reviews - NATIVE GARDENS - Arizona Theatre Company

Keith Contreras, Arlene Chico-Lugo, Bill Geisslinger, and Robynn Rodriguez
photo by Tim Fuller

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 21st.

"Karen Zacarías’ Native Gardens is an appealing, topical comedy that humorously pokes fun at a wide range of subjects, including racism, gender issues, the class divide and ageism, while also smartly making the point that compromise is sometimes the best option when it comes to tackling our differences. While Zacarías expertly focuses on both sides of many current, hot button topics she has also crafted a very witty and incredibly charming play. Arizona Theatre Company presents the Arizona premiere of the piece in a gorgeous production with a talented cast who get plenty of laughs while creating endearing characters....Zacarías creates characters who are likable, even though none of the four is ever entirely right, and she keeps the stakes high with ever mounting obstacles in the escalating war on both sides of the fence...The cast, under Jane Jones’ upbeat, fresh, fun and inspired direction, infuse the two duos with natural charm. As Tania and Pablo, Arlene Chico-Lugo and Keith Contreras are warm and enthusiastic while also being a bit too presumptuous of the views of their older, white neighbors. Bill Geisslinger and Robynn Rodriguez, as Frank and Virginia, are, at first, charming and loving, while also projecting hints of entitlement and superiority. ...There have been plenty of explosive theatrical dramas that focus on the on-going racial divide in our country yet Zacarías wisely uses racial issues as a catalyst for humor instead of heartache to prove that you don’t always have to have despair and strife to have an impact and teachable moments don’t have to be preachy to prove a point. Native Gardens shows that in a divided country sometimes tolerance, compassion and compromise are the key to bridging the gap between divisive parties." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

"While playwright Karen Zacarías’script hints at deeper messages... the overall feeling is eventually one of comical lightness rather than a true examination of cultural clashes, bordering on outrageous TV sit-com. In other words, those who enjoy searching for meanings when they’re not always there may find some to discuss, though they’ll have to dig deep." -David Appleford, Valley Screen and Stage (click here to read the complete review)

"...In NATIVE GARDENS, the boundary in question is the property line between the homes of neighborhood newcomers, Tania and Pablo Del Valle, and long-time residents Frank and Virginia Butley. ... accusations of racism, ageism, sexism, privilege, and environmental abuse that mirror the macro divisions that rip at our national fabric. Ms. Zacarías's way with words, crisp and pointed and uninhibited, force the kind of laughter that comes with the recognition of familiarity. She mirrors the conflicted vernacular and controversies of our time....the bloom is in the performances of four actors who are fountains of vibrancy...The stakes in this feud escalate until Zacarías conveniently and symbolically creates a common ground upon which these gardeners can find resolution....a compelling and entertaining play..." - Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)