What the Critics Are Saying about Translations ...
DC Examiner
"The company has reached back to its past repertoire and come up with another superb ensemble piece ... the performances mesh so beautifully together, it is impossible to single out any one of them ... first-rate production values ... George Lucas’ set, a dilapidated barn where Hugh holds his classes, is a wonder to behold. Tony Angelini’s haunting sound designs are an equally crucial element of this presentation, which represents yet another artistic triumph for Keegan. This is live theater at its most inspiring and exhilarating.."
- Read Doug Krentzlin's full review
DC Theatre Scene
"Keegan Theatre’s beautiful restaging is a chance not to be missed ... a mesmerizing revival ... a knock-out punch ...Solid actors who are well-steeped enough in their respective roles to pull out all the stops yet shade the nuances, build the sense of injustice to more ominous tones ...In a highly charged moment, both actors, the radiant Susan Marie Rhea as Maire, and Peter Finnegan as Yolland, are stunning in their hesitant, tremulous love scene that serves as the plot’s turning point. Words fail."
- Read Rosalind Lacy’s full review
The Washington Post
"Keegan Theatre’s Translations communicates with admirable clarity and assurance ... robust, aptly idiosyncratic performances ... Steering these and other interpretations with a sure hand and a keen instinct for pacing, director Mark A. Rhea keeps the story’s foreground and background distinct, while gracefully navigating the ups and downs of mood. ... The ebb and flow of such scenes, and the strong characterizations throughout, make the production suspenseful and engrossing -- but Friel’s ruminations on identity, cultural struggle and the politicization of language come through clearly, too...."
- Read Celia Wren’s full review
Washington City Paper
"Rhea knows that Friel’s script is a thing of fragile balances—push too hard on any single element, and the evening could get preachy, right quick ... he trusts Friel’s overriding thematic obsessions to sort themselves out and
lets his actors find the humanity of the thing. ... the rivalry between brothers Manus (Colin Smith) and Owen (Jon Townson) informs the two actors’
deft performances without stealing the focus. The romance between Yolland and village woman Maire (Susan Marie Rhea) feels
grounded and specific. ... Finnegan
nails his performance as Yolland ... George Lucas’
impressively detailed barnlike set is back, along with Daniel Lyons’ haughty British military officer and Stan Shulman as the village’s doddering, drunken, improbably well-read polyglot ... There’s a
similar elegance to most of the other performances, helped along by Rhea’s gentle directorial hand. "
Potomac Stages
Potomac Stages pick for "a history play that is both romantic and fascinating" ... "The play is one to loose yourself in for an excursion to another time and place where very real human concerns are explored ... a superb production ... Friel gives each of the cast of ten characters distinct and interesting personalities, and Keegan’s cast takes full advantage of the idiosyncrasies ... Mark A. Rhea blends the cast into an ensemble which feels very much like a community ... Keegan Theatre has come a long way from a sterling beginning, and this production - a revival of sorts - is dramatic proof of the fact."
- Read Brad Hathaway’s full review
AllArtsReview4U
CRITICS CHOICE: Best Theater Production ... "Mark Rhea finely directs the Keegan Theatre’s powerful production of Brian Friel’s classic....a wonderful cast ... should be seen by all who are interested in the language of world drama ..."
- Read Celia Sharpe’s full review
What the Critics Had to Say in 1997...
