely well-crafted, and at once both funny and a little off-putting. Its sharp and challenging themes linger well after the play itself has ended, sparking lively conversation and perhaps even a bit of soul-searching as you explore its ideas...
Kinderspiel, complex and deep, marks Rikhye yet again as one of the premier young dramatists in America right now. Stancato's production, a miracle of economy and inventiveness in the perfectly appropriate Under St. Marks space, is spectacularly good...All five actors do fine work here...
So, while I'm all for there being many new American plays as
challenging and original as this one, I doubt that we'll be that lucky.
Which is why Kinderspiel should be required viewing for the theatrically adventurous and those in search of the most provocative and thought-provoking work that indie theater has to offer."
-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com "Pick of the Week"
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"There's a delightful irony in watching Kiran Rikhye's delectable frolic of a play Kinderspiel: audiences sit in a musty — yet appropriately atmospheric — basement to watch a play about a bunch of Weimar-era demimonde oddballs who sit around and play like children while customers pay to watch. The playwright provides insight into a glorious era of Berlin history, contrasting it with the economic depression and political upheaval of its time and drawing parallels to contemporary affairs. The childlike idiom is brilliantly developed and performed by the talented cast, leaving Under St. Marks' crowd wanting more."
-Stephan Paschalides
Flavorpill
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"[A]wfully clever...The play not only stands as a testament to the insane depression of the Weimar era, but illustrates the similarity between genius and insanity, and the odd power of art to transform one's perception of reality...
Stolen Chair bills itself as a company dedicated to the "theft" of "historical performance styles," but it's a crime for which they'd never be convicted. Between this and their recent Commedia dell'Artemisia, they're dramatic Robin Hoods, stealing from a rich theatrical past and producing for a poorly educated present, and I look forward to their next production. "
-Aaron Riccio
PBS' New Theater Corps
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"Once again, [Stolen Chair] showed me what a company can achieve when it commits to the disicipline and sacrifice of the laboratory process. Kinderspiel has all of this company's burgeoning trademarks: exquisite, surprising language, fluid, meticulous direction and mesmerizing and courageous performances from an outstanding ensemble."
-John Clancy
Obie Award-Winning Director and Co-Founder of FringeNYC