“Superbly directed by John Pierson...Theatergoers who look forward to the annual festival will not disappointed...Each of the three pieces presents audiences with an opportunity to see engaging theater with an excellent cast...The creative team has done a top job...An outstanding opportunity for all those who enjoy fine theater."
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“The LaBute New Theater Festival consists of entries that...focus on high-concept premises and plot twists...'Hate Crime’ is ‘Double Indemnity’ with an all-male cast...’Winter Break’ consists of endless circular conversations...’Percentage America’...Consists of an unconvincing idea pushed to laborious extremes...An unimpressive lineup, with all three plays weighed down by thinly drawn characters and plots that don't really track."
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"It's not that LaBute's piece, 'Hate Crime' eschews sex and power...It's just that the playwright has nothing new to say about either of them...Fortunately, the actors, as well as the festival's director John Pierson, fare much better with the evening's other two entries...Both of these plays provide fresh takes on topical issues...What makes the evening worthwhile is the opportunity to see the well-constructed, thought-provoking, and original works by Mr. Haigney and by Mr. Lewis."
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"All smartly written, crisply staged, and delightfully performed...'Hate Crime'. LaBute skillfully dusts off this old film noir premise...Haigney’s engrossing 'Winter Break'. This culture clash includes funny jokes...and fierce debates...A divorcée and pharmacist...are on a first date in Lewis’ comical though somewhat convoluted 'Percentage America'...Pierson has staged all three works with thoughtfulness and strong pacing that realizes the dramatic and comedic aspects of each.”
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"While 'Hate Crime' features excellent acting and some compelling dialogue, it fails to reach the level of quality seen in LaBute's other works...Haigney wisely leaves 'Winter Break' ending open to interpretation, giving some fresh juice to a well-trodden topic...'Percentage America' is a timely work, echoing the sad state of affairs of 'fake news' and biased, untrustworthy reporting. All three actors maximize the power and humor of Lewis's script."
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“The first and most compelling play is by LaBute...LaBute lets his language and its rhythms guide us along...’Winter Break’ is the overwritten story of a college student...'Percentage America' almost succeeds...These are able actors, but they are hindered in some cases by the scripts which make them work too hard; in other cases by Pierson’s direction which is unimaginative – the action is stilted and the actors’ shining moments are random and disconnected.”
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“In past showcases featuring LaBute plays, his have usually been the most sharply honed. Not so in this one, which leads off with his mediocre ‘Hate Crime,’ about two anonymous gay men who are plotting a murder…More dramatically satisfying, and socially relevant, is James Haigney's ‘Winter Break,’ which deals with a situation one can actually imagine taking place in an American household…In ‘American Percentage,’ the potential…is strong but the treatment…isn't as funny as it seems to think it.”
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"Unfortunately, not only has the number of plays diminished, but the quality has gone down as well. Not one of this year’s plays could be called a success...'Percentage America' is the most ambitious play, but unfortunately trips over its attempts at satire...It is disheartening to think that these are the three best plays they could find for this year’s festival. The acting could best be described as competent."
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