"A vividly acted production…Mr. Holter has a gift for sharp characterization and crisply funny dialogue with jagged edges...Mr. Holter deftly embeds his finger-pointing in the drama itself…'Exit Strategy' takes a sentimental turn. The amorous relationship between Ricky and one of the teachers also injects a formulaic note into the proceedings. But the pungent dialogue, winning performances and Kip Fagan’s streamlined direction help us overlook the small hiccups in the dramaturgy."
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"Holter’s snappy, overlapping dialogue is often very funny...But it is also overly broad (a weakness sometimes exacerbated by Kip Fagan’s direction), and it veers into sentimentality. Although 'Exit Strategy' is about activism, not education, it might be stronger if it engaged more specifically with the issues. Why is this school being closed? Why is it worth saving? The play is committed to teaching, but its lesson plan feels sketchy."
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"'Exit Strategy,' a small-scaled, big-hearted and often wickedly funny play, looks at the last-ditch efforts to save a failing Chicago public school from being closed down by the city. Every character rings true, thanks to Ike Holter’s spot-on, affectionate writing and an ensemble cast that’s terrifically in tune...Best of all, there’s no cheap sentimentality or Hollywood-like happy ending. Even so, you leave the theater buoyant. A good show will do that."
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"A fierce and (uncomfortably) funny new play…Director Kip Fagan has crafted a highly realistic production that never has us questioning if we're really watching an inner-city public school…Holter occasionally bites off more than he can chew...Holter somewhat undermines the truthfulness of his vision by relying on some tropes of his own. Still, the overall experience is more illuminating than not and a must-see for anyone who cares about the state of public education in America."
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"The script leaps from confrontations to rants to shocker revelations, with only the bare minimum of connective tissue...Holter is a talent but, after two hours of such in-your-face dramatics, it's possible to leave the theatre feeling surprisingly dissatisfied…Still, under Kip Fagan's direction a strong cast makes the most of Holter's turbocharged way with words…'Exit Strategy' gives you a rush, and its cascades of words sometimes dazzle, but it falls short of landing the knockout punch."
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"A predictable travelogue through the final 9 months of Tumbldn's existence, with major stops at the group's internal friction...Holter's writing still occasionally thrills...But aside from Pam and to a lesser degree Ricky, the characters are sparklingly dull, which doesn't aid the actors in making them three-dimensional...If you attend or work at a school, you might well love it with all your heart. But if you don't, an hour and a half of bland pontificating isn't enough to kindle a romance."
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"Mr. Holter has ably imbued this tragic situation with humor and dramatic heft…Kip Fagan's steady direction ensures that the events unfold with sufficient tension and speed…The entire cast admirably portrays characters who could easily be sit-comish stereotypes…Despite an unavoidable tendency to come off as an inspirational message play, the smartly staged and well-acted 'Exit Strategy' is well worth a trip to the West Village."
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"We worry about the results of years of neglect on the lives of students and teachers but we’re given little to consider as alternatives...As energetically directed...by Kip Fagan...an electrical current courses through the production, with its sharp blackouts and blasts of raucous music...'Exit Strategy's' not perfect but it’s good enough not to need an exit strategy of your own."
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