Praise / Press / Media
Praise
"EBE is a company that produces fresh, vibrant, fascinating & cutting-edge theater. I love everything they do, I'm a huge fan."
Press
The Beautiful Beautiful Sea Next Door
"There are sequences and moments of raw power that are riveting, along with beautiful imagery about a place or idea that is close but still out of reach.
"...hypnotic sound design by Joshua B. Jenks
"...The Hairdresser [Aaron Berk] has a monologue about love and violence that stings with hard-won truth. Yasha Jackson effectively conveys Medusa's anguish at having to lie to a loved one to protect them. Poseidon [Michel Altieri] walks the tricky line between innocence and evil, as a god would when confronted with concepts of morality that seem utterly alien to him. Most winning is Nick Lehane as Pegasus, whose evolution from a polite child to defiant teen is sad, organic and riveting."
"romance-novel-cover worthy Poseidon (Michel Altieri)
"...[Pegasus’] wings are nicely rendered by costumer Amanda Jenks
"...The striking centerpiece of Adam Kaynan’s set is a sort of haircutting throne, adorned with driftwood.
"...Feinberg has some intriguing ideas here."
The Comedy of Errors
"another terrifically entertaining show, a cleverly staged, laugh-filled production
"...the comedy moves very fast and with a lot of laughs"
Elephants on Parade 2011
"Elephants on Parade succeeds on all levels and stands as a radiant testament to why new independent theatre is always worth watching for. The six one-act plays that constitute the 2011 edition are lightly threaded together by their exposure of "the fears and horrors underlying American life," but the real commonalities that illuminate this production are the deft performances, impeccable production, and luminous scripts.
"...Chris Purnell's 0800-HELP-U-WRITE is a hilarious and moving tragicomedy about a man about to commit suicide and the writer he hired to produce the note for him.
"...It's difficult to point to a particularly stellar performance or sketch as all inform the others in the true spirit of ensemble work."
"The Fairy Tale of America, by Michael Niederman, is Little Red Riding Hood meets Carl Hungus meets Hunter S. Thompson [...] and it was hot.
"...Eric Alba as the wolf is a big furry unkempt libido with a grin that melts your undies.
"...The Day the Devil Passed Through Harper County by Daniel Welser [Carroll]. This play is dangerous [and] the fear from the stage is palpable."
The Girl from Nashville
"Strong acting and production values ... the cast turns in a fine ensemble performance."
"Who, then, is the true evil-doer? With an impressive use of a bedroom-sized theater, strong direction by Kristine Ayers, and smooth transitions between scenes, the five-actor cast reminds us that the answer to this question is ultimately yours."
"With a sound premise, appropriately intimate theater space, and Kristine Ayers’ tight direction, almost all of the ingredients are there to draw you into the story. The 5-member cast are all talented performers...Tsubasa Kamei’s lighting design is also remarkable, particularly with the motel scenes. Not only does it perfectly convey the flashing sign effect of a motel without an actual sign, but it frames the stage with shadows that are in tune with the darkness in the story."
Dallas Playwrights in the Big Apple by Mark Lowry
Shakespeare in the Pagoda 2010
“EBE Ensemble has been doing Romeo & Juliet and Julius Caesar twice most of these weekend days (the final performances are on Saturday) at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and we're astounded at the energy and endurance of the actors as well as their skill.
… Since most of the actors here except the young lovers take multiple parts, we've now seen some of them in three or four roles, so it's impressive to see their range. It's also heartening to see what the company can do with the bare-bones set of the Music Pagoda, which is a beautiful (if neglected) venue but it has some limitations, which EBE Ensemble and the directors of these productions have found a way to use to turn into strengths.
… [In Caesar Camillue Mazurek does] a magnificent job in the title role, creating a portrait good enough to do what the best of actors playing Caesar do, which is to dominate the play's action even after the assassination.
… We admired both plays in Shakespeare in the Pagoda - the way the ensemble works together is inspiring.”
"Excellent Shakespeare in the Park"
"EBE’s productions of some of Shakespeare’s most-famous works have several advantages over the bigger-budget operation in West Brooklyn."
Elephants on Parade 2010
“[EBE's] latest offering is the result of a search for new plays that yielded six shows from 700 submissions. The six they found are golden.
... Perhaps even more impressive than the well written scripts [are] the crisp and varied performances by a very talented group of young actors. Montgomery Sutton transitions seamlessly from Jersey frat boy to creepy taxidermist, to Buddhist while Genevieve Hudson price and Janet Passanante shift from college slackers, to comedic cheerleaders, to cultured ladies in a Buddhist restaurant. The entire cast is impressive.
... This Ensemble really knows how to produce!
... The Ensemble also introduces the audience to ta talented new batch of directors who really serve each of the plays to the fullest."
