"'Lost and Guided' offers a sympathetic depiction of those whose lives were torn apart by the Syrian war...It is not the sort of play that hammers home a clear thesis on the war or what should be done about it...'Lost and Guided' seems less concerned with driving action onstage than it is with catalyzing an emotional impact offstage...It is wonderful to see a strong cast of Middle Eastern performers, and all four leads in particular give endearing and compelling performances."
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"A stunning new play...'Lost and Guided' packs an emotional wallop into its 90-minute running time. Rather than the brief, often heavily politically tinged news stories and articles on the Syrian situation, the play tells the flesh-and-blood stories of four everyday people...The cast is excellent...Many intense and sometimes difficult-to-watch moments in this outstanding piece...It also tears at the heartstrings."
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"As both writer and director, Kapustina makes a difficult story engaging and approachable, while retaining the emotional and complex truths of humanity’s darker side...It is a complicated and emotional journey without an easily packaged outcome, and it deserves to fill every seat in the house...Outside of an awkwardly staged moment or two...this production is craftily directed...'Lost and Guided' is both affecting and effective."
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“The challenge of constructing a play in this way is that the dialogue is likely to seem less organic to the characters and it does in fact sometimes feel a bit stilted. Overall, though, ‘Lost and Guided’ makes a strong impression, showing just how quickly war and political violence can turn people's lives upside down…At a time when refugees are undeservedly looked at with suspicion by many, this play helps to humanize them and inspires much-needed compassion.”
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"Set amidst the onset of violence in Syria's Civil War, it follows the fates of two families. While relying too heavily on the classic idea of how war can tear apart families and ruin lives, the play does synthesize the emotions of the characters through good acting and an engaging script. The cast brought a human element to a faraway war that now resonates for me more emotionally than it did before watching the play. I would recommend 'Lost and Guided' for its timeliness and gritty nature."
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“Moving and absorbing…One of the drawbacks of having a play constructed from transcripts is that a certain amount of subtlety is lost...But the play text effectively incorporates ordinary details of characters’ lives into the larger political and historical backdrop, which, along with the power of hearing refugees’ own accounts and Kapustina’s expert directing, enables the production to accomplish its stated goal of humanizing the refugee crisis.”
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