So WHITE PEOPLE has opened, and we've gotten a couple of reviews so far. And yeah...I'd have to call them raves. While critics have quibbled with some small things, the overall tone and feeling is that they loved the show and my work. Crazy, huh? Audiences have been overwhelmingly positive. "Riveting" is the word we hear most...as they finish crying. Makes for a very satisfying evening as the actor.

So here are the links to our reviews I've found so far. And, as always, I'll update this page as I find more.

I hope you'll get a chance to see the show. I'm very proud of the work we're doing.

As I've updated these some of the smaller media outlets, online venues only, have disliked the show, for varied reasons. They love our work, but dislike either the way the piece is written or how it's done in monologue form. I get that. I'd still argue it's a powerful night of theatre and would urge you to stop by and see for yourself.

Variety - 26 May 10 Wow. I'd say he really liked it.

"The middle ground, and the show's pride of place, are occupied by Mark Doerr as Alan...Doerr segues with startling clarity from his generalized musings to the anguish of betrayal, America's ambivalence about race literally picked up in his haunted eyes...as he utters one of the most achingly beautiful closing lines in recent American drama."

Backstage - 27 May 10 Wow. Another rave.

"Director Douglas Clayton and his cast elevate Rogers' words, be they damning or mundane, to perfection. The actors handle Rogers' format...so expertly that the resulting stories seem to be uttered out loud for the very first time. Doerr's delivery is astonishing in this regard, as his character wrestles with an internal barometer born of his position in liberal academia."

StageHappenings.com - 27 May 10 Uh...Ok...

Much like LIBERTY INN...after a plot synopsis...this was the full extent of the review:

"The stories are grave; the depictions of the attacks are grim and detailed which makes for a dreary play. Though the actors are superb under the direction of Douglas Clayton, I was left dissatisfied inasmuch as the characters never seem to show humiliation or guilt for their attitudes."

I just have to say it...there was woman during the Q & A who was denying facts of the play 'cuz she didn't like them. That woman wanted to see other characters to refute what was being said and seemed to have dismissed entire sections of the play because they didn't fit her conception of what they "should be saying." Was that woman Carol? I don't know. But that woman's reaction was completely antithetical to that of everyone else who has come to the play and Carol's review...I gotta say...falls in line with that. I mean...if you can't pick up on the "guilt" my character feels at points, it's only because you aren't listening or watching the play. Seriously. I say "guilt" multiple times. To the audience. Staring at them. How could you miss that? I guess it's like my character says at the beginning of the play, "It all depends on what you're listening for."

Arts Beat LA - May 10 Ok...she disliked the fact that the play is monologues with no character interaction. I get that. I don't like monologue plays either.... And yes, I get the irony that I'm doing one getting good reviews....

"While the performances are all good, and the writing is edgy, emotional and thought provoking, the best thing about this production is the subtle and evocative sound design by David B. Marling which beautifully underpins the often heart-wrenching text in an increasingly interesting fashion. White People is not a play; it is merely staged storytelling."

Tolucan Times - 2 Jun 10 Ok...we're back to being liked. Whew. Plus she points out that it helps if you'r paying attention. Gotta love Pat....

"This is a gritty look at deep seeded issues such as prejudice, class struggles, racism, guilt, self worth, and cultural differences. Serious subject matter… with an occasional laugh weaved in...Lastly there’s Alan (a mesmerizing and multi-layered Mark Doerr). A passionate “misfit” university professor, who while trying to cut through the mass disinterest of his students, connects with one unlikely pupil who inspires him greatly."