MotherStruck

"Ms. Chin has such a magnetic presence, with deep brown eyes that seem to give out light, that you might almost believe that she was unspooling her story for you alone...Ms. Chin’s easygoing radiance helps keep you hooked, even when the writing grows slightly slack. And certainly her story has plenty of hairpin curves and alarming surprises — no shortage of drama, in short." Full Review

"As her engrossing new piece makes clear, the past decade has kept her busy with other things...Directed astutely by Cynthia Nixon, 'MotherStruck!' has an energy that the stage seems barely able to contain; at several points, Chin strides through the aisles at Culture Project, daringly intimate and radiantly generous with her experience. It’s great to hear her again." Full Review

"Staceyann Chin tells all of this with such energy that the stage cannot contain her...She seems the kind of person you want to befriend – indeed for the two hours of the show you do befriend her…It is easy to see the struggles in her life and the story of the birth and growth of her daughter and the struggles in her art and the story of the birth and growth of all theater art as one single unified story, glorious and inspiring." Full Review

"While Ms. Chinn is an exacting performer, the material lacks focus and direction...I am guessing she does have a specific point of view, but in this production it has not been sussed out...There is an important story hidden in this monologue. It deserves to be heard...It is not enough to tell a good story, which Ms. Chinn does in no uncertain terms...The story loses its drama. And drama is why we go to the theatre." Full Review

"What a story: The exposition alone is the stuff of several theatre pieces...Even if we can all agree that Chin is a genuine National Weather Service-certified force of nature, it's worth noting that this is the second comic production in one month to be directed by Cynthia Nixon, and both of them feature crack timing and an invigorating pace...Chin is a handful, but she is well aware of - and brazenly, joyfully - celebrates it. I'm betting you will, too." Full Review

"Ms. Chin is a talented storyteller, but an hour and forty minutes with an intermission is too much for a one-person show. Hyperkinetic, Ms. Chin uses the theatre like her own playground and you are never sure where she is going to land...Ms. Chin’s intensity is appealing. director Cynthia Nixon does keep the show moving and it is obvious she relates to this material. It was hard to connect to this show because I just found myself questioning its motive." Full Review

"Ms. Chin, under director Cynthia Nixon’s steady and nurturing hand, maneuvers around Kristin Robinson’s multipurpose set with incredible dexterity - rolling, jumping, lying on the floor, running, sliding, and sitting as she relates her engaging story...Staceyann Chin makes all that we long for from our past possible through a determined effort or create our own futures. Plan to see her remarkable one-woman show." Full Review

"Writer-performer Staceyann Chin's new autobiographical solo show 'MotherStruck!' blazes an epic arc...Chin's script is well structured, funny, and moving, her comic delivery exhibits veteran game, and her physicality spans the gamut from sensual to gymnastic...This cathartic bullet-train ride is a confessional narrative about finding oneself...Ticket holders should come prepared to get on board and heed the conductor." Full Review

"The result is pretty harrowing yet completely uplifting. Chin’s honesty about the challenges of motherhood are so relatable and is a dose of reality that all women face. I found myself nodding and smiling in commiseration despite our different experiences...I’m not typically a one-man show lover, but 'MotherStruck!' was different. It’s special and a show you need to see, one that I hope you see." Full Review

"She is a true storyteller, which is pretty rare these days of being addicted to our mobiles...It's not always a happy story, in fact there are parts where I teared up, but I really felt Stacyann's pain and longing - and I was rooting for her. She portrayed her pregnancy powerfully and totally realistically." Full Review