OUTSIDE PEOPLE Review Quotes

“AN ENGAGING AND SMART COMEDY OF MANNERS! Achingly true. Benefits from assured performances, with Li Jun Li especially touching as Xiao Mei.” -Charles Isherwood, New York Times “EXCELLENT!  FUNNY AND TIGHTLY WRITTEN. The cast does a fine job of translating Zayd Dohrn’s nuanced writing to the stage. The excellent co-production from the Vineyard Theatre  and […]

“AN ENGAGING AND SMART COMEDY OF MANNERS!

Achingly true. Benefits from assured performances, with Li Jun Li especially touching as Xiao Mei.”

-Charles Isherwood, New York Times

“EXCELLENT!  FUNNY AND TIGHTLY WRITTEN.

The cast does a fine job of translating Zayd Dohrn’s nuanced writing to the stage. The excellent co-production from the Vineyard Theatre  and Naked Angels merits a visit.”

-Roma Torre, NY1

“A PROVOCATIVE DIVERSION! THE CAST IS IRRESISTIBLE!”

Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg

“SEDUCTIVELY SLEEK IN ANY LANGUAGE!”

-Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News

“STYLISH AND WELL ACTED!

Director Evan Cabnet keeps things moving nicely.”

-Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

“DRAMATICALLY COMPELLING!

Nelson Lee’s David radiates charisma.”

-Dan Bacalzo, TheaterMania

“AN ABSORBING AND MYSTERIOUS JOURNEY!”

-Matt Windman, AM New York

“CONSISTENTLY INTRIGUING AND PUNGENTLY COMIC!

The performances are terrific.  Sonequa Martin-Green brings an edgy sultriness to Samanya.”

-Frank Scheck, Scheck on the Arts

“TOP-NOTCH PERFORMANCES!

A fast-paced, entertaining look at the whirlpool of cultural adjustments. Matt Dellapina gives a winning performance.”

-Elyse Sommer, CurtainUp

“DELIGHTFUL!

Kudos to author, director and the design team for creating an authentic milieu.”

-David Gordon, NYtheatre.com

“A SLICK AND SEXY PRODUCTION!”

-Michael Dale, Broadwayworld.com

Artists

Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA

(Casting Director) Vineyard Theatre: GOOD GRIEF, THE AMATEURS, HARRY CLARKE, THE LYONS (and Broadway), GLORIA (and Goodman), DOT, THE LANDING, CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?, KID VICTORY (and Signature DC), TOO MUCH SUN, BILLY & RAY, SOMEWHERE FUN, THE NORTH POOL, ARLINGTON, OUTSIDE PEOPLE, CHECKERS, PICKED, MIDDLETOWN, THE METAL CHILDREN, WIG OUT!. Other theater: KPOP, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS, NATASHA, PIERRE, & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812; THE WILDNESS (Ars Nova). Sundance Theatre Lab: 5 seasons. Television: US Casting for “Black Mirror,” Comedy Central’s “The Other Two” with Allison Estrin, HBO’s “Succession” and Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle” with Douglas Aibel. Film: Saturday Church, It Felt Like Love, Easy Living; with Douglas Aibel – Grandma, Love After Love, How to Talk to Girls at Parties; with Allison Estrin – Spider-Man: Homecoming (NY Casting). Also: “Homecoming The Podcast” S1-2.

Bill BC Du Boff

(Sound Designer) Vineyard: OUTSIDE PEOPLE, PICKED, MIDDLETOWN, THE FOURTH SISTER, WE LIVE HERE, AMERICAN FIESTA. Broadway: OTHER DESERT CITIES, GOOD PEOPLE, THE CONSTANT WIFE, THE GOOD BODY, BILL MAHER: VICTORY… Off-Broadway includes Atlantic, MTC, MCC, Playwrights Horizons, The Public, Second Stage, NYTW, WP, New Georges, Flea, Cherry Lane, Signature, Clubbed Thumb (Affiliate Artist), The New Group. Regional: Bay Street, La Jolla, Cincinnati Playhouse, Westport Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, Portland Stage, Long Wharf, The Alley, NYS&F, Humana, Williamstown, ATF. Radio: Studio 360.  Nominations: Drama Desk, Henry Hewes. Awards; Ruth Morley Design Award, 2011 Obie for Sustained Excellence. Adjunct Professor at Sarah Lawrence College. Love to Adam.

Ben Stanton

Vineyard Theatre: DOT, OUTSIDE PEOPLE, METAL CHILDREN. Recent Theater Credits: THE LOW ROAD (Public), JUNK (Lincoln Center/Beaumont), SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (Barrymore Theater, B’way), FULLY COMMITTED (Lyceum Theater, B’way), Deaf West’s SPRING AWAKENING (Tony Award nomination, Atkinson Theater, B’way), FUN HOME (Tony Award nomination, Circle in the Square, B’way). In addition to theater, Ben designs concerts, dance, opera, and installations. In 2015 he received an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design.

