Cut Throat

"The writing in this play is good, revealing deeper and deeper issues as it moves forward. The playwright, JB Reich, is insightful and funny but what really puts this production over the top is the actors and the direction by Mark Waldrop...'Cut Throat' just knocks the socks off the parental pre-school admission game with humor and guts and thoroughly unpacks a cliché for what it is—painfully true." Full Review

"'Cut Throat' should be required viewing for every private school admissions director in New York City – not just for its merciless and hilarious mockery of the pre-school application process in this hyper-competitive city but also for its poignant portrayal of parenthood...'Cut Throat' captures this kind of absurdity but it also takes a look at the fraught nature of families as various relations weigh in. The play’s real strength however is its comedy." Full Review

"The text is infused with comedy at every turn. The dialogue is spot-on. While the banter can be biting at times, the majority of the cast smartly chooses to accentuate the humor and downplay the bite...Overall, 'Cut Throat' is a very enjoyable evening of theatre with strong performances and a best bet for anyone who is, or has been, part of the parenting game." Full Review

"Mr. Reich’s play nicely skewers the ferocious world of pre-k applications and acceptances, and shows definite writing talent; however, despite its farcical touches, 'Cut Throat' doesn’t garner as many laughs as it should, and weakens its satire by too many changes in tone and focus. Application Pending." Full Review

"If you just can't get enough of the angst-ridden travails of New York City's one percent, 'Cut Throat' is a highly entertaining comedy...Reich's dialogue is sharp and witty, with a natural comedic rhythm. Under the zippy direction of Mark Waldrop, it feels a lot like a sitcom...Reich can't quite escape the fact that he's trafficking in extraordinarily rarified problems, the stakes of which will seem absurdly low to the vast majority of viewers." Full Review

"Reich’s dialogue is witty, but the show feels like a series of skits from Saturday Night Live or a parody on life. Though we all know people like this, most of us see this as camp and it just sees a little too over the top. Waldrop’s direction is like 'Laugh-In' and the performances from this talented cast are what make up the substance of the show...This show is like life: here today gone tomorrow." Full Review

"'Cut Throat' features game actors expending a lot of energy to put across mostly familiar barbs...Mr. Reich stuffs the play with easy targets but then shifts gears near the end by throwing in marital discord, mother-daughter tension and child-rearing insights that aren’t very insightful...Probably better to just stick with the laughs, shallow as they are." Full Review