Review Highlights: ROGER & GENE - Space 55

Matt Clarke, Shelly Trujillo, and Steve Wilcox
Photo courtesy of Space 55

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 June 16

"...for over 20 years from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s, the highly successful TV shows hosted by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, "Sneak Previews" and "At the Movies," were where people tuned in to find out which movies to see. ...Phoenix playwright Ashley Naftule has crafted a drama that centers on Siskel and Ebert, entitled Roger & Gene, that is set in modern times, even though Siskel died in 1999 and Ebert in 2013. Naftule's play presents an intriguing concept, of which I'll try to avoid revealing too many spoilers, but it's overly long and repetitive and could use a decent amount of editing to tighten it up and make it more impactful than it currently is. Fortunately, the production at Space 55 features three talented actors, so while it's not perfect, it's well acted, interesting, and frequently entertaining.,,,Matt Clarke and Steve Wilcox make wonderful sparring partners as Roger and Gene. ...Pauline Kael wasn't as well known as Siskel and Ebert, so Shelly Trujillo has more lenience in putting her own stamp on this famous female film critic and she brings charm, warmth, a lot of sass, and a huge heart to the character." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)