"So well written, so well acted and is overall an experience that people are not likely to forget. I loved every captivating minute of it. This is a rare kind of show that does not have a message or agenda, and does not seek to sway our opinions about relationships in any way; it is not meant to change, but compels us to simply watch and feel (with every emotion we can muster) - to attempt to understand the agony of a relationship on the brink of falling apart."
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"Let's talk about the talent: Gallogly and Smith are, in a word, fantastic in 'Fiercely Independent.' They listen to each other intently, their responses are spontaneous and natural, and their chemistry is evident. Even when they're not speaking, their inner dialogues are continuous and their intents are crystal clear. Gallogly and Smith are by turns playfully fun and painfully electric."
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"Caitlin Gallogly and Christopher M. Smith bring a strong sense of realism to their roles...However, neither actor can overcome the limited storytelling provided in the script...Rather than getting an engaging deep dive into a frayed loving relationship we get a tsunami of tedious bickering...Caitlin Gallogly’s layered performance is the best reason to see this world premiere of 'Fiercely Independent.' The work itself would benefit from a little therapy."
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"It’s not clear what relation the title of this play has to do with its content. There is nothing fierce about it...The story of incompatibility and confusion starts nowhere and ends pretty much in the same place...As Robert and Julie, Smith and Gallogly work very hard to create some sort of heat, but in addition to lacking ferocity, the narrative lacks arc...Of course, the script does neither actor any favors...A play that talks a lot but says nothing."
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"A mundane drama of marital discord. Something of a defanged Strindberg exercise, with its venom drained and its character insights and local color washed away…As the mercifully brief, 70-minute play advances, the actors-attractive, capable, and worthy of better material (she especially)-do their best to wring some life from their clichéd lines and situations. Johnson, acting as her own director…is unable to inject tension or a sense of dramatic progress into the action."
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"Johnson has striven for simple dialogue that spares the audience the excitement of major fireworks. For a play about the end of a marriage, there’s awfully few arguments and not much verbal conflict. The animosity simmers in the moments of silence, not in explosive confrontation...I’m not sure it makes for good theater...Without any dramatic highs or lows, however strategic the mundanity might be, the play strides a little too close to regular life."
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“In this highly naturalistic play, written and directed by Tony-winner Johnson, Julie and Robert attempt to save their marriage...Gallogly and Smith are both remarkable performers...It is easy, at times, to get ahead of the story. The story largely follows a predictable trajectory...The patterns of their arguments become easily traceable and the dialogue is nevertheless smart, naturalistic and occasionally hilarious."
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