"Hodge's tendency to telegraph each emotional beat betrays the contrivance of the script. His attempts to summon white-hot anger mostly leave us cold as we see the wheels turning in his head...Unfortunately, all of the African characters discussed in 'Dogs of Rwanda' come across as thinly drawn sketches...His frequent digressions into his B-plot romance with Mary Jane are even more tiresome...It all leaves a false aftertaste that is very hard to wash down."
Read more

"A solo show...Filled with terrors...Lewis' text is filled with fine details...Under the direction of Hill and Napolitano...Hodge holds us firmly in his grip...He is well-suited to the role of an innocent who has wandered into the heart of darkness...The production is striking and yet not too slick...There are gaps in the text that one would like to see filled...Maintains a viselike power -- it is a trip to hell and back, and it poses lingering questions about guilt and reconciliation."
Read more

"David's chronicle is gripping, violent, and ultimately quite moving, and Hodge gives a riveting performance...There is something instinctively off putting about a white male character confronting the psychological torment of the Rwandan genocide...In the end, though, 'Dogs of Rwanda' shows that cultural scars are not limited by racial or national origins. We are all implicated in historical traumas by the narratives we hear and the stories we receive."
Read more

"Hodge commandingly plays the American narrator...Though well-written...comes across as a contrived episode that restates that war is hell. Lewis' approach may be fresh but the subject matter isn't, and so even with the compelling performances and excellent presentation, the 70-minute show is an artistic draw...Succeeds on many crucial levels but one's enjoyment of it depends on if one is the in mood for a bleak theatrical travelogue without an imperative purpose."
Read more

"Exquisite writing by Sean Christopher Lewis...David launches into a chilling account of the horrific events he witnessed...His account is somewhat suspect, the real mystery within the mystery of the play. As I cannot divulge the crux of this thriller, you’ll have to witness this remarkable journey for yourselves...It’s a remarkable evening all around, evocative and harrowing. Hill and Napolitano helmed this amazing evening with panache."
Read more

"The narrative could be greatly improved with a better depiction of the geographical aspects of the story…'Dogs of Rwanda''s subject matter is intrinsically interesting but there's little of historical or political importance in it that…well-informed audiences don't already know. Its greatest value lies in the opportunity it provides for an exciting solo performance...Hodge…offers a strong, personable characterization of someone genuinely affected after having gone through such indelible trauma."
Read more

"Hodge as David is exceptional, and if not for his fantastically, raw performance 'Dogs of Rwanda' would not be an easy watch...Lewis gives Hodge a plentiful, vivid script that helps you understand why David, though a charming, friendly man, still feels like a wounded 16 year old...While 'Dogs of Rwanda' is a one-man show, Hodge is so vivacious and interpersonal that you feel God's Blessing is there telling him not to paint him as a Tutsi victim but an unwilling killer."
Read more

"'Dogs of Rwanda', a monodrama by Sean Christopher Lewis at Urban Stages, is a narrated tale wherein a man tells of his personal experience with the Rwandan genocide while he was a teenaged missionary. He’s published a book about this horrific experience and has been contacted by a survivor who has criticized him for not telling the whole story. Dan Hodge is mighty fine as Our Narrator, but there is no escaping the fact that this is a story, not a play, albeit a most compelling one."
Read more