Critical Response to The Explorer's Club, Aurora Theatre, ATL, Regional Theatre
Nominated for Suzi Bass Award--Best Ensemble 2015
Atlanta theatre Buzz…”This is an ensemble that gets all the split-second timing and bluster and hrrmpphh-ing absolutely joyful, who takes us down so many preposterous plot-holes with glee .. and makes the whole affair one of the most delightful (there's that word again!) productions of the week (modified hyperbole alert). I just loved their stiff-upper-lip energy!
Atlanta Intowner….”This is a very silly piece, forever answering many questions For example, can a snake-loving explorer find true bro-mance with a rodent-loving zoologist?……….amusing, engaging, congenial, rapturous, gratifying, enchanting… It truly the raises the silly to the sublime.”
Critical Response to The 39 Steps, Stage Door Players, ATL, Regional Theatre
TheatreReview.com--"Director George Contini runs them through their paces in a series of stylized and overblown moments, all designed to amp up the comedy . The show is filled with belly laughs and chuckles of delight and chortles of unexpected glee. If you feel the ground moving, it must be the combined effect of all audience members at Stage Door Players laughing with abandon at the silly hijinks of this super-talented cast of four."
AtlantaTheatre Buzz--"This show, in a nutshell, is one of the most entertaining works you're likely to see in this or any other year... this production dishes out whirlwind character change, wry backstage buffoonery, dizzying word-play, and tons of mega-charm. To calm down the Hitchcockophiles, passing references to his other films are tossed out liberally, with even the famous Hitchcock cameo making a welcome appearance on the music-hall set. Most of the references are underscored with a nudge-nudge wink-wink to the audience, but a few are just casually dropped as visual (or musical) jokes or fleeting references.
....it's appropriate that "The 39 Steps" takes every opportunity to skewer the clichés that come with the genre, including frequent references to the hero's rakish good looks (and brown eyes), shady characters with outrageously thick accents, villains with deformities and maniacal laughs, and even the old standby, a conveniently placed hymnal stopping a bullet ("Some of those hymns are very hard to get through").
....the true appeal of this production is the breath-takingly fast and numerous character switches by the two-man protean ensemble, Tony Larkin and John Markowski. In one sequence, the two of them play six characters in a single scene, switching characters with a flip of a hat, a slump of a shoulder, a shift of a dialect....
Centering it all is Jacob York's single performance as Richard Hannay. On stage for almost the entire play, he has the unenviable task of carrying the plot, refereeing the ensemble, setting the bar for "how over-the-top can we take this?" and making us care enough that we want to know how his story turns out. The fourth member of the troupe, Stephanie Friedman, has the relatively relaxed job of portraying only three women, the femme fatale at the top, the love interest, and a comely and helpful Scottish farmwife. All are excellent and engaging, with nary a wrong note or questionable choice.
George Contini's direction is full of backstage jokes, affection for the Music Hall tradition that is the stylistic forbearer of this piece, and attention to detail and pace."
AtlantaArtsScene-"This camped up version of The 39 Steps is a laugh a minute."
Critical Response Don't Dress for Dinner, Aurora Theatre, ATL. Regional Theatre.
Nominated for Two Suzi Bass Awards
Best Supporting Actress---Shelli Delgado
Best Set Design--Liz Dorsey
Atlanta Theatre Buzz ---Best Shows of 2015-
"Don't Dress for Dinner" (Aurora), which made an oft-produced chestnut seem fresh and freshly hilarious."
Best Direction—George Contini
Best Ensemble
Atlanta Theatre Buzz -- "Aurora Theatre has staged the (by far) finest and funniest production I've ever seen of (Don't Dress for Dinner). The cast all are able to spin a web of absurdity that defeats any logic and unwilling suspension of disbelief. Differing accents cleverly delineate class, and rampant physical comedy makes the whole production an almost non-stop orgy of mayhem and mirth and laughter. The first "right" choice made by director George Contini is to set the play in a pre-production-code early 1930's, giving it a Screwball Comedy feel that serves to ground the preposterous lies and deceptions in an artificial "Hollywood" (nay, a Marx Brothers) universe in which anything can be believed and everything is fodder for fraud and funniness. "
Theatre Review.com -- "George Contini's direction is a marvel. He has given his cast a tremendous number and variety of comic bits, and it makes them look like comic geniuses…a bang-up production at Aurora Theatre…he has masterfully crafted every moment in the play to point up the comedy….anyone coming to see the show should come to enjoy the hijinks….Don't Dress for Dinner is a dizzyingly entertaining romp."
