Naked Brazilian (FringeNYC)

“A sugary but not a very compelling one-hour presentation...Writer Gustavo Pace is the handsome, youthful and animated performer of this autobiographical exploration...It's an amiable and passable performance that’s heavy on volume and shaky on intelligibility...The show never really transcends the dimension of it being merely a vehicle created by a privileged performer to get attention. Director Stephen Brown-Fried’s fine staging adds visual variance and quick pacing.” Full Review

"'Naked Brazilian' comes across as a lightweight fairy tale as told by an eager fourteen-year old and not an adult tale of sacrifice and pain. Certainly Pace had difficulties, but they are all presented as comedy bits, the problems just rolling off his back...Pace means well and is earnest to a fault, but there is no meat in this theatrical meal. Perhaps he would show better acting technique in works by other authors and under a different director." Full Review

"Pace deftly morphs from one to another in the blink of an eye, captivating his audience and keeping the life train chugging along at a comfortable pace. His inexhaustible energy, charming presence and impeccable timing all help to achieve his dream of 'just entertaining others.' Unfortunately, that is what the stories become, merely entertainment with almost no personal emotional investment to complement the experience. It is easy to like Pace...but it is very difficult to connect with him." Full Review

"When boundless energy combines with incredible talent the result is Gustavo Pace and 'Naked Brazilian.' The ability to convincingly portray a wide range of characters is rare, and to do it this well is truly remarkable. The show is fast-paced and there is not a moment’s pause or flicker of confusion in the performance. The apparent ease with which this is accomplished is amazing and can only get better with the added confidence of each performance." Full Review

“Gustavo Pace enlightens the audience with the stellar ‘Naked Brazilian,’ performed in both English and Portuguese, giving us a glimpse into attitudes towards topics such as masculinity, sexuality, and family in Brazilian culture, in a physical and darkly comic performance...As both writer and performer Pace is clearly a talent to look out for in the future.” Full Review

"Pace has a fun, joyous optimism that practically bursts out of his chest, and it is impossible not to like him from the moment he walks on stage. It is that same unapologetic, naïve optimism that causes many of Pace’s problems throughout the events of the play...Pace’s love of his work and of life in general shines through in this heartwarming one-man show." Full Review