"'ToasT' has taken on a monumental subject in a monumental style. And the production collapses under the weight of its grand intentions. 'ToasT' is equally about inhumane prison conditions and the racist society that bred them...In theory, these thematic strains are not incompatible. Yet in “ToasT” they keep getting in one another’s way."
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"Although at times the inmates come off more as archetypes than fleshed-out characters, the veteran cast imbues all with humanity. Each is worthy of empathy, decency and the freedom to want something more. Were society a little different, they could easily have ended up on the other side of those bars—a moral that still applies today."
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"'Toast' is by turns gritty and didactic. It’s consistently buoyed up by a strong performances and an unfortunate but undeniable topicality."
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"It's too bad that 'ToasT' is so undercooked. Though it features a superb cast Lemon Andersen’s play is far too much in love with its own words to make us care....Director Elise Thoron’s staging fails to up the dramatic ante. In the end, the characters in 'ToasT' seem less like hardened inmates than slam competitors at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe — poetic, but hardly earthshaking."
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"Although it features complex characters, poetic flourishes and an excellent ensemble cast, at more than 2½ hours, 'ToasT' is weighed down by an excess of slow-paced dialogue and scenes unrelated to the narrative. But with some judicious editing, 'ToasT' may have a future ahead."
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"A promising though far from perfect work, one that needs a good deal of clarification before it can solidify what it's trying to say...In the end, 'Toast' is in desperate need of an editor who can help Andersen clarify his vision and excise what prevents the script from taking off. If that happens, this work could be a shattering game-changer in the world of downtown theater."
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"Director Elise Thoron has done a remarkable job on 'ToasT'. Performances are so exceptional and the ensemble so smooth that it is difficult to pick out one actor over the other. The language of the play mixes down-to-earth street talk with poetry. Lemon Andersen’s work is a tremendous contribution to the theatrical literary experience."
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