The Hot L Baltimore

"How will it stand up after 42 years? Answer: it stands up very well indeed. It is not freshened up or updated. It remains wonderful... Act 1 roars along like the freight trains referenced throughout. In Act 2 the pace slackens a bit and not to advantage. Even so, there is more than enough to intrigue and delight." Full Review

"As members of the audience, we are privileged eavesdroppers...That is what Lanford Wilson has given us with 'Hot L Baltimore', a play that reveals much about a certain segment of the population, even if it deliberately fails to satisfy any desire we might have for the normal arc of drama, including a resolution...Peter Jensen does a fine job of maneuvering the 15 cast members in their various permutations. The actors all do quite well with their respective roles." Full Review

"Their interactions, their glances, their physical and vocal ticks and their continuous comings and goings keep 'Hot l Baltimore' interesting. There are a few lulls in this staging and some overacting, which will probably be worked out as the cast continues to work together during the run of the show. Overall, this 'Hot l Baltimore'—the acting, directing and production values—makes a strong case for re-visiting what has become a minor classic." Full Review

"As an ensemble play, 'Hot L Baltimore' with fourteen characters, several things happening at once, and some loose ends is a challenging and ambitious project. We are fortunate that T. Schreiber Studio has given us a fine staging of this complex, resonant, play...The play leaves us with hope ahead for more enjoyment, or just for the more that’s life, for most, if not all, of the characters." Full Review

"The play wasn’t big on plot structure when it was first produced and, not surprisingly, it isn’t any bigger on plot structure in this latest incarnation...This would have been a much better play, I believe, if Wilson had allowed his plot ideas to evolve and then resolved them, instead of just leaving them out there as unresolved background issues, focusing solely on his characters’ emotional reactions...Given the play as it has been written, however, the cast has performed splendidly." Full Review