“I’ve never seen ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ done on a small scale, and this production...Passes the no-budget test...While Dobbins’s cast is somewhat uneven in quality, most of the actors are quite good...As for Dobbins’s staging, it’s as uncomplicated as the décor...just a straightforward rendering of the play itself, which is allowed to work its quaint magic without benefit of special directorial pleading...The best thing about “Ah, Wilderness!” is the way in which it mixes sweetness with sorrow.”
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“It takes an especially nimble company, aided by an equally adept director, to bring out the melancholy highlights in this otherwise nostalgic, sun-splashed comedy and, in truth, Dobbins and his troupe aren't really up to the job. In this play, more than most, nuance is everything, and it is a quality that is noticeably missing here. Most of the cast members find a single note and strike it, repeatedly...Even in this somewhat rickety staging, the play's homey, yet insightful, humor comes through at times."
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"One of the big problems is that things never go that sideways...Any problems that crop up somehow conveniently go away. The result is a sort of uneasy disquiet for the audience...Unfortunately direction and acting don't help these matters. Peter Dobbins' direction is ponderous, and keeping the script almost untouched does the production no favors. And most of the actors can't pick up the slack on their own."
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"Shorter than his dramas but still feels long at two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission but it is absorbing nonetheless. That’s due to its novel perspective...The youthful Peter Atkinson is outstanding as Richard and is the production’s centerpiece...Director Peter Dobbins’ solid yet sensitive staging settles in after the slack opening sequence...This tender production demonstrates the enduring beauty of 'Ah, Wilderness!'"
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“While ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ is definitely a comedy, don't go in expecting broad jokes about sex and politics. The humor here is more subdued...Dobbins stays true to O'Neill, giving a straight-forward rendition to honor his legacy. The one thing that stands out is the commitment of lead actor Peter Calvin Atkinson...Even if the subject matter does not entice, 'Ah, Wilderness!' is still worth seeing for the committed acting of Atkinson.”
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“O’Neill’s coming-of-age play is sadly so outdated, because very few people remember the world, when it was that innocent...Dobbins direction is slow paced and he does not bring out the best in his cast which is inconsistent, with women faring better than the men. As the lead Atkinson has the looks, but not the acting chops...This is a period piece where the time seems long gone and innocents a thing of the past. ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ made me weep for that realization.”
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“The casts’ delivery of the outdated dialogue, idiosyncratic slang, and old-fashioned values, forced laughter and feigned intoxication is generally stilted and unnatural. Combined with O’Neill’s offensive ethnic and gender-based stereotypes, the period piece, at present, is more cringe-worthy than humorous...Despite the renown of its author, the current production...begs the question, ‘Why?’ This is one O’Neill play that would have been better left in the vaults.”
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“Life for teens in today’s word is fast-paced...Nevertheless, carving out a few hours...to see...’Ah, Wilderness!’ can be worthwhile...A really great play with a compelling story...The dialogue is the original dialogue of the play – no need to dumb it down for us, although some of it is outdated and definitely not politically correct for our time. All things considered, it’s great to be able to take your pre-teen to a show...I could not have asked for a more perfect ending!
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