Critical Response for Assistance at Pinch n Ouch Theatre, ATL, Southeast Regional Premiere.
Atlanta InTowner—"Director George Contini has guided his actors extremely well: They are marvelous as they constantly interrupt and overlap one another in a manic dance of paranoia and ambition. Their verbal pyrotechnics alone are worth the price of admission. Pinch ‘n’ Ouch is offering 90 minutes of fireworks in “Assistance.” It may be the hottest show in town; go."
Broadway World--"Directed by George Contini, the stellar young cast plays the farcically cartoonish co-workers with a reckless comedic abandon, reminiscent of a profane cable sitcom. If (they) are representative of the next generation of Atlanta theatrical talent, we are all in good hands."
Critical Response for Hidden Man at 7Stages, ATL, World Premiere.
Atlanta Journal Constitution—“ (playing Howard Finster)… neither a paragon of homespun wisdom nor a parody of backwoods eccentricity. George Contini, an associate theater professor as UGA and an occasional actor for hire (the Alliance’s “Shear Madness") is excellent in the role."
Atlanta Intowner-- "Rev. Howard Finster is played by George Contini—a superb performance. Finster is a master of the non sequitur: He almost drives you crazy with it; but then, so does Sherer. That’s one thing they’ve got in common. But more than that, they have their art. The mystery of artistic expression and human sexuality are both explored here, usually as subtext.
Creative Loafing- “Contini radiates high-spirited energy as Howard……The role may be devout and open-hearted, but Contini conveys that Howard's no fool, but a perceptive man who appreciates the value of money and humor.”
Critical response Put It In the Scrapbook , New Orleans Fringe, Chicago Fringe
Chicago Tribune --“Contini pulls Eltinge’s long forgotten career from the cobwebs of time to reveal the strange and fascinating life…..“(he) brings an energy to the man's story that I found hard to shake off.”
Times Picayune ---- "deeply moving one man (one woman) show".
Athens Flagpole --- "We witness Eltinge in the mechanical and vulnerable state of preparing for a show…this is precisely what gives (the play) such depth, Eltinge is both unfocused and completely on point. …we see him at his best and his worst. Contini captures the incredulous state of Dalton’s public favor like it’s a broken promise"
And a few others.....
As Tony Whitcomb in Shear Madness
Miami New Times--"The showiest, funniest, and most challenging role, however, belongs to George Contini..who plays (it) to maximum comic effect. Contini is hilarious when he's camp and realistic when he's serious. While Shear Madness is an inspired show, Contini turns this production into a great one."
On directing The Lion in Winter, Hollywood Playhouse, FL
Sun Sentinel--"an able cast adroitly directed by George Contini...an evening of crisp humor, lively verbal sparring, and engrossing exchanges of one-upmanship thanks to an outstanding cast and sure footed direction"
On Directing Fifth of July
Athens Flagpole--"Contini's direction pays such close attention to detail that I truly felt as if I was getting a glimpse through a time warp window into a year I do not know. "
As Otto in The Food Chain, FL Shakespeare
Miami Herald--"One standout performance.... no one is funnier than George Contini"-
Sun Sentinel--"Contini delivers rapid fire, dazzling monologues that are unforgettable for their sweep, break taking precision, and comic genius."
Named Best Actor in Miami
New Times--"A performer Isaac Newton would love, George Contini, demonstrates the powerful effect of acting and reacting. Often found playing a character who stands to one side as the lead chews the scenery, Contini employs subtle gestures, sensitive phrasing and Swiss clock timing to magnify barely scripted parts into mulitdimensional wonders. He elevated Neil Simon's moribund Laughter on the 23rd Floor. He ate up the competition in The Food Chain. And he fired emotions as the roommate in Burn This who suffers the sexually screwed up fools around him with grace and compassion. Other actors had meatier roles this season, but none served them up with such intelligent and careful preparation."
