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Review for Scenes From A Misunderstanding
nytheatre.com
Martin Denton
[UTC61 has] an emphasis on theatre as a place for free and unfettered intellectual exchange—a place not just to be entertained but also to be enlarged and enlightened ... Scenes from a Misunderstanding (written by Carey Harrison and directed by Henry Akona) exemplifies this concept beautifully.
... Carey Harrison’s script is more than just a high concept comedy, as later scenes (in which the two meet, in lederhosen—you have to see it) bear out. The philosophies of both of these great thinkers are contrasted and a path toward compromise and tolerance is charted. Henry Akona’s staging is light, deft, and appropriate, and the performances of Mick O’Brien as Jung, Eric Oleson as Freud, and Kris Lundberg as both of their maids are delightful.
Reviews for Cat's Cradle
“On the Brink of Destruction, Singing to the Beat of a New Religion”
The New York Times
Andy Webster
Adding to the book’s comic tone, Mr. Einhorn, who did the adaptation and directs, and Mr. Akona, who wrote the music, have introduced a playful calypso score befitting the tropical setting.
nytheatre.com
Richard Hinojosa
The novel is sprinkled with made-up words, proverbs, and “calypsos” (short songs) that are examples of the wisdom of Bokonon and his faux-spiritual interpretation of modern life. These calypsos are the source for musical director Henry Akona’s lyrics but the music is all Akona and I really enjoyed it. It is played live by the actors on stage which makes for an impressive experience watching these folks step into a character and then pick up a guitar, trumpet, or xylophone and play. [...] If you generally stay away from musicals in which a character inexplicably breaks into song, this is not that kind of musical!
The Village Voice
John Beer
[The] faithful adaptation of Vonnegut’s novel is accompanied not only by video footage of ingenious miniature sets for the book's locales, but also by a brigade of robed Bokononists singing and dancing to Henry Akona's calypso score.
Backstage
Christopher Murray
This ingenious production, adapted and directed by Edward Einhorn, is ... a play with music (by Henry Akona) performed by an enthusiastic 22-member company. […] The creators’ ambitions are characteristic of Untitled Theater Company No. 61’s mission to produce “a Theatre of Ideas, political, scientific, and philosophical.” While the different elements sometimes compete with each other in a confusing mélange, the overall effect is bracing and makes for intriguing theatre.
The Tribeca Trib
Jean Passanante
The new musical stage adaptation of “Cat’s Cradle,” presented by Untitled Theater Company No. 61, hews closely to the Vonnegut text and is a faithful, inventive, and intelligent rendering of Vonnegut’s cult classic. … The play features “calypsos,” or Bokononist prayers sung by the multi-talented cast and, set to music by Henry Akona, with lyrics mostly by Vonnegut himself.
Review for Hiroshima : crucible of Light
New Theater Corps
Amy Freeman
Hiroshima is a close look at what can happen in barely the time it takes to blink an eye. For the most part, the various pieces of the collage: the music, the video, and the performers, create a very fine show. The play is frightening and thought provoking, leaving its audience to wonder about all the “what ifs” in life.
Review for A Butterfly on the Antenna
nytheatre.com
Saviana Stanescu
Butterfly on the Antenna is an excellent parable that seems still relevant today as an absurd kitchen&sink (sic!) intellectual comedy, especially because director Henry Akona has a fresh perspective on this formerly politically-charged text. Moreover, actors Dawn Jamieson, Philip Emeott, and the wonderful Liz Wisan bring lots of energy and personality to the characters, infusing the production with rhythm and power. See the full review.
Review for The Rube Goldberg Variations
Hippo Press
Heidi Masek
“The “flash plays” range from amusing shorts that kids identify with to abstract and symbolic pieces that might leave you scratching your head. It’s definitely a cool show to catch if you are looking for something thought-provoking and new.” See the full review.
Reviews for Tabula Rasa
Hi! Drama
“The superb Tabula Rasa (translated Clean Slate), written by Robert Lawson, with music by Henry Akona and Robert Lawson, and with appropriately enigmatic direction by Henry Akona, is a delectably gruesome experimental musical.”
Backstage
“Is the mind really a blank slate? That mystery is the subject of Tabula Rasa ... It's Into the Woods for psych majors. There are some funny and profound lines along the way.”
nytheatre.com
“The first act, mostly through-sung, is quite lovely; Akona and Lawson's score is definitely one of the show's strengths.”
Reviews for The Architecture of Sight
nytheatre.com
Richard Hinojosa
May 20, 2005
“Henry Akona’s direction is the cornerstone of what I liked about this production. His vision is clear and his choreography is well articulated. He stages the action right down the middle of the audience and he works that straight line for all of the levels he can wrench from it. He maintains pace and style with steady, even strokes and the slide projections and short films are perfectly placed. There are parts of the story that I may not have understood were it not for his unique staging.”
offoffonline.com
Deidre McFadyen
May 21, 2005
“The actors have been effectively coached by director Henry Akona to give highly stylized performances …. Akona has nicely paced the action and crafted seamless segues into the songs and dance numbers, which he also ably choreographed.”
Interviews
New Hampshire Public Radio, The Front Porch
August 15, 2005
Autism in Three Acts: A new children's production from Andy’s Summer Playhouse takes on autism and other complicated issues, like self-identity and the human desire to “civilize” those who are different from us. We'll meet the play's creators, Writer Robert Lawson and Director Henry Akona, and they'll explain the complex structure of their multifaceted production. (Download archive recording.)
The Nashua Telegraph
“New musical explores complexity of autism”
By Tom Kressler, Telegraph Correspondent
Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005
A feature article on the premier of Tabula Rasa at Andy’s Summer Playhouse. (Read the full article.)
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