REVIEWS

THE CRITICS SAY:

"Go along and be amused, amazed and transported"

OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR

--Clive Barnes, NEW YORK POST

"Pulse's OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR, reminds you of a time, not too long past, when soldiering was synonymous with sexy heroism, no matter what the cause"

Stephen Holden, NEW YORK TIMES

"Paul Minx, who wrote this play A WORM IN THE HEART, knows how to make you care about the characters, ... I don't expect to forget it soon"

Jerry Tallmer, NEW YORK POST

This is a company of skilled performers, and its production of Dylan Thomas' UNDER MILKWOOD, in the Walnut Street's Studio 3, is a very nice piece of work.

Douglas J. Keating, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"PULSE ENSEMBLE THEATRE, pulse for vitality, life force, pulse of society, immediacy"

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

"THE CHERRY ORCHARD, now receiving a rich and heartfelt production at PULSE ENSEMBLE THEATRE, newly relocated on Theatre Row"

Marc Raphael, NY CASTING   

In LOOSE CANNONS, Pulse Ensemble Theatre has once again assembled a terrific cast of actors"

M. Donovan, NY CASTING

Director Alexa Kelly has smoothly set her adaptation of THE SEAGULL in the present...Kelly's direction makes the play accessible...this work is rewarding.

Lisa Coleman Bradlow--TIME OUT

macBETH--This is a fresh, vibrant show that never bores, never slows down.

Irene Backalenick--BACKSTAGE

In TOP GIRLS, director Alexa Kelly wed actors to script in a brilliant fashion.

John M. Koroly--OFF-OFF BROADWAY REVIEW

In MARY STUART, Tom Herman's direction boasts superb blocking and clarity of direction.

David Lipfert, CURTAIN UP

It isn't easy to turn West 42nd Street into fairyland, ... Yet the Pulse Ensemble Theatre's "MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" does just that.

Irene Backalenick--BACKSTAGE

William Shakespeare's KING LEAR is surprisingly well placed  in the middle of a power struggle in an Italian crime dynasty during the 1950's.  Director Alexa Kelly also scores with a bit of non-traditional casting of the Earl of Gloucester as a woman, portrayed with moving emotion by Hanna Hayes. ...Stylish formal dresses and gowns for the daughters provided by costume designer Terry Leong brighten the stage.  Light and sound by Louis Lopardi provide provocative effects for the highway and street scenes.  And Jennifer Varbalow foreshadows the violent clashes and tragedy of the second act with bright red drapes in the opening scene.

Jeanette Toomer, BACKSTAGE

Hi! Drama, August 25, 2001

In a lovely intimate courtyard space--with an effective set by Roger Hanna, lighting by Zhanna Gurvich, costumes by Terry Leong, and intoxicating original music by Joseph Pehrson, incorporating bells, wind-chimes and gongs, we are transported from the heart of Hell's Kitchen to a magical island.

…Alexa Kelly has assembled and directed a wonderful ensemble with a delicate hand. The entire production is a joy and wonder with spirit, purpose and humor.

-- BILL BRADFORD

THE TEMPEST… where the audience is transported to a magical world where they quickly forget that they're only a few feet from 42^nd Street traffic. That's only one of the many impressive things about this impressive production. …

…Alexa Kelly and her cast's efforts have paid off well. Pulse Ensemble Theatre's production of THE TEMPEST is a perfect late summer evening's entertainment. On a clear, dry, summer evening--which were the conditions when I attended--you can't beat it. CATCH IT WHILE YOU CAN.

In this production of A FLEA IN HER EAR  there was enough convulsive giddiness on hand to keep the show entertaining. These moments were provided chiefly by the ever-glorious Natalie Wilder, an actress who, it seems, can do anything and everything, Joel Jeske, a terrific physical comedian with a superb sense of comic timing, the sublimely daffy Chris Daftsios, whose speed and accuracy with words and movement was simply amazing, and the deftly amusing Rick Coons, who stopped the show cold several times, most notably with his take on "To be or not to be...." Also contributing to the fun were Glenn B. Stoops as a Runyonesque hotel manager and the very game Amy Dickenson as his shrewish wife. (Her costume, make-up, and demeanor were a hilarious comment on a certain class of woman, American or French.)  As mentioned earlier, the physical production was gorgeous. Zhanna Gurvich's fabric-draped settings, done on a cleverly disguised shoestring, created sense of opulence that, along with Terry Leong's color-coordinated costumes and Bryan Keller's pristine, creamy lighting, gave the show the look and feel of a 1940s film extravaganza.  Doug De Vita--OOBR

In MURDER ON THE NILE Pulse mounted a terrific-looking production that excelled in many ways, not the least of which was several performances...each had a moment to shine,...Carlie McCarthy was terrific, and when all the pieces were in place, everything made sense. And as the ultimate compliment, audience members on their way out were heard discussing who they'd thought the murderer was. They had, of course, been wrong. David Mackler--OOBR,