Press

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The Man Who Laughs 2013

New York Times' Andy Webster called The Man Who Laughs an "Ingenious simulation of silent film...impeccably cohesive."

Fern Siegel, Huffington Post deemed the production "A remarkable achievement...captivating ...inspired stagecraft. A triumph of stylized acting and directorial artistry."

Scott Brown, New York Magazine, recommends going on a date to this "Sumptuous...lovely, creepy little show."

Lisa Jo Sagolla, Backstage, calls the production "Heart-wounding...Extraordinarily clever...Rivetingly rendered."

Rebecca Bernard, Show Business Weekly, enjoyed the complete experience: "Magical... Breathtaking... The attention to detail and commitment of this production is phenomenal."

Tom Blunt of Random House's, Word & Film, highlights the crossroads of Film and Theater: "While "Les Miserables" would love nothing more than to hold our attention all the way through Oscar season, yet another Victor Hugo adaptation is stealthily having its moment....It's pure movie magic."

Ashley Griffin, TheaterOnline.com, deems The Man Who Laughs "a stunningly beautiful work of art," calling the writing "inspired," the direction "brilliant," the design "genius," the performances "breathtaking," exclaiming, "This is truly a not to be missed experience." Read the rest of the review here.

Mary Notari, NYTheatre.com, says the show "is a thrillingly executed, utterly captivating piece of physical theater [that] illustrates how essential live theater is and how the theater of clown can touch us in very real ways...Do not miss this show."

Victoria Teague, New York Theatre Review, likes the feel of silent film combined with the intimacy of theatre, "Gruesomely comedic...will delight and break your heart simultaneously."

Karen White, Arts & Leisure News, exclaims "Entertains and impresses."

Michael Block, Theatre in the Now, trumpets "Stolen Chair Theatre Company should be praised for their daring production that reminds us that theater can still be transformative and relevant."

Eleanor J. Bader, Theatre is Easy, proclaims, "Rife with pathos, melodrama, and occasional humor...So ingenious."

Jon Sobel, Blog Critics, says, this "delightful new production...created a bright, vivid world on a stage drained of color and voices, fashioning a truly unusual entertainment."

Charles Battersby, Theater for Nerds, urges Joker fans to learn the origin story: "Giggles are replaced by gasps as tragic events unfold."

John Townsen, All Fall Down, exclaims "It moves...Brilliant...Art is in the details, and here attention was devoted to every little moment."

W.M. Akers, Astor Place Riot, interviews director Jon Stancato and declares, "It is not a parody of the genre; it is not a museum piece. Instead, it is one of the loveliest bits of theater New York has seen this year."

Alix Cohen, Woman Around Town, declares, "It's a hoot...beautifully conjures the ethos of both era and medium, eliciting pathos and humor."

And check out more buzz about The Man Who Laughs:

Stolen Chair is Theatre is Easy's Featured Artist of the Month!

Jim Moore, VaudeVisuals, interviews our laughing man, Dave Droxler, and director Jon Stancato about each of their inspirations for creating the piece. Watch the interview here.

Go See a Show!, interviews Playwright Kiran Rikhye and director Jon Stancato. Listen to the interview here.

Playright Kiran Rikhye spoke with Works by Women about how the show was originally created and how language is developed for a “silent film” piece.

Martin Denton, of nytheatre.com & indietheaternow.com, is excited for the return of The Man Who Laughs, including it his preview of the upcoming theatre season in The Villager. On the original production, Denton wrote "This bona fide tour de force of theater has the real capacity to tug at something inside of us and make us feel in a raw, spontaneous and very essential way."

Playwright Kiran Rikhye & director Jon Stancato, each are People You Should Know! Read about what excites Kiran and Jon about creating The Man Who Laughs.

Go Backstage and read a profile of star Dave Droxler in, Actors Perform With No Words In 'The Man Who Laughs'.

The Bachelors' Tea Party

NPR's Robert Krulwich (Co-host of RadioLab) says "This is time travel in the best possible way; You step into a room, the waiter serves you tea, 120 years evaporate, and right next to you, just feet away, are a pair of ladies about to change the world, and the crazy thing is, they do! Right in front of you. What actually happened is happening again; I was entranced."

Theatre Geek says "There are so many hidden gems to be found once you step away from the dazzling brightness of Times Square and this production is certainly one of them. Run run run (but be ladylike about it) to Lady Mendl's Tea Salon to catch this show before it is gone!" Read the full review.

History News Network's Bruce Chadwick joined us for tea and then raved about it in "Having the Wildest Tea Ever in 1901 with Two Eccentric New York Women about to Change History." He declares, "If you love oddball theater, lots of early twentieth century history and a good cup of tea, hurry over to Lady Mendls."

