“This is a play that I needed a night to sleep on before I could fully process what I had seen. The two acts, at first, seemed to be disconnected...’Meaningful Conversation’ is raw and real. It depicts a snapshot of life like I've never seen on stage. It shows intimate relationships between pairs of people, and how they react differently to situations. By the end...I felt like I had made new friends in these characters. I'd climb down my fire escape to hang out with them any day.”
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"We find ourselves in anticipation throughout Act I waiting for something more that might be the reason why we want to sit through Act II. Sadly, we are disappointed in hoping that the conversations will actually be more meaningful...Director Anais Koivisto elicits some good performances but probably a dramaturg might be in order to consolidate a too-long production that doesn’t give enough of a payoff."
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"Directed with a slightly messy but intriguing dynamic, 'Meaningful Conversation' attempts to dissect the intimate interactions that a blackout erupts upon when two strangers who are also neighbors reveal more about themselves than they ever wanted...'Meaningful Conversation' drives forward with a frantic uneven pace that leaves us scratching our head. It’s overly wordy and not very precise in its motivation...It leaves us feeling confused as to the purpose and the meaning."
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"It takes quite a while before there are a few moments of rare meaningful conversation in this new play, and it ultimately ends with gimmickry. But holding interest throughout are excellent cast members who provide a feeling of watching real people...Our experience with the characters presented us, although they are well acted, and even engaging at times, ends in a play that is very much at sea and fails to pull everything together with some sort of depth or significance."
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“Panettieri’s dialogue is sharp and witty at times, at other times sweet...A beautifully done character study...It’s also a sweet study into the intimacy that can exist between two people getting to know each other for the first time. And there are darker, looming themes as well: mental health, addiction, domestic abuse, and privilege lurk in the shadows of the conversation...Panettieri’s character are fleshed out and unabashedly human, and the actors bring them to life with tenderness.”
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