Skip to content

Audience Feedback Archive

Critics and audiences alike rave about Mirror Stage events and productions.

The common thread that links the majority of Mirror Stage audience feedback is praise for Mirror Stage’s scripts and actors. Descriptive phrases and adjectives used again and again include: engaging, intriguing, great, relevant, interesting, wonderful, remarkable, thought-provoking, excellent, spectacular and stellar. That the two core elements of our programming consistently receive such lofty praise is rewarding and also helps us keep the bar set sufficiently high to continue producing high quality work.

The Squirrel Plays by Mia McCullough, April-May 2023

  • “Very funny, creative and moving”
  • “Cool to see them presented like this with peoples contradictions and how they excuse their attitudes”
  • “”The play made me think about how woman and men deal with abortions separately and what it can do to a relationship if not dealt with in a delicate way.”
  • “11 of us attended together and 7 of us went out afterward to discuss the play.”
  • “I really enjoyed the different perspectives coming into conflict.”
  • “The acting was very immersive.”
  • “Great acting and direction”
  • “The show was very well produced, acted and directed.”

Expand Upon: Income Inequality and the Wage Gap, October 2022

  • “Interesting and insightful play! The actors were amazing too.”
  • “The play was very interesting and the post show discussion was wonderful and insightful.”
  • “I really enjoyed the shows!”
  • “Big thank you all around.”

Expand Upon: Climate Change, October 2021

  • “The acting was terrific. I thought the limitations of a Zoom performance was handled well.”
  • “This was one of the best Mirror Stage productions so far!”
  • “There is so much to love about both plays! Of course, nothing beats a live in-person performance, yet I really enjoyed all the adaptations made possible via Zoom… For the audience, Zoom can feel more intimate and great because we can see all the performers faces clearly, we can hear them, and CC was available! Thank you to all involved for provoking thought and providing so many laughs. Can’t wait for Round 7!”

Mirror Stage Expand Upon: Gun Control, October 2020

  • “Really excited that expanded the reach of the performance via ZOOM. While some technical issues, it was an entertaining and educational performance”
  • “The cast and writing were great! Loved the history lesson about the Black Panthers, and what a jerk Jim Bowie was.”
  • “…the performance highlighted the issues in different but compelling terms.”
  • “It was good to have such thoughtful people discuss a difficult subject”
  • “A wide range of audience members and plays that provoked discussion.”
  • “Excellent cast and direction. These two plays were engrossing.”

Mirror Stage Expand Upon: Homelessness, October 2019

  • “Thank you for exploring these issues! I liked seeing a fuller look into someone experiencing homelessness. I wish I had more of these to go to!”
  • “Excellent acting, and touched upon so many of the situations that lead to homelessness.”
  • “Sandcastles analogy was great. Thank you so much for the great performances.”
  • “Excellent production. It touched my heart. It got me thinking about homelessness from the perspective of the homeless.”
  • “It helped me think about barriers to stable housing that I was unaware of or hadn’t thought much about before.”
  • “It is hard to be aware of all of the causes of homelessness, the pre-performance lecture was very informative. Please keep bringing light to topics that are largely “taboo” in society.”
  • “Outstanding. Really. Thank You!”

Expand Upon: Immigration, April 2019

  • “Enjoyed learning about different perspectives on immigration.”
  • “I realized how important it is for us to view the issue of immigration from a systemic perspective. Our current system of criminalizing immigrants is rooted in our for-profit prison system.”
  • “Superb. Acting was fantastic.”
  • “Terrific plays—very engaging & excellent readings; funny, too.”

Expand Upon: Incarceration, October 2018

“A captivating and educational experience”—Chamidae Ford, DailyUW.com

“Quite lively and full of emotion… profound”—Emily Oomen, Drama in the Hood

  • “Wow! I wasn’t sure what to think of the play stripped-down, but I found it very moving. A very real glimpse of our criminal justice system. The Mass Incarceration lobby display poster was stunning, powerful. I think some important questions surrounding the criminal justice system were raised. I’m not one to speak up, but I found it fruitful to stay for discussion.”
  • “Kudos on an ambitious project! Thank you! The lecture was excellent! The writing was great!”
  • “There are aspects of the prison pipeline system I didn’t know/think about before.”
  • “Very well done. Important topic. Very relevant.”
  • “Dr. Berger’s lecture really showed how complex this subject is. Excellent plays and lecture—thank you!”
  • “Really loved the actors! I loved the dialogue & characters. Plays are the best when they delve into another world and I got that from it.”

