Press Reviews

The Dining Room (Keen Company)

Tea and Sympathy (Keen Company)

"The Keen Company's production of Mr. Anderson's effort, which opened at the Clurman Theater on Thursday night, rings with a relevance that makes the revival every bit worth the wait. Jonathan Silverstein's understated direction...deftly explores the rage that emanates from the seeds of sexual repression."

Gina Bellafonte, The New York Times, 3/17/07

"Once again, Keen Company has invigorated an overlooked play. The troupe's taut revival of Robert Anderson's Tea and Sympathy -- not seen in a significant Gotham production since 1953 -- lays bare a dense thicket of psychological need
that makes the play feel arrestingly modern. And this production, directed by Jonathan Silverstein without a trace of hysterical emotion, lets gay themes appropriately support the script's deeper concerns."

Mark Blankenship, Variety, 3/15/07

"The current revival of Robert Anderson's ... Tea and Sympathy (at the Clurman), is wonderfully directed by Jonathan Silverstein...as Laura Reynolds, the understanding wife of a homophobic housemaster, Heidi Armbruster is especially fine...as Tom Lee, the much maligned, sensitive student whom Laura eventually falls for, Dan McCabe is singularly arresting."

Hilton Als, The New Yorker, 3/28/07

Red Herring (Zenith Film/NYC Fringe)

"'Red Herring is a moving, detailed vision of life on death row that offers two rich parts for actors...they establish a warm, affecting chemistry as they speak through an imaginary wall (the prisoners can't see each other) and provide comfort for each other. "

Jason Zinoman , The New York Times, 8/26/06

The Hasty Heart (The Keen Company)

"The many contrivances of the plot are smoothed over by Jonathan Silverstein's thoughtful, naturalistic direction and the seamless, lived in ensemble work of the cast. It all adds up to something nearly unthinkable in New York since September 11: a touching war drama."

Robert Simonson, Time Out New York, 12/2/04

"This is three, maybe five-hanky stuff. The craft of a good weepie - tempering it with humor, teaching with a light, unobtrusive hand - have nearly vanished. Director Jonathan Silverstein matches Patrick, keeping his own touch easy on the throttle...everyone on board does excellent work. The Keen Company again shows us that simply doing "what is required" can be heroic."

Helen Shaw, New York Sun, 12/1/04

"Keith Nobbs is turning in one of the season's best Scrooges, but the play has nothing to do with Christmas. Mr. Nobbs portrays the central character in the Keen Company's well-acted resurrection of The Hasty Heart, a gentle drama by John Patrick seen on Broadway in 1945. The resulting dynamics may be a bit formulaic, and the play may show its age and its idealism, but the actors' commitment to the work shines through and makes this a worthy excursion into the past."

Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times, 12/4/04

The Triumph of Love (Cleveland Play House)

"Triumph rockets and somersaults with passion -- often comic passion, but even at its funniest, it's the ardent, full-tilt, foaming over of real, and really complicated, feeling. Silverstein's 'Triumph' is one. With some of the same actors, he presents a visually and emotionally rich version of a story that easily could have become superficial in different hands."

Roger Mastroianni, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/12/06

Urinetown (Cape Rep Theatre)

"This expertly rendered musical satire was given an energetic and fresh local premiere by director Jonathan Silverstein and an outstanding cast of some of the area's best voices. The actors could deliver everything from jazzy, gospel-style tunes to no-holds-barred Broadway show-stoppers with equal ease. The silliness and bathroom humor cleverly extended to a lobby photo display of funky urinals from around the world, setting just the right tone for a fun and tongue-in-cheek evening to come."

* Top Cape Cod Theatre Picks, 2005

Cathy Driscoll, Cape Cod Times, 12/28/05

The Rats Are Getting Bigger (NY Fringe Festival)

"(In this) zany, yet dark musical about a rat revolution in New York City, complete with a booming garage rock band, director Jonathan Silverstein wisely keeps the action humming."

David Kennerley, Gay City News, 8/15/03

Much Ado About Nothing (The Theatre at Monmouth)

"Silverstein's direction is almost perfect. He keeps his players on tippy toes, dashing in and out, strutting and preening, jabbing and darting. Nobody gets to nap here. He gives the old comedy a kind of 19th century sitcom look."

J.P. Devine, Central Maine Newspapers, 8/26/02

"Director Jonathan Silverstein has trimmed the text and filled his show with extra literary amusements, the better to draw modern viewers into the Bard's world. There is conga dancing, pantomime, a bit of slapstick, and a great deal of party music."

Jason Wilkins, Portland Press Herald, 6/8/02

The Chairs (Sledgehammer Theatre)

"Jonathan Silverstein...is a young director to watch. He's as comfortable with Shakespeare as theatre of the absurd. Silverstein's encouraged quality performances."

Jeff Smith, San Diego Reader, 6/14/01

"Jonathan Silverstein and his crack cast of three have shaped Eugene Ionesco's almost never seen in San Diego masterwork with care and considerable wit. Smartly paced and nicely designed, this season opener from Sledge renews faith that the edgy downtown theatre is committed not just to tackling difficult works, but to staging them with a polished professionalism that stands up to the often more timid-offerings of the city's big budget venues."

Jennifer de Poyen, San Diego Union Tribune, 6/4/01

Twelfth Night (UCSD)

"UCSD's got a bright, funny, and, beneath its engaging theatricality, thoughtful production of Shakespeare's festive Twelfth Night. Director Jonathan Silverstein has a wonderful knack for encouraging clarity from his actors, plus the lightness of tone the Bard's comedies require but rarely get."

Jeff Smith, San Diego Reader, 2/21/01

The Birthday Party (UCSD)

"Silverstein has an affinity for Pinter's difficult tonalities. The performances looked realistic yet warped by circumstances, like watching a sitcom, slowly infected by an unnamed virus."

Jeff Smith, San Diego Reader, 12/18/99