Her Portmanteau NYC Reviews and Tickets

“The most compelling element of this double header is the concept...The facts of this story are often illogical as well as not written clearly. This work has been in development for some time, and the only explanation I can come up with is that Iskandar and Udofia are too close to the material...The cast does what it can, but they are not able to keep this production afloat…The intent of this story is spectacular and clear as a bell. As it stands now, the execution does not live up to it.”
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"A master class in acting...At a time when immigration is one of the most prevalent topics, these plays hit particularly hard and, even in their slower moments, one cannot help but be completely captivated by the expertly executed performances delivered by every member of the cast...Udofia’s script is authentic and sometimes raw, and Iskandar honors these elements, letting certain moments linger for a bit too long...The uniformly excellent performances maintain the momentum."
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“Directed with skill and focus by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar…The images are ripe with emotion…Adiagha is amazingly portrayed by the almost unrecognizable Chinasa Ogbuagu. It’s a knock-down brilliant transformation that still astounds me… All are excellent and completely engaged in this one-act play. A true marvel that is only made better after watching the origin play, ‘Sojourners.’”
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"I loved the opening of 'Her Portmanteau'...I think it set up expectations for something less realistic and more imagistic than the plays in fact are...It all takes place on a single evening, which I think is perhaps to its detriment. It’s tackling more than thirty years of occluded, suppressed, and evaded relationships and memories, yet it reaches a hasty (and to me unsatisfying) resolution."
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"Exquisitely crafted and skillfully performed...The resplendent cast grapples with the complex dynamics of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation with authenticity and deeply palpable believability...The final scene is a compelling testament to the power of unconditional and non-judgmental love, to the importance of ‘belonging’ to a family and to a nation, and to the strength of a value system that transcends time and space...Particularly relevant in the current geopolitical climate."
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“More streamlined and structurally coherent than ‘Sojourners,' while sharing some of that earlier play’s strengths. Again, there are knowing glimpses of the culture clash that is inherent in immigrant life…That this production chooses to leave its English-speaking audience so long in the dark will prove a challenge for many...But the challenge at least can be justified...It reproduces in the English-speaking audience something of the feeling of disorientation that new immigrants feel.”
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“This is a cast who knows how to act with their finely crafted performances…Ogbuagu, who plays Abasiama in ‘Sojourners,’ is unrecognizable in ‘Her Portmanteau,’ she is so different. This is one talented actress. Ms. Jules brings a new level to Abasiama...This time some of the choices Ms. Udofia makes are not so clear…‘Her Portmanteau’ leaves too many issues unexplored. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar brings out the best in his actors."
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“The acting is superb and goes a long way to mitigate the play’s slow pacing, narrative infelicities and repetitiveness…Loren Shaw’s costumes befit the characters well. Director Ed Sylvander Iskandar keeps the actors going at full throttle too much of the time…Both plays have flaws, but the strong performances make them worth a visit.”
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