Expand Upon: Institutional Racism, October 2017

  • “I laughed & cried, which was unexpected. I loved the style of presentation”
  • “I like exploring new work on current topics.”
  • “I felt like I caught on to a lot of the deeper meanings & nuances. I’m sure I will think of more new understandings as I continue to reflect. I LOVE the mission of this program! We need more of this.”
  • “The conversation felt very open considering the heavy topics.”
  • “You can think about an issue all you want. Seeing it is different. It was great.”

Feed Your Mind: The Penelopiad, February 2016

“…a fine example of how an intelligent, complex and fiercely relevant contemporary drama can stir deep emotional responses and lingering personal contemplation of important ideas…I so appreciate what Mirror Stage is doing with their Feed Your Mind series. They are presenting important plays that raise important considerations”—Jerry Kraft, SeattleActor.com

  • “Loved it! Creative and captivating use of props, etc. Beautiful!”
  • “A great perspective on an ancient story… intellectually stimulating. Loved the afterplay discussion.”
  • “History as we are told is just a perspective.”
  • “Totally different from anything I have ever seen or experienced.”
  • “Liked how the reading focused my attention on their expressions and tone of voice without distraction of a set & costumes.”
  • “Loved the simplicity of the setting & the complexity of the story & issues.”

Feed Your Mind: An Issue of Blood, October 2015

  • “Brilliant interpretation…beautifully done!”
  • “Brilliant. Loved it. The play. The performers. Everything…so many things that need to be said.”
  • “Thank you for staging this piece…this moment in history is not taught much. It’s challenging & relevant and was cool.”
  • “This is a good organization doing important work.”
  • “Great to hear about events in history that I may not be aware of. Very powerful. Was fun.”

Feed Your Mind: Principal Principle, February 2015

“PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLE STAGED READING GETS AN A. Is our public educational system grinding itself into the ground? This is just one of the questions Joe Zarrow explores in his 2014 play, Principal Principle…Director Suzanne Cohen helped her cast of five women read this play with great vigor and emotion…With this stripped down version of theater, I feel much more focused on the play’s themes… Zarrow and this reading show up the irony that a system that has conflated correct answers on a multiple-choice exam with learning can’t even pose for itself clear questions with clear—correct—answers.”—Mark Douglass, Drama in the Hood

  • “Diversity of audience members made for a lively conversation… love the selection of thought-provoking scripts & the discussions afterward.”
  • “Lovely insight to the topic of education and the dimension of change affecting students and teachers.”
  • “Great discussion…Excellent play that explores conflict, race, education issues, ethics, trust, why we work.”
  • “Beautifully done. This was intellectually stimulating and (surprisingly) engaging. I appreciate thinking more in depth about privilege and teaching. It was amazing and very emotional. I was impressed! This was truly fantastic!”
  • “The reading was fantastic. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 10.”

Odin’s Horse by Robert Koon, Ocotber-November 2012

  • “I will never forget this play and performance. My many thanks go out to you all…good work well done…I want you to know of my great appreciation to you and to all who made possible the production of this wonderful play.”
  • “Excellent performances, interesting unusual staging, lighting, quick switches of viewpoint, balanced presentation of complex material. Wonderful script.”
  • “You produced a wonderful, important show…Thank you for all you do!”
  • “Cutting edge material, good production value…I was very happy with the production quality + acting skill.”
  • “…you did a fantastic job. I am really excited by your approach and I encourage you to keep up the good work. Real conversation about important topics is needed.”
  • “Always very well done – excellent casting and directing!”
  • “I like intelligent, well-acted/directed theatre.”
  • “Well done. Loved the words, topic, acting & presentation.”
  • “Very well written and well acted, the characters were well rounded & developed, the staging was organic.”
  • “We were blown away by the play, the actors and your amazing direction. Be proud of your triumphant return to fully produced works! We’re hooked and look for many more to come. You got the right stuff!”
  • “Nice to see two perspectives equally portrayed on a controversial topic.”
  • “The play was thoughtful and thought-provoking…a thoroughly enjoyable evening.”
  • “Always interesting and well presented. Insight into contemporary areas of disagreement.”
  • “Fascinated by the juxtaposition of the 2-sided issue with conservation + economics—interspersed with history.”
  • “Excellent production values.”
  • “Amazing acting and an even better script. The play came together so perfectly.”
  • “I never would have thought this would have made for a good play, but the story was strong.”
  • “Casting was excellent…learned new things about logging, Nordic history.”
  • “Beautiful show…I loved the weaving of the Norse mythology with a profoundly important and dire situation occurring in our country & beloved redwood forests.”
  • “Thank you for a thought-provoking, beautiful production…this play brings the issues to a different level.”

