I Of the Storm NYC Reviews and Tickets

“This notion of homelessness as a kind of Zen retreat house would be offensive under any circumstances, but in a city where on seemingly every block there is someone suffering from addiction or mental illness, filthy and alone, it verges on the obscene...Hoehler gives the text more authenticity than it deserves. He handles it expertly, …He clearly deserves much better roles than this…‘I of the Storm’ is a thoroughly professional piece of work -- as professional as it is mendacious.”
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“A remarkable one-man show has returned to NYC for a limited run, but there is nothing limited about it–not its reach, not its timeliness, not the depth to which it touches us…An 80-minute tour de force…sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always riveting and poignant…Out of fragments–movie lines, everyday insults, common phrases, TV sitcom songs, lists of lists, memorable dates, media events–emerges something whole striving to be transcendent.”
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"Hoehler is the perfect match for RJ Bartholomew’s expansive spoken word text. He mines the depths of this extended 'urban poem' and delivers the richness of the text with absolute perfection...Director Janice L. Goldberg keeps the performance as visually interesting as it is emotionally and spiritually significant..'I of the Storm' is a well-structured performance piece with a powerful dramatic arc...This stunning performance piece should be on every serious theatre-goers must see list."
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"Playwright R.K. Bartholomew’s tirade lurches from intriguing to irritating to boring with only passages about the protagonist’s lovely, unexpected relationship to buoy it. Were it perhaps an hour, half revelation, half friendship, it might have held our attention...Hoehler’s focus is consummate, his timing a thing of theatrical beauty...A primer in acting. Bravo...Director Janice L. Goldberg uses the all but empty stage with outstanding imagination and sweep. Pacing is pitch perfect."
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"Well-intentioned, timely, and occasionally shrewd and lyrical. But, ultimately, the story never transcends the clichés and generalizations that make it seem more like a New Age self-help speech than a complex examination of a character’s inner life...As with the script’s themes, Hoehler’s acting style is broad...What we are left with when Hoehler’s tramp has left the stage, is really just a collection of slogans that, however well presented, never take us beneath the surface."
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“The show at first comes across as a simple caution to ‘stop and smell the roses.’ But it spirals down into something very real as the serious hypocrisies of our culture are brought to light; the truth of which will leave a frog in your throat. ‘I of the Storm’ is a jewel of a one-man show, a social commentary that strikes a note on every social controversy. This is a delightful tale of a man’s journey to embracing what truly matters that will gently nudge you toward a powerful message."
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"There is no denying that Hoehler is a talented man...It doesn’t quite all hold together in the end...A little editing would be wise. 75 minutes into the performance the presentation reached a saturation point, and the performer was in effect clapped-off by an appreciative but restless audience...Whether you are a crusader for social justice or a fan of fresh solo work, 'I of the Storm' makes for an absorbing evening."
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"Hoehler performs a tour-de-force show that takes you by storm and never lets you go...He spins these poetic rhythmic and rhyming crescendos of text that take you on a trip to somewhere new each time...He spews content at you that is so full of knowledge and introspection that you must submit to his raucous ways...You must see this piece to know what a simple man and a few thousand words can do to change your life."
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“A spectacular show that takes the audience on a journey of self-discovery. Richard Hoehler does a splendid job of captivating the audience through his enthralling performance....The fact that Hoehler's performance is so strong throughout the entire show is a remarkable feat...RJ Bartholomew did an incomparable job writing the play. The fact that Bartholomew touched upon such poignant lessons in such a charismatic, fresh way - as if with ease - is absolutely worthy of admiration.”
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“The actor’s words tumble out in a tour de force of writing and performance…He also inserts moments of gracefully executed dance or well-sung snatches of old pop tunes…The material…can’t avoid taking on a New Age aura redolent of the more simplistic side of 1960s hippiedom, especially when our man implies that…the solution to the world’s woes is ‘love.’ The actor’s epic recital toward the end…is so powerful, it makes up for any momentary weaknesses elsewhere in the show.”
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“An articulate, rhythmic, acrobatic 75-minute protest against every kind of distraction which makes up the fabric of our lives…Actor Richard Hoehler puts in a passionate, stellar performance of RJ Bartholomew’s tour-de-force script, guided by Janice Goldberg’s direction. The nameless performer acts out for us in contemporary trappings a wisdom narrative as old as the Epic of Gilgamesh…See this.”
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“Mr. Hoehler mines the depths of this extended ‘urban poem’ and delivers the richness of the text with absolute perfection, giving the words precisely the power needed to convey the poet’s meanings…It is not possible to escape the intensity, the importance, the veracity of Mr. Hoehler’s character...Goldberg keeps the performance as visually interesting as it is emotionally and spiritually significant…This stunning performance piece should be on every serious theatergoer's must-see list."
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