Jessica Wegener Shay

(Costume Design) New York: All-American (LCT3); Suicide, Inc., The Dream of the Burning Boy (Roundabout Underground); Oliver Parker!, The Gingerbread House (StageFARM);  OohRah! (Atlantic); Next Fall, Armed & Naked in America, The Mistakes Madeline Made (Naked Angels); Germ Project (New Georges), H.M.S. Pinafore (Vortex); 7 Seasons as Resident Designer (Vampire Cowboys). Regional: Agnes Under the Big Top, Bad Dates, Shipwrecked!, Underneath the Lintel (Long Wharf); The Last Smoker in America (CATCO); The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Weston Playhouse). NY Innovative Theatre Award for Costume Design.

Takeshi Kata

(Scenic Designing) New York credits include Outside People, Through a Glass Darkly dir. David Leveaux, Adding Machine and Orson’s Shadow dir. David Cromer, Dreams of Flying…, What’s That Smell… dir. Neil Pepe, Horsedreams and B.F.E. dir. Gordon Edelstein, Dusk Rings A Bell dir. Sam Gold, Doris to Darlene dir. Les Waters, Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow dir. Jackson Gay and Port Authority dir. Henry Wishcamper.  Regional Credits: Alley, American Players Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, Ford’s, Geffen, Goodman, Hartford Stage, Kirk Douglas, Long Wharf, Nashville Opera, Old Globe, Skylight Opera, Steppenwolf, Williamstown and Yale Rep.  Awards: Obie and Drama Desk nomination.

Evan Cabnet

Evan Cabnet (director) has directed world premieres on- and off-Broadway, regionally and abroad, including Gloria for the Vineyard Theater and at the Goodman Theater (Chicago). He is currently the Artistic Director of LCT3 at Lincoln Center Theater. His first book on directing is being published by Methuen and will be available in 2021.

Zayd Dohrn

(Playwright) Plays include OUTSIDE PEOPLE (Vineyard Theatre), WANT (Steppenwolf First Look), SICK (Berkshire Theatre Festival), and REBORNING (The Public/SPF). His work has also been produced and developed at Playwrights Horizons, Theatre for One, South Coast Rep, The Alliance, MTC, MCC, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, Kitchen Dog, Dallas Theater Center, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and the Royal Court Theatre of London. He is currently writing screenplays for The American Film Company and Vox3 Films, and developing a drama series at HBO. He earned his MFA from NYU and was a Lila  Acheson Wallace Fellow at Juilliard, where he twice received Lincoln Center’s Lecomte du Nouy Prize. He teaches playwriting and screenwriting at Northwestern University.

Sonequa Martin-Green

(Samanya) Regional: OUTSIDE PEOPLE, FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN (McCarter Theater), LOSS OF SHADOWS (Tada! Theater).  Film: Toe to Toe (2009 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection and Grand Jury Prize Nominee), Yelling to the Sky, Shockwave Darkside, Rivers Wash Over Me.  TV:  “The Good Wife”, “The 2-2” (upcoming on CBS), “Army Wives”, “Gossip Girl”, “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”.  Trained at the University of Alabama.  To Jesus Christ be all the glory, honor, and praise.

Li Jun Li

(Xiao Mei) Broadway: Liat in SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center Theater (Original Revival Cast). North American Tour:  MISS SAIGON. Other New York Credits: THE LYONS, ROMEO AND JULIET. Former dancer of the New York Chinese Culture Centre, performed at The Kennedy Center. Film: Sex and the City: The Movie, Generation Um…, Construction. Television:  “Damages,” “Smash,” “How to Make it in America,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “Blue Bloods,” “One Life to Live,” “Body of Proof.”

Nelson Lee

(David) New York theater credits include: OUTSIDE PEOPLE, 7 STORIES, HARDLY, ANGELS IN AMERICA, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, and The CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN. He has worked on various television series including “Virtuality”, “Blade: The Series”, ”Traffic”, “Oz”, “Covert Affairs”, “Hawaii Five-O”, “ Bones”, “The Chicago Code”, and “Law & Order. Nelson has also appeared in films such as HBO’s Strip Search, Vacancy 2, Bold Native, and Cherry. Nelson wants to thank his family, Rocketship and everyone else who didn’t let go. Nelson trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and lives apologetically in Los Angeles without a dog.

Matt Dellapina

Off-Broadway: THE TUTORS (Second Stage), OUTSIDE PEOPLE (Vineyard Theatre), THE DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY (Roundabout), THE STEADFAST (Slant Theatre Project), UNDERNEATHMYBED (Rattlestick), TELEPHONE (Foundry), ALICEGRACEANON (New Georges), IN THE FOOTPRINT (The Civilians) NO NO NO YES (Ars Nova, The PIT), TENDER (Public, SPF), #9 (Waterwell), and GONE MISSING (Barrow Street).  Film/TV: These Hopeless Savages, True Story, The Quitter, Safe, Proud Iza, Casual Encounters, “Person Of Interest”, “Do No Harm”, “Romney Rock”, “CSI:NY”, “Onion SportsDome”, “Law & Order”, “Yoga Partners”.  Matt is an Associate Artist of The Civilians and a Co-Artistic Director of Slant Theatre Project.  His new feature film, These Hopeless Savages, which he co-wrote and stars in, will be out later this spring through Working Group Pictures.