Tea time becomes a 'playfully perverse' take on the civilized ritual: Read Scott Stiffler's full feature in Chealsea Now

Martin Denton of NYTheatre.com says:

"[C]harming, witty, and extremely interesting

Clifford Lee Johnson III of Backstage says:

"As much of an event as a play.... the finest night of dinner theater [theatregoers] are ever likely to encounter"

The New York Times' Local East Village calls The Bachelors' Tea Party "ingenious" and "outrageously perfect." Read the full review.

Prolific playwright Clyde Fitch himself returns from the dead to interview Bachelors' 'star' Elsie De Wolfe at The Clyde Fitch Report. Confused? Check out the delightfully meta interview yourself to find how Elsie (and Clyde and director Jon Stancato) handles 5 Questions I've Never Been Asked.

"Tea Theatre" gets two scones up! The Bachelors' Tea Party makes The Advocate's Top Ten Off-Broadway!

Brandon Voss of The Advocate says:

"Jody Flader and Liz Eckert impress as interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe and theatrical agent Bessie Marbury, feminist pioneers and self-described New York "bachelors" who lived together during the early 20th century, in Kiran Rikhye's absurd light comedy. Cleverly staged like a child's tea party with porcelain dolls sitting in for the couple's social circle, the dainty show is made more satisfying by a tasty five-course tea service."

Jessica Doherty of New York Theatre Review says:

"[If] only all theatre included beautifully presented, deliciously decadent five course tea services.....As we got up to leave, a woman I had been sharing a table with exclaimed, 'Well that was just lovely'"

Eva Heinemann of HI! DRAMA says:

"It's the most civilized time I've ever experienced at the theatre or high tea...You don't want to miss this. It is fabulous!

Quantum Poetics

"Some people go to the theater because they want to be entertained, some people go because they want to think and be challenged; until now you had to choose; If you are of the type that wants to have it all, this is the play for you"

- Dr. Gabriel Cwilich, scientific advisor to the Ensemble Studio Theater (EST) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

"When a nun, a little girl, her older self, a writer, and God get together to prove that they exist, their puzzle gets puzzlier and their search turns very, very funny. Stolen Chair's 'Quantum Poetics' is metaphysics with a big fat grin."

- Robert Krulwich, Co-host of "WNYC's Radiolab

"Very engaging...quite wonderful"

-Tim Maudlin, Author of Truth and Paradox and The Metaphysics within Physics

"[M]erges the fields...in intelligent and playful ways...The effect is mind-bending, down to earth, and funny."

-Jo Ann Rosen, NYtheatre.com

Quantum Poetics was developed in conjunction with Stolen Chair's Community Supported Theatre (CST). During the season, nytheatre.com's Jo Ann Rosen, participated in the CST as an “embedded journalist”, filing reports on the nytheatre blog after each event:

"Rikhye’s language is rich; her ideas are big. It is a privilege to have access to her writing method. For her part, it can’t be easy to share this part of the process, however sophisticated the membership. She must have nerves of steel and a firm grip on her imagination."

Jo Ann's Reports:

Previewing the CST
CST Kick-off
Movie Night
Professor Gabriel Cwilich
Quantum Quartoons
Odd Todd & Staged Reading
BINGO Night & Open-Rehearsal
Quantum Poetics - The Workshop Production

Theatre is Dead and So Are You

NYtheatre.com's Pick of the Week!:

 "A macabre and weirdly off-kilter cabaret that revels in death: in looking this greatest of taboos in the face and then throwing a custard pie at it..smart, stylish, and virtuosic, deconstructing what bothers us about the Final Rest by throwing as many theatrical gimmicks as possible at it. If the opportunity to see one of indie theater's smartest and most adventurous young companies tangle with the Unknowable tantalizes you, then a visit to the Connelly may well be in order."

- Martin Denton, NYtheatre.com

"Kiran Rikhye's raucous spectacle is a pastiche of dead and dying theatrical forms: song-and dance, slapstick, melodrama and old-timey conjuring. Loosely structured as a wake for a dead MC as performed by his now bereft charges, the script of Theatre Is Dead and So Are You is merely a vehicle by which this young but accomplished downtown theater company can resurrect the corpus of companies past and you, the viewer, too. Bottom Line: A Frankenstein-y send up of old theater forms performed by young, vital and warm bodies, happily proving its title wrong"

-Joshua David Stein, New York Press

Kinderspiel

"The characters' playtime raises larger issues about the role of art in times of economic crisis and a desire to return to the innocence of childhood...The actors all shine within their roles, convincingly portraying adults with a desire to return to their roots."
- Adrienne Urbanski, Theatre is Easy


