"Playwright-director Spano shows us the effects of hate crime in a world where hardness is everyone’s game, and no one is winning...Moves from soliloquy to dance solo to one-on-one scenes, through which we come to know two women committed to Joey’s success: his dance mentor and his transgender therapist (the mesmerizing Bianca Leigh). 'Joey' leans too heavily on monologue, and the transitions can be clunky and self-conscious. But the play aims right to your heart, and does its work."
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“For the most part, Spano’s play is graceful in its simplicity: expressive but succinct, riffing without being trite, political without devolving into didacticism. This is a playwright with deep empathy for his characters...Of course, ‘Joey’ is necessarily hampered by some tired tropes around addiction, psychology, and the cutthroat world of ballet...Yet in certain breathtaking moments ‘Joey’ truly soars.”
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"A poignant and uplifting three-hander…All three actors deliver sensitive and sympathetic performances...Expressive segments of dance are interspersed between the monologues and dialogues, physically and artistically evincing the decline and recovery of Joey’s zest for his art, and for life…'Joey' is personal and moving, a heartfelt tribute to caregivers and survivors, and a beautiful paean to the need for facing reality and appreciating today, despite the hardships of yesterday."
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