“In Colette Robert’s quiet, mostly sure-handed production for Keen Company, ‘Crumbs From the Table of Joy’ is a pleasure for several reasons: rarity, for one, this being the play’s first New York revival since its premiere in 1995.”
Read more

“An underappreciated gem from an incredibly talented dramatist, ‘Crumbs From the Table of Joy’ is the kind of play that Keen Company does best. The company makes a meal out of Crumbs with this outstanding revival, giving it a much-deserved second look in New York.”
Read more

“Keen Company is presenting a solid revival of Crumbs that will be of interest to Nottage fans, scholars, and completists but is less likely to captivate the general theatregoer. If nothing else, it shows how the playwright's restless intelligence inevitably draws her to some of the more fascinating episodes of Black American history.”
Read more

“If you are familiar with the playwright's wicked sense of humor you'll recognize the style even in this early work...So even if ‘Crumbs From the Table of Joy’ is less than top-drawer Nottage, it is pretty much must-see for admirers of the playwright. Keen Company, director Colette Robert, and the excellent cast have done themselves proud with this production, which is dramatic, funny, and highly entertaining.”
Read more

"Every single actor turns in a performance which could not conceivably be improved upon. If you weren’t fortunate enough to be on hand for the play’s debut, don’t miss this opportunity to catch up."
Read more

“If you’re familiar with Nottage’s works, you’re sure to notice a few details in ‘Crumbs’ that surface in other plays. But ‘Crumbs’ has a voice all its own. It also has one of the most jaw-dropping Act 1 endings you’ll ever see.”
Read more

While this first New York revival of "Crumbs from the Table of Joy" does not reach the heights of Nottage’s later Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, "Ruined" and "Sweat," it proves to be a very charming and competent look at growing up Black in Brooklyn during the McCarthy Era. Under the direction of Colette Robert, the fine cast holds our interest with this domestic comedy drama. Always engrossing, the play demonstrates Nottage’s ability to write about race, social change and economic deprivation in an engaging manner. Nottage proves to have been a very accomplished playwright from the outset of her career.
Read more

“This struggling family may have to scrounge for their crumbs of joy, but Nottage makes sure the audience leaves the theater fully nourished.”
Read more