"Insightful but uneven new play...Ms. Brewer’s presence lends a compelling center of gravity...The problem is much of what surrounds her...Despite eager performances from Mr. Blum and Ms. Monk, their characters feel cut from shiny, synthetic cloth...Wisely, Ms. Ferrentino allows Amy to have the last word in a monologue...While you’ve probably heard most of these words before, it’s unlikely they’ve ever had the defiant, heartbroken resonance they acquire here."
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"Jacob and Maggie are forced to reckon with the mistakes of their parents, and Ferrentino gives the audience a leg up on that understanding through flashbacks to their mother and father at a couples-therapy retreat. These scenes carry the bulk of the play’s dramatic weight; otherwise, 'Amy' is slim...The main attraction is Brewer’s presence. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s the point of the play, a statement for visibility. The casting is the message, and Brewer makes it effective."
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"There’s much to admire about Lindsey Ferrentino’s new play 'Amy and the Orphans' — and just as many nagging issues. Pluses include its big heart and fine-tuned ensemble...On the surface, the play is jammed with laughs and comic relief. But ugly truths lurk underneath. But not all of the jokes or dramatic revelations convince."
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"Attempts a delicate balancing act in its audacious blending of pathos and humor. It sometimes falls off its high wire, veering too heavily into sitcom-style characterizations and one-liners. But the consistently powerful beating heart in the writing makes it easy to overlook its tonal inconsistency...Granted, there are times when the play's humor feels a bit too broad, lessening the effect of the dramatic elements...But these are minor quibbles with a play that boasts a rich, aching humanity."
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"Almost everything about the production, directed by Scott Ellis with as many zigzags as a car that missed the exit, feels disappointingly inauthentic...We've seen this story since time immemorial, and considering how deep 'Amy and the Orphans' has the potential to be, her willingness to take the easy route is particularly disappointing. There's a much more stimulating play in here...It's not a total loss, though. There are two actors that keep us — and the play — going."
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"So loaded with stellar performances that it might be a little while before you notice what a cunning trap the playwright, Ferrentino, has laid...What this young couple has to do with Amy and her orphaned siblings is not clear for a long time...It raises new questions about their characters and their view of their collective past...A rather raucous, wisecracking comedy is turned into the poignant account of one family's unraveling...She is a writer with many more surprises in store."
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"A smart and perceptive blend of a laugh-out-loud 'road trip' comedy and a serious examination of the well-intentioned but faulty and potentially harmful assumptions we make about individuals with disabilities...Entertaining, provocative, wonderfully acted play, which has been masterfully directed by Scott Ellis. It is a deeply layered work that provides a sobering lesson on how we as a society have too often failed to provide for the needs of individuals with disabilities."
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"In presenting persons with Down syndrome and how their families deal with them, Lindsey Ferrentino's 'Amy and the Orphans' puts on stage a topic usually avoided by our theater. While the initial comic, vaudeville type scenes belie the serious intent of the play, it eventually packs quite a wallop as it gets to its real message: Down syndrome individuals are capable of being independent and productive members of society if they are given care and education in their formative years."
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