"David Cale’s new play, 'Sandra,' is packed with classic thriller tropes, as if he had challenged himself to cram as many of the genre’s staples as possible into a 90-minute show."
Read more

"For a thriller, however, 'Sandra' doesn't quite succeed as a thrill ride...Audiences at 'Sandra' can imagine the story's twists and tensions well enough, but with the tools of a visual medium like theatre at its disposal, they shouldn't just have to imagine."
Read more

"In keeping with the starkness of the production—the set is just a chair and suggestions of walls, essentially lock our focus firmly on the main character."
Read more

"Without some interesting character flaw for her to wrestle with, her nonstop recitation of facts and events often makes her story read like a newspaper article."
Read more

For much of its brief running time, Sandra recalls the novels of Mary Stewart, the mid-twentieth-century specialist in romantic suspense whose heroines invariably get caught up in intrigue while visiting glamorous vacation destinations. Cale solidly establishes a growing atmosphere of mystery and peril, but he leaves plenty of nagging plot holes, beginning with Sandra's introduction to Luca, which hinges on a barely credible mix-up. As their affair heats up, Cale tries hard to explain Sandra's impulsive behavior but, to any fan of genre fiction, her inability to hear the obvious alarm bells becomes irritating.
Read more

"Whereas thrillers typically climax with gasps and edge-of-the-seat tension, 'Sandra' ends with incredulousness and some disappointment."
Read more

"It’s such a ridiculous plot development that it’s almost impossible to take the rest of the tale seriously."
Read more

Cale’s story uses many film noir devices from the 1940’s: exotic locale, strange encounters, searching down unknown streets, disappearing characters, a sexy stranger, danger signals avoided, clues that don’t add up, information that turns out to be fallacious, a damsel in distress, stolen objects, moments of high passion, etc. Yet all seem to be used as if for the first time. The elements are time tested, but the story is new. Cale is an excellent storyteller pulling us in with enough hints and clues to keep us interested until the very end. There are moments that sag but he always pulls us out into something new and unexpected.
Read more