“Seems more interested in providing tidbits about Electchester than working up anything like drama...Elena and Luke are the blandest of ingenues, doomed to play second fiddle to a lively cast of supporting characters. Indeed, their troubles are barely dramatized; the playwright has opted for a jigsaw puzzle structure, needlessly jumping back and forth in time, with scads of unnecessary narration caulking up the empty spaces between scenes.”
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“Despite the complexity of the interactions of the people of Electchester and the poor folk at Pomonok, Kraar manages to end on a promising note. ‘Alternating Currents,’ produced under the auspices of the Working Theater, is a diverting look what happens to an idyllic place after decades of reality intrude.”
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“Written by Kraar, ‘Alternating Currents’ is rooted in community...researched...by creating theater for and about working people...The take away is both a positive and a negative...living in this utopian based grouping certainly creates a feeling of belonging, common goals and friendship. However, it has its inherent problems of divisiveness based on race and bias and the pressures of group expectations...The competent acting team furthers the contradictions raised in this environment.”
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"'Alternating Currents' hones in on the concept of community, and what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself. In a city of 8 million people, it’s easy to be swept up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life without ever laying down roots, supporting the theory that people in New York never get to know their neighbors. 'Alternating Currents' flips that theory on its head through its exceptional cast."
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"Takes an admirably complex view of the communities that it examines...Vaynberg and Bowen exhibit great chemistry together in addition to communicating their characters' conflicted personal journeys. Arcaro perfectly embodies the type of assertive, experienced working man that one could picture falling into conversation with...’Alternating Currents’ perceptively explores the messy realities of living and laboring in NYC, and, by extension, the United States today."
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“Part romantic drama, part social commentary, and a dash of historical pageant play...Kraar’s play evolved from interviews with residents of Queens...As interesting as the history is, it doesn’t really catch fire dramatically, with its overall ‘there’s good and bad everywhere’ take on things...Kraar’s scenes jump in time so the momentum is broken...The characters, though embodied by fine actors, take a back seat to a place and an idea.”
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