As Lord Edgar/Jane in Myster of Irma Vep, Worcester Forum, MA
Worcester Magazine--"The two non stop actors couldn't be more slick , talented, or versatile. The joy of the show is simply in watching these two performers sink their teeth into this tongue in cheek material and send it to the full moon. ...to call them two faced is to underestimate them. But, as they say, any man that can dress up as a woman can't be all bad. In fact, they are very, very good."
As Chuckles the Chipmunk in A Thousand Clowns, Actors Playhouse, FL
Miami Herald--"The standout performance comes from Contini, a master in comic buffoonery as the boorish Leo."
As Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Actors Playhouse, FL
New Times--"George Contini brings new dimension to the usually thankless role of Brother Man Gooper. Yes, Gooper schemes, but Contini's Gooper suffers so much rejection, and his plans appear so cleareyed and realistic, you almost see his point of view"
On directing Raft of the Medusa, New Theatre, Boston
Boston Herald--"Under Director George Contini, the actors unite for some of the strongest ensemble acting this season has seen"
Named Best Ensemble by the Boston Herald.
On Performing in Revue Our Time, Club Cabaret, Boston
South End News--"Contini has put together a lighthearted but tender look at what it means to be gay in America, as seen through the sounds and words of musical comedy. More than anything it is a love letter to the musical theatre, but a love letter with a post script demanding the respect and attention which has so long been missing. Musically, Our Time! is sophisticated and clever--Contini's comic routines ---"I Never Do Anything Twice " stops the show. It is moments like these--the reclaiming of pop culture to a gay perspective, at once so obvious, yet so new, when Our Time! feels startingly potent as well as emotionally and aesthetically rewarding."
Bay Windows--"George Contini was clearly the man to see. He possesses a likable stage presence that warms his audiences. He also can be bitchy one second and gooey in love the next. With each musical theatre performance he gives, Contini's vocal range, control, and power are all growing in leaps and bounds."
Nominated for Suzi Bass Award--Best Ensemble 2015
Atlanta theatre Buzz…”This is an ensemble that gets all the split-second timing and bluster and hrrmpphh-ing absolutely joyful, who takes us down so many preposterous plot-holes with glee .. and makes the whole affair one of the most delightful (there's that word again!) productions of the week (modified hyperbole alert). I just loved their stiff-upper-lip energy!
Atlanta Intowner….”This is a very silly piece, forever answering many questions For example, can a snake-loving explorer find true bro-mance with a rodent-loving zoologist?……….amusing, engaging, congenial, rapturous, gratifying, enchanting… It truly the raises the silly to the sublime.”
Critical Response to The 39 Steps, Stage Door Players, ATL, Regional Theatre
TheatreReview.com--"Director George Contini runs them through their paces in a series of stylized and overblown moments, all designed to amp up the comedy . The show is filled with belly laughs and chuckles of delight and chortles of unexpected glee. If you feel the ground moving, it must be the combined effect of all audience members at Stage Door Players laughing with abandon at the silly hijinks of this super-talented cast of four."
AtlantaTheatre Buzz--"This show, in a nutshell, is one of the most entertaining works you're likely to see in this or any other year... this production dishes out whirlwind character change, wry backstage buffoonery, dizzying word-play, and tons of mega-charm. To calm down the Hitchcockophiles, passing references to his other films are tossed out liberally, with even the famous Hitchcock cameo making a welcome appearance on the music-hall set. Most of the references are underscored with a nudge-nudge wink-wink to the audience, but a few are just casually dropped as visual (or musical) jokes or fleeting references.
....it's appropriate that "The 39 Steps" takes every opportunity to skewer the clichés that come with the genre, including frequent references to the hero's rakish good looks (and brown eyes), shady characters with outrageously thick accents, villains with deformities and maniacal laughs, and even the old standby, a conveniently placed hymnal stopping a bullet ("Some of those hymns are very hard to get through").
