"As a piece of theater, it feels more like a lecture, delivered with the house lights up but curiously absent of intimacy...The alchemy of gender the show’s title mentions is more evident in Ms. Wolpe’s stories than in her channeling the words of Richard III or Henry V...There are interesting glimmers throughout the show. More often, though, there is a self-help vibe to the proceedings."
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“Ms. Wolpe demonstrates a fluid physicality and a soothing vocal expressiveness. Wolpe quite adeptly offers rich characterizations of some of those most illustrious roles. In addition, she seamlessly switches to delivering revelatory reminiscences and concise analysis of the plays with elan that recalls Spalding Gray’s monologues. The combination of these elements yields to a wonderful performance.”
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"It is impossible not to be touched by her heartfelt performance. The audience gains insight into what makes Shakespeare’s male characters so liberating for her to play and how her slowly unraveling family tragedies helped reveal Shakespeare as a humanist…Even for audiences who have never experienced similar situations to Wolpe, there is something that appeals to all...It’s like group therapy, where you leave enlightened and liberated."
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"‘Shakespeare & The Alchemy of Gender’ does not only celebrate Shakespeare's work, it is also a chronicle of the fascinating and tragic history of Wolpe's family. By interweaving scenes from Shakespeare's plays with events in the history of her family, Lisa Wolpe shows the liberating power of Shakespeare's words…Wolpe's mesmerizing performance celebrates Shakespeare's language and shows the humanity of his writing...A celebration of Shakespeare's humanism, love and life."
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"Wolpe brilliantly owns the stage and each of Shakespeare's male characters that she brings to life are done so with the power of reconnection…It is Wolpe's spin and understanding of the texts as well as the characters that make each scene she does have depth and purpose…It’s a tall order for any performer to be writer, actor and director of their one woman show but Wolpe was clearly undaunted by the task."
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