"Kiran Rikhye's gorgeous play Kinderspiel had me completely, utterly hooked. Stolen Chair pulls out a dangerously delightful production with this one that I'm so glad I didn't miss"
- Heather Lee Rogers, NYTheatre.com

"[T]hink No Exit decked out in fishnets and Art Deco decay...The overall effect is haunting..."
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-Raven Snook
Time Out NY (4 Stars)

"[W]hile 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..."
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-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com "Pick of the Week"

"[A] delectable frolic...brilliantly developed and performed...leaving Under St. Marks' crowd wanting more."
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-Stephan Paschalides
Flavorpill

"[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..."
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-Aaron Riccio
PBS' New Theater Corps

"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."
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-John Clancy
Obie Award-Winning Director and Co-Founder of FringeNYC

The Accidental Patriot

"I'm going to be keeping an eye on this theater company...Go-for-broke humor and pre-method acting aplomb. I'd recommended this to any of you seeking a different sort of entertainment adventure this weekend. It's only a few bucks pricier than a movie ticket and it's freakin' live theater."
-Film Experience

"Happily over-the-top, rollicking fun. (Think The Princess Bride)"
-New York Cool

"Stolen Chair Theatre Company's latest play has the wonderfully long title The Accidental Patriot: The Lamentable Tragedy of the Pirate Desmond Connelly, Irish by Birth, English by Blood, and American by Inclination. The style of the show is embedded in that mouthful: here is a play that mashes up classic swashbuckling romance (the part of the title before the colon) with classical Greek tragedy, and playful meta-theatrical parody with a serious investigation of what it means to be an American (both in the 1770s, when the play is set, and today)...The Accidental Patriot is a great deal of fun, thanks to the exquisitely smart script by Kiran Rikhye, the fluent and exciting staging offered by Stancato, some terrific performances (notably Liza Wade White as the play's heroine; Sarah Stephens as the other principal female character, an outspoken and noble Irish-American saloon proprietress named Cassie Walker; David Berent as the tragedy's key antagonist, Lord Jarvis; and Noah Schultz as the liveliest and funniest member of the chorus), an Irish- and American-tinged folk score arranged by Emily Otto and Raphael Biran and performed mostly by Biran, and a nifty set by David Bengali that—at its finest, depicting the deck of a pirate ship—is absolutely stunning.

The story of The Accidental Patriot concerns a young man named Desmond Connelly, who as the title tells us was born in Ireland, the son of a poor Irish woman and a British military man. When we first meet him, in 1772, he's in Boston, working successfully as a privateer in the service of King George III. When Desmond's friend, the budding American patriot Thomas Beauford, is insulted and then murdered by a contingent of British soldiers under the command of Lord Benjamin Jarvis, Desmond vows revenge. This takes the unlikely form of Desmond's assumption of Thomas's cause: he becomes a pirate, determined to plunder the ships of his former employer/now enemy King George...and to kill Jarvis.

Rikhye's script packs in an enormous number of surprise turns, particularly given that the play's antecedents are so familiar to us. So I don't want to give much away here, lest I spoil your experience at the show. All I will reveal is the one completely obvious turn of the plot, namely that Desmond and Jarvis's only daughter, Georgiana, meet and fall instantly in love (though their romance takes a sort of Beatrice/Benedick route before either of them completely realizes what has happened).

I'll also tell you that the outlines of a proper Greek tragedy are adhered to, including the utilization of a chorus of patriots who speak and often sing exposition and reactions to the plot's developments. But the overall tone of The Accidental Patriot is far more light-hearted than anything Sophocles every cooked up, due in no small part to the large energetic cast, the numerous battle sequences (choreographed by Barbara Charlene), and the detached and sometimes parodic tone of Rikhye's text. Scenes lifted from the swashbuckler films that are the play's main model are often hilariously executed; there is one in particular where Desmond dines with his enemy Jarvis, Jarvis's son, and Georgiana, that is extremely funny. Stancato's lively transitions between scenes also keep the show's tone and pace swift and not too serious.

And yet, all of that said, there is a serious purpose to the proceedings, and not merely the somewhat academic one of seeing what happens when two genres—one from pop culture, one from classical drama—collide. At the core of The Accidental Patriot is a very timely and resonant consideration of what freedom means, and what personal choices are required to achieve and maintain it. The bravery and integrity of many of the story's supporting characters—Thomas Beauford, Cassie Walker—contain the real seeds of patriotism that underlay the creation of America. How many Americans today would sacrifice as they do in the play?

