Houston Press

Catastrophic Theatre delivers the goods and creates a miniature pendant that gleams with tantalizing brilliance.

The talented Tamarie Cooper opens the latest in a series of musical extravaganzas - this one rife with patriotism - to enchant a horde of loyal followers and to introduce newcomers to a remarkable talent: a Renaissance woman who conceives, directs, choreographs and acts, and does all these well. She brings with her a cast of polished performers who bring her vision to exciting life. 

As a writer, Tamarie is original and inventive. As a choreographer, she is indefatigable. And as a performer, she is an accomplished professional. She acts her part as mistress of ceremonies with an unflagging, engaging poise and depth.

The joy shared by performers who love their craft and have the talent to prove it spreads to and engulfs the audience. The result is a riotous evening of fun and laughter, one likely to be savored and remembered. Don't miss it.

Brood's life is told as a series of comic moments and over-the-top performances that add up to an ending so genuinely moving - devastating, even - that it's impossible to see coming, never mind that it's been foreshadowed from the very beginning of the play.

[The Designated Mourner] pierces the darkness of the human experience, asking us to weigh the precious pretensions of art against the brutality of a world without people who care about such seemingly useless subjects. ... Directed with heart-crushing grace and beautifully acted by this smart cast - Dean gives the performance of his career here - the troubling play puts forth a bleak worldview that doesn't seem all that far-fetched.