....the true appeal of this production is the breath-takingly fast and numerous character switches by the two-man protean ensemble, Tony Larkin and John Markowski. In one sequence, the two of them play six characters in a single scene, switching characters with a flip of a hat, a slump of a shoulder, a shift of a dialect....
Centering it all is Jacob York's single performance as Richard Hannay. On stage for almost the entire play, he has the unenviable task of carrying the plot, refereeing the ensemble, setting the bar for "how over-the-top can we take this?" and making us care enough that we want to know how his story turns out. The fourth member of the troupe, Stephanie Friedman, has the relatively relaxed job of portraying only three women, the femme fatale at the top, the love interest, and a comely and helpful Scottish farmwife. All are excellent and engaging, with nary a wrong note or questionable choice.
George Contini's direction is full of backstage jokes, affection for the Music Hall tradition that is the stylistic forbearer of this piece, and attention to detail and pace."
AtlantaArtsScene-"This camped up version of The 39 Steps is a laugh a minute."
Critical Response Don't Dress for Dinner, Aurora Theatre, ATL. Regional Theatre.
Nominated for Two Suzi Bass Awards
Best Supporting Actress---Shelli Delgado
Best Set Design--Liz Dorsey
Atlanta Theatre Buzz ---Best Shows of 2015-
"Don't Dress for Dinner" (Aurora), which made an oft-produced chestnut seem fresh and freshly hilarious."
Best Direction—George Contini
Best Ensemble
Atlanta Theatre Buzz -- "Aurora Theatre has staged the (by far) finest and funniest production I've ever seen of (Don't Dress for Dinner). The cast all are able to spin a web of absurdity that defeats any logic and unwilling suspension of disbelief. Differing accents cleverly delineate class, and rampant physical comedy makes the whole production an almost non-stop orgy of mayhem and mirth and laughter. The first "right" choice made by director George Contini is to set the play in a pre-production-code early 1930's, giving it a Screwball Comedy feel that serves to ground the preposterous lies and deceptions in an artificial "Hollywood" (nay, a Marx Brothers) universe in which anything can be believed and everything is fodder for fraud and funniness. "
Theatre Review.com -- "George Contini's direction is a marvel. He has given his cast a tremendous number and variety of comic bits, and it makes them look like comic geniuses…a bang-up production at Aurora Theatre…he has masterfully crafted every moment in the play to point up the comedy….anyone coming to see the show should come to enjoy the hijinks….Don't Dress for Dinner is a dizzyingly entertaining romp."
Critical Response for Assistance at Pinch n Ouch Theatre, ATL, Southeast Regional Premiere.
Atlanta InTowner—"Director George Contini has guided his actors extremely well: They are marvelous as they constantly interrupt and overlap one another in a manic dance of paranoia and ambition. Their verbal pyrotechnics alone are worth the price of admission. Pinch ‘n’ Ouch is offering 90 minutes of fireworks in “Assistance.” It may be the hottest show in town; go."
Broadway World--"Directed by George Contini, the stellar young cast plays the farcically cartoonish co-workers with a reckless comedic abandon, reminiscent of a profane cable sitcom. If (they) are representative of the next generation of Atlanta theatrical talent, we are all in good hands."
Critical Response for Hidden Man at 7Stages, ATL, World Premiere.
Atlanta Journal Constitution—“ (playing Howard Finster)… neither a paragon of homespun wisdom nor a parody of backwoods eccentricity. George Contini, an associate theater professor as UGA and an occasional actor for hire (the Alliance’s “Shear Madness") is excellent in the role."
Atlanta Intowner-- "Rev. Howard Finster is played by George Contini—a superb performance. Finster is a master of the non sequitur: He almost drives you crazy with it; but then, so does Sherer. That’s one thing they’ve got in common. But more than that, they have their art. The mystery of artistic expression and human sexuality are both explored here, usually as subtext.
Creative Loafing- “Contini radiates high-spirited energy as Howard……The role may be devout and open-hearted, but Contini conveys that Howard's no fool, but a perceptive man who appreciates the value of money and humor.”
