"This disregard of the classic elements of style makes scarefests a natural field of exploration for Ms. Jarcho, a queen of experimental mayhem. Traditional logic, coherent plots and credible acting have never been among her priorities...All these men are played with ripe and delirious hamminess by Pete Simpson, who is giving one of the most unlikely and dazzling comic performances of this season. Funny he may be, but it is Simpson who brings the show to its sobering conclusion."
Read more

"Jarcho has spun a metaphysical conceit around her characters, putting the audience inside what turns out to be a B-movie...On the page this is interesting, but on its feet the different modes create confusion. Is the goal black comedy?...Is it 'terrifying?' Well. Shows can be both comic and scary at once, of course...But it needs delicate calibration. This is where execution muddies the issue...The play's parts, which seemed so healthy separately, just won't make a functioning body go."
Read more

"While a visually stunning and cleverly staged production, there is still room for improvement. The script at times sacrifices clarity for intrigue, and none of the characters seem to have been developed thoroughly enough...The co-existence of camp and horror also seems to make them negate each other: the rapid shifts between styles make it hard to truly get lost in the story."
Read more

“Who’s more terrifying: the monster or its victims? Playwright and director Julia Jarcho...will answer the question in a tidy, melancholic monologue at the end of her new horror comedy, ‘The Terrifying.’ What she won’t do is scare you or make you laugh, though the production frequently tries to do both, pummeling you with a seat-rattling sound design and often goofy humor...All of it is a sensory overload and too much fuss for a messy commentary on how monsters come in all shapes and sizes."
Read more

“An object lesson in the magic of live performance, building a striking theatrical experience out of a slim, unsettling folk tale of a script…Jarcho breathes mood and texture into the play’s archetypal characters and broad narrative strokes. The piece is realized with confidence and control in every detail, anchored by Ben Jalosa Williams’s immersive live sound design and a bravura performance by Pete Simpson in all three leading-male roles.”
Read more