"Despite heavy-handedness and a certain lack of finesse, 'Dementia Americana' is well received in a contemporary moment of billionaire politicians and celebrity culture. If only it trusted its audience to come to this conclusion themselves...Though the acting is uneven, everyone clearly is giving their all...A work in progress, rather than a completely polished piece. The show—to its benefit—has made some changes since its initial run...However, there is still work to be done."
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"Zany and thoroughly engaging…While it gets a little long near the end, director Paul Mancini keeps the energy high and the performances focused straight through the unsettling Brechtian final moments. Aquiler and D'Amato's script effectively delivers the historical facts while making them dramatic...History may have forgotten this minor cultural moment, but in Aquiler and D'Amato's hands, the story is especially timely."
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"'Dementia Americana' has many, many scenes that move along, never showing more than needed or wasting time belaboring. A key scene features a very clever instance of reverse-staging. D'Amato, who plays Harry Thaw, absolutely slays with his fearless and energetic acting. The versatile cast truly impresses in shifting roles...This show's a keeper. If you go, do try to sit down front."
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"’Dementia Americana’ features strong performances by Buckley and Marlo but suffers somewhat from a lack of focus. It swings back and forth from being a wild ride through the fractured psyche of a spoiled playboy to being a sober drama about a poor but beautiful young woman cruelly used by rich men. There’s obviously a connection between those two themes, but the playwrights haven’t found a tone that encompasses both of them."
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"The cast does what it can with the enactment of the story realizing it is more informative rather than action packed and broken up into short vignettes. There is a problem with hearing some actors especially when directing dialogue upstage or into the wings...Director Mancini moves the story along but could pick up the pace during some stagnant scenes that seem to drag. This production is more interesting than exciting and a look at a strange, bizarre character and a notorious murder."
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“Turn-of-the-century costumes, Bentwood chairs, and recorded period music evoke the era, and dramatic lighting by JT Diaz accentuates the plot points. With its intelligent and well-researched script, fine acting and direction (including some entertaining segments of silent-film-style miming), and effective design, ‘Dementia Americana’ succeeds in conveying both a fascinating event from our past and a socio-political statement that remains relevant in the present.”
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"'Dementia Americana' may not exist in the sense of what it was meant to, but is a frighteningly apt term for what the American climate looks like today. Between the ingeniously clever stage setup, flawless scene transitions, and utterly incredible acting, the production becomes a fantastical event. It’s a comical, farcical commentary, and succeeds in every aspect. Those who could be labeled as suffering from 'dementia Americana,' and those who couldn’t, would do well to watch it."
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