"Wrings all the pleasure possible out of its familiar tropes even as it revamps their meaning...If the plot is compelling…it is also sometimes murky…In contrast, too many of the conventionally narrative scenes repeat the same arc…They deliver no new emotional information even if they do deliver delight...Timpo’s work with the principals is exemplary...I appreciated, too, that the characters’ emotions are not rushed into place as if on a conveyor belt, which often happens in shortish plays."
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"Most of the actors seem to be dancing to a tune they hear together, but Udofia is half a step out of pace with them...Still, Timpo's beautifully constructed production flatters Anyanwu's work. Where the play is strong...the production is excellent; when the writing gets weaker and more predictable, the staging distracts us with sound and celebration...Misgivings about 'The Homecoming Queen' dissolve in the company’s ability to create a palpable community."
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"Neither Anyanwu nor Udofia cares about making Kalechi nice, and that’s both refreshing and admirable...'The Homecoming Queen' has the feeling of a play that, like its heroine, is still finding its way...Yet even in its unevenness, 'The Homecoming Queen' does not feel slack...The moments of pathos and brilliance just take a while to start coming...Under the direction of Awoye Timpo, the play’s tonal register can sometimes feel blurry."
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"Insightful writing, deft staging, an irresistibly appealing cast...The focus on Kelechi – and Udofia’s riveting, subtle transformation from aloof interloper to reclaimed villager open to forgiveness and revelation – are exhilarating to watch...'The Homecoming Queen' is rich and deep, a show to treasure. It should be moved to a bigger space and given a chance to breathe."
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"Better than any play I've seen, 'The Homecoming Queen' captures the everyday theater we perform to convince ourselves and those around us of who we really are...The actors embody these overlapping identities in thoughtful and nuanced performances...Director Awoye Timpo stages the production with a keen eye for detail. While the play becomes a bit shaggy and unfocused in the second half, 'The Homecoming Queen' ends on a high note."
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"Anyanwu has quite a potentially wrenching story to tell...I only wish she had better control of her material...If 'The Homecoming Queen' is ever going to become the gripping drama that its story suggests, it will need stronger confrontations and a summing-up of the consequences of trying to bury the past and the damage that has festered over the years. As it is, Anyanwu does something I though impossible: She is making violent assault and revenge seem really quite anodyne."
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"A powerful exploration of a familiar story...Cleanly and inventively directed by Awoye Timpo on a long runway that splits the audience into two opposing sides...Despite its top-notch cast and vivid production, 'The Homecoming Queen' needs the kind of polish another draft would provide...It's a heartfelt piece that's worth seeing, particularly for its strong cast that gives themselves over to Anyanwu's story with total commitment."
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"Despite all the familiar elements that unfold...the Nigerian setting isn't the only thing fresh and original about this play. Granted, some details are too glossed over...The most obvious plot points come off as fresh and somehow surprising, thanks to the mostly excellent writing, and the way director Awoye Timpo has shepherded the cast and the crafts team to create a vividly theatrical experience."
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