Critical response Put It In the Scrapbook , New Orleans Fringe, Chicago Fringe
Chicago Tribune --“Contini pulls Eltinge’s long forgotten career from the cobwebs of time to reveal the strange and fascinating life…..“(he) brings an energy to the man's story that I found hard to shake off.”
Times Picayune ---- "deeply moving one man (one woman) show".
Athens Flagpole --- "We witness Eltinge in the mechanical and vulnerable state of preparing for a show…this is precisely what gives (the play) such depth, Eltinge is both unfocused and completely on point. …we see him at his best and his worst. Contini captures the incredulous state of Dalton’s public favor like it’s a broken promise"
And a few others.....
As Tony Whitcomb in Shear Madness
Miami New Times--"The showiest, funniest, and most challenging role, however, belongs to George Contini..who plays (it) to maximum comic effect. Contini is hilarious when he's camp and realistic when he's serious. While Shear Madness is an inspired show, Contini turns this production into a great one."
On directing The Lion in Winter, Hollywood Playhouse, FL
Sun Sentinel--"an able cast adroitly directed by George Contini...an evening of crisp humor, lively verbal sparring, and engrossing exchanges of one-upmanship thanks to an outstanding cast and sure footed direction"
On Directing Fifth of July
Athens Flagpole--"Contini's direction pays such close attention to detail that I truly felt as if I was getting a glimpse through a time warp window into a year I do not know. "
As Otto in The Food Chain, FL Shakespeare
Miami Herald--"One standout performance.... no one is funnier than George Contini"-
Sun Sentinel--"Contini delivers rapid fire, dazzling monologues that are unforgettable for their sweep, break taking precision, and comic genius."
Named Best Actor in Miami
New Times--"A performer Isaac Newton would love, George Contini, demonstrates the powerful effect of acting and reacting. Often found playing a character who stands to one side as the lead chews the scenery, Contini employs subtle gestures, sensitive phrasing and Swiss clock timing to magnify barely scripted parts into mulitdimensional wonders. He elevated Neil Simon's moribund Laughter on the 23rd Floor. He ate up the competition in The Food Chain. And he fired emotions as the roommate in Burn This who suffers the sexually screwed up fools around him with grace and compassion. Other actors had meatier roles this season, but none served them up with such intelligent and careful preparation."
As Lord Edgar/Jane in Myster of Irma Vep, Worcester Forum, MA
Worcester Magazine--"The two non stop actors couldn't be more slick , talented, or versatile. The joy of the show is simply in watching these two performers sink their teeth into this tongue in cheek material and send it to the full moon. ...to call them two faced is to underestimate them. But, as they say, any man that can dress up as a woman can't be all bad. In fact, they are very, very good."
As Chuckles the Chipmunk in A Thousand Clowns, Actors Playhouse, FL
Miami Herald--"The standout performance comes from Contini, a master in comic buffoonery as the boorish Leo."
As Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Actors Playhouse, FL
New Times--"George Contini brings new dimension to the usually thankless role of Brother Man Gooper. Yes, Gooper schemes, but Contini's Gooper suffers so much rejection, and his plans appear so cleareyed and realistic, you almost see his point of view"
On directing Raft of the Medusa, New Theatre, Boston
Boston Herald--"Under Director George Contini, the actors unite for some of the strongest ensemble acting this season has seen"
Named Best Ensemble by the Boston Herald.
On Performing in Revue Our Time, Club Cabaret, Boston
South End News--"Contini has put together a lighthearted but tender look at what it means to be gay in America, as seen through the sounds and words of musical comedy. More than anything it is a love letter to the musical theatre, but a love letter with a post script demanding the respect and attention which has so long been missing. Musically, Our Time! is sophisticated and clever--Contini's comic routines ---"I Never Do Anything Twice " stops the show. It is moments like these--the reclaiming of pop culture to a gay perspective, at once so obvious, yet so new, when Our Time! feels startingly potent as well as emotionally and aesthetically rewarding."
Bay Windows--"George Contini was clearly the man to see. He possesses a likable stage presence that warms his audiences. He also can be bitchy one second and gooey in love the next. With each musical theatre performance he gives, Contini's vocal range, control, and power are all growing in leaps and bounds."