Feed Your Mind: 2011-2014

  • “Love the diversity of cast & feel more people should see work like this.”
  • “A good story that needed to be told. The actors were excellent.”
  • “Ballsy, complicated, funny & fascinating.”
  • “Well acted! Glad to see a new play—thank you for producing new works!”
  • “No easy answers on this topic, but good to keep ‘feeding the mind.’”
  • “Great script, great actors…I think the simple reading gives the words more power.”
  • “Reading & discussion were both powerful and inspired deeper thought about an incredibly important topic.”
  • “So refreshing! Wonderful acting/direction. A lot of subtly not-talked-about things all together and talked about. Wonderful moments. A story that needs telling.”
  • “Attending the reading was a WONDERFUL experience. It’s such a fabulous play and the staging and acting were marvelous, and as usual with everything you do, it was intelligent and thought-provoking. Sheer delight. Thank you for creating miracles. Time and again.”
  • “I learned a lot of new ideas in the discussion after the play. I think it’s important to relate the play to what is happening now.”
  • “Subject area that’s very close to home—loved the reading”
  • “I thought it was awesome—great reading and an incredibly moving story. Goes to show that good writing is better than high dollar productions!”
  • “Very Moving. More depth than I expected. Made me think about life in general and how sometimes you just need to go for what you want out of life.”
  • “I love a minimalist approach where the work shines.”
  • “Interesting to hear both audience and actor responses…I enjoyed the rawness this form requires.”
  • “Very rich play with relevant themes on current changes in modern life…great script—good reading! I thought it was wonderful.”
  • “a clever way to introduce the disconnects in our culture…it’s relevant, humorous and good.”
  • “a fresh take on jobs and workplace monotony…the script was really engaging and the actors did a great job.”
  • “I like smart, thought provoking art—performance art or otherwise.”
  • “I just can’t believe how much I can get from the actors just reading!”
  • “One of the very best plays/productions I’ve seen in Seattle in 20 years. Kudos to the actors! Raises important & challenging questions… The acting is wonderful and the play was both highly intelligent and dramatically engaging.”
  • “Rich, nuanced, smart…Loved it.”
  • “I love plays that make the audience think. Great choice.”
  • “Loved the discussion after. The piece itself was so effective it made the discussion all the better.”
  • “Presented both perspectives in a full way without diatribes and with heart.”
  • “This play dealt with significant issues that deserve to be put on stage”
  • “Just exposure to the discussion was beneficial.”
  • “Emotionally powerful yet full of ideas, challenging conventional wisdom.”
  • “Wonderful—a great mix of tender emotions, comedy, sadness & perspective that reflects how diverse we are, even within our intimate families.”
  • “I thought this was a tremendous play. I was moved over & over by the inner working of the family and what it had to say about our world.”
  • “I like the readings better because they make me focus on the content, not the accoutrements.”
  • “Brought me to tears a couple of times & this is only a reading!”
  • “There were subtleties in the script that were brought out in the discussion that really informed what had come before.”
  • “Fabulous! Always good to make us think about what we believe… It’s so fun to get involved in a play more intimately than just entertained.”
  • “Well-done… very arresting & kept my interest & attention… We need provocative theater. People need to think as well as be entertained.”
  • “It’s a wonderful experience & joy to attend your plays!”

Mirror Stage Fully Staged Productions

In October 2002, Mirror Stage produced the West Coast premiere of The Knee Desires the Dirt by Julie Hébert, followed in February 2003 by the Northwest Premiere of Far East by A.R. Gurney. In November 2003, Mirror Stage presented the Northwest Premiere of Abstract Expression by Theresa Rebeck, named “Best Play of 2003” by Seattle Gay News. In October/November 2012, Mirror Stage returned to fully-staged productions with the West Coast premiere of Odin’s Horse by Robert Koon, named “one of Seattle’s best productions of 2012” by Seattle Gay News.

  • “Incredible, well-acted, well-directed. A stellar show.”
  • “I loved the show. It seemed incredibly relevant to my life.”
  • “Relevant to today’s world.”
  • “A complex, interesting and timely play.”
  • “This was the real thing: great sound, great set, great acting!”
  • “Interesting topic—fun to talk about art & race & money.”
  • “It’s rare to see good, solidly acted and produced live theatre. An enjoyable night well worth the ticket price. Sound, lighting and timing were great. Good flow. Fine acting.”

For a list of Past Productions, click here.