Stuffed

for a previous production "The strange thing about 'Stuffed,' the new ensemble piece by Lisa Lampanelli, is that she’s the only one in its cast of four who is portraying a real person...Lampanelli’s trying a kinder, gentler sisterhood approach. It’s an awkward attempt, and so, unfortunately, is the show as a whole. It’s more of a play manqué: a patchwork of stand-up comedy and monologues only loosely sewn together...Still, there are some laughs here, some genuine pain and even a bit of insight." Full Review

for a previous production "Lampanelli may not be the next Shakespeare, but you can't accuse her of being unfunny: The one-liners are hysterical…One has to admire Lampanelli for writing a funny play about weight and eating disorders. Such radioactive issues are too often treated with unwavering seriousness in our confessional theater...Lampanelli gleefully flips off this fear and its resulting orthodoxy. It's an absolute delight to behold, helping us to overlook any technical shortcomings in the writing." Full Review

for a previous production "Under Jackson Gay's unobtrusive direction, the four performers make the most of their schematic characters. But even with a running time of little more than an hour, the piece becomes repetitive, its lack of dramatic structure making it feel ironically undernourished. There's certainly much here to relate to, as evidenced by the knowing laughs and loud murmurs of recognition emanating from the audience...That makes it more of a shame that 'Stuffed' doesn't have more meat on its bones." Full Review

for a previous production "Though each woman gets her own meaty, melodramatic monologue, none transcends her stereotype, save for Lampanelli...The evening fares best when the so-called 'Queen of Mean' dumps the numbing naturalism, jumps off the couch, pulls out a microphone and starts doing her shtick...Every character gets at least one such solo, but they seem to come out of nowhere...Lampanelli offers no insight you couldn't glean at a Weight Watchers meeting...The show leaves you feeling bloated and unsatisfied." Full Review

for a previous production "Lampanelli has written three lovely roles for her costars, and, of course, she is totally at home with her own brand of scorched-earth commentary. Still, there's a disconnect between her own savagely funny material and her associates' stories, written in a much sadder, more realistic mode...'Stuffed' offers audiences something to chew on, but little in the way of conclusions. Anyway, the director, Jackson Gay, works to keep all four performers in synch, tonally speaking, with some success." Full Review

for a previous production "This is Lampanelli’s premiere as a playwright, and there are some signs of first-play syndrome. The characters speak mostly to or at the audience, rather than establishing meaningful dialogue among themselves. And, beyond their weight issues and troubled histories, they are not, pardon the pun, especially well rounded...But, to her credit, Lampanelli writes what she knows and has crafted an impressive structure throughout all of the monologues." Full Review

for a previous production "Having never seen comedian Lisa Lampanelli perform, at times I felt like I was missing the insider joke in her new play 'Stuffed'...Each girl is talented but it was Zainab Jah who made us watch her and follow the journey. Jackson Gay’s direction is part of the reason this show seems disconnected. She breaks the girls into lines and brings Lampanelli out of the moments to do her shtick, but it does her a disservice. 'Stuffed' is hilarious with soul and has a built-in audience." Full Review

for a previous production "More Lean Cuisine than a three-course meal...Each woman gets their own monologue, beautifully acted, that fleshes out her backstory and adds some needed depth to their characters....Gay keeps the show moving nicely...It’s when Lampanelli throws out barbs in her now-famous 'insult comic' style that you’ll probably laugh the loudest. Indeed, as much as I admire Lampanelli’s stretch marks (as a writer and performer), there were times I wished that she was simply doing a one-person show." Full Review

for a previous production "Based on this first-time play, one can say that Lampanelli is better at stand-up than at being a playwright. She is on to a good topic with 'Stuffed,' but unlike the problem of overeating that the characters discuss, this production is low on calories...Even though the show has no intermission, is not especially long, is lightly directed by Gay and is occasionally funny, after a while a feeling of repetition sets in, and one can conclude that the subject has already been covered enough." Full Review

for a previous production "Lampanelli uses her own experiences but then fleshes out the rest of the time with color-by-the-number observations about women with other size issues...The bottom line is supposed to be that women should be allowed to love themselves no matter their shape. But that seems an odd message coming from a woman who's spent thousands of dollars to alter hers...The cast members only succeed at varying levels. Still, more than a few of the jokes Lampanelli has written hit the mark." Full Review

for a previous production "It’s a breezy, candid, insightful look at four women exchanging their feelings about food and weight, in between isolated monologues giving back stories. Lampanelli’s lines particularly zing but there’s also pathos and feeling to make this a full meal, smoothly directed by Jackson Gay. And by the way, Lampanelli has real acting chops." Full Review

for a previous production "Although 'Stuffed' is always entertaining, it is more of a talk-fest than anything else...Since Lampanelli fails to contextualize the piece sufficiently, it leaves you wondering why these women are exchanging their life experiences with each other. Another problem with 'Stuffed' is that its most intense dramatic experience happens off-stage...Her debut play is far from flawless, but it's not a bad start for this unflappable comedienne." Full Review

for a previous production "Amongst the chatter which involves them all, each character gets a moment in the spotlight where we get an idea of why they struggle with weight and self esteem...It's funny-there are a bunch of laugh-out-loud lines-without trivializing the deeper issues here. It's a brisk 80 minutes and director Jackson Gay keeps things well ordered while allowing for a playful quality which she does so well. Every woman will be able to relate to something or someone in the play." Full Review

for a previous production "Under Jackson Gay’s direction, several of the performances are nuanced and moving...The play itself feels more like stand-up comedy than a concrete narrative, expressing its themes overtly through jokes and direct conversation, with racy humor that mirrors Lampanelli’s usual comedic style...Though the characters are all common tropes seen often within the conversation about women and food, these monologues have instances of depth that help create more individualized personas." Full Review

for a previous production "There is little dramatic structure to 'Stuffed,' which is Lampanelli’s first play...No one conflict drives the evening, which runs for 80 minutes, as the four women each discuss their histories and their hopes...The subject of the play is endlessly relatable, as the women bond over their struggles...While the words 'male gaze' are never uttered onstage, the idea is omnipresent...The subject is a welcome one to be explored in a play, especially in an industry as male-driven as the theater." Full Review