The Accidental Patriot is the most ambitious project yet for the still-young Stolen Chair Theatre Company. Resident playwright Kiran Rikhye's writing continues to astonish in its skillfulness and versatility and humor. Her co-artistic director Jon Stancato flexes his muscles as one of his generation's most imaginative and daring directors...in terms of both audacity and entertainment value it's a fine example of indie theater at its best...and a harbinger of still greater things to come from this remarkable troupe."
-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com

Commedia dell'Artemisia

"...the result of putting genres into an aesthetic supercollider and pressing the trigger...supple, smart...daring."
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-Leonard Jacobs
The Clyde Fitch Report

"[I]t's important that this newly written old-school hit be recognized. That rape could be funny, not tragic, who knew? The producers and writers of Stolen Chair, that's who. With swagger and grace and a man who's ribald, the show woos us and flatters us, we're never appalled...[T]his show's a must see...The only sad part about Commedia Dell' Artemisia is that it's condensed to stay under an hour."
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-Aaron Riccio
PBS' New Theater Corps

"Kiran Rikhye's script is clever...witty...and gives the audience rich food for thought. Cameron J. Oro...has an amazingly commanding voice and precisely the light quality of movement needed for such demanding work.  David Bengali...is a true virtuoso...The company is clearly on the right path."
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-Ishah Janssen-Faith
NYtheatre.com

Kill Me Like You Mean It

"...[A]stonishing authenticity...a stroke of genius...Playwright Kiran Rikhye, director Jon Stancato, and their collaborators dazzle with their range and versatility...sharp, smart parody...brilliantly plotted and generally hilarious."
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-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com

"...intriguing...clever...we become fascinated by this whodunnit...under Stancato's shrewd direction, the actors ably perform in noir and absurdist styles, showing much promise in a play that...amuses even as it challenges perceptions..."
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-Andy Propst
Backstage

"...[A] clever, high-styling treat. ...[A] fast-paced rollercoaster ride filled with just the right fantastical ingredients to make this absurd play hilarious...The Stolen Chair Theatre is earning a well deserved following."
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-Stanley Hall
United Stages

Stage Kiss

Press for Stage Kiss:

"This spunky production plants a big sloppy smooch on its audience."
 - Adam Feldman, TimeOut New York (4 stars)
(Read more of Adam's thoughts on the script and see a excerpt at Scriptease!


"...light-hearted, fun-loving, libido-heavy amusement."
- O'Hagan Blades, Theatre Is Easy


"Racy... energetic...inspired...so much fun! A great play to bring a date to..."
-Ed Malin, NYtheatre.com

"[A] delight from start to finish: it truly puts the 'play' back in play."
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-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com

"[S]mart yet lighthearted...delightfully tongue-in-cheek...Audiences should walk away charmed by the play's escapades, gleeful with a guiltless spring fever."
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-William Cordeiro
Off Off Online (Featured Review and Best of Season Memory)

"Curious and creative...an aesthetic smorgasboard, with nods to the Renaissance tradition of boy actors, Elizabethan-style blank verse, and the Theatre of the Ridiculous..."
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-Leonard Jacobs
Backstage

The Man Who Laughs 2005

"Utterly tremendous!"

-Trav S.D.
Actor, Playwright, Author, and Critic

"By any measure...a triumph. [T]his bona fide tour de force of theatre...has the real capacity to tug at something inside of us and make us feel in a raw, spontaneous, and very essential way. Bravo."
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-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com

Commedia dell'Artemisia (2005)

"[D]izzying and fun...some of the intricate polysyllabic rhymes are especially impressive...Making an audience think about gender politics in the middle of a raucous seduction scene is undeniably an achievement."
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-Martin Denton
NYtheatre.com

"...one of the most elegantly scripted 'rapes' in the history of theatre...[E]xquisite craftsmanship...never ceases to hold the audience's attention."
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-David Tenenbaum
Fifth Street Review

Sister Carrie

Philadelphia's City Paper named the piece one of its top picks of the 2004 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Virtuosa

"The Renaissance in skirts...lovingly and honestly realized..."

-Laura Caparrotti
America Oggi

"[B]rims with animated dramaturgy and energetic physicality...The show itself offers an inspired depiction of the world of the Renaissance..."
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-David Tenenbaum
Fifth Street Review

Stage Kiss (2003)

"A sweet, earnest mash-up of Greek god-fooling, gender-swapping and Boogie Nights."
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-Alex Richmond
City Paper, Philadelphia

Portrait of Dora as a Young Man

"[A] deliberately presentational, absurdist, tongue-in-cheek work of art...Beautiful stage-pictures are created..."
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-Gabriel Nathan
City Paper, Philadelphia