Reviews for 'Clutter'
ENCORE
World Premiere: ‘Clutter’ exposes the pain of no do-overs in marriage
"Sometimes the writing of a play is so incredibly on the nose for the subject, the truth of the characters, the dialogue, the flow of the story makes you squirm a little in your chair. In a good way. Cox uses an interesting construct to take the audience to a worthwhile place. ...it unfolds beautifully on stage. Directed by Diane Hill, the casting of the play couldn’t be better. Phil Powers embodies this man who is full of confidence and regret at the same time. Matsos does an exceptional job of switching back and forth between his actual wife and a woman who is injecting her perspective as a woman who understands what his wife wanted by virtue of being a woman herself. Artun Kircali as Sir comes into the story half-way through the play, and quickly assimilates to the emotional minefield “Me” is taking us through. The writing here is razor sharp and the acting is more than up to doing it justice." - David Kiley, EncoreMichigan.com​ READ THE FULL REVIEW
IT'S ALL THEATRE
Clutter at Theatre NOVA
"'Clutter' is emotionally provocative, an intricately woven piece of thinking person’s theatre. See Theatre Nova’s production for some fine performances by Powers, Matsos, and Kircali. See it because it may make you aware of some of the clutter in your own personal life. And see it especially because a playwright has undoubtedly left a great deal of his heart and soul on the pages of his script." - Dan Skora, ItsAllTheatre.com
DAMN ARBOR
Theatre review: Clutter at Theatre NOVA
"'Clutter' opens with Me attempting to find something important on his cluttered desk. He kvetches about the nature of clutter and his perennial inability to keep things tidy. This is pretty humorous and earned some good laughs from the audience. I think it's worth noting that in a play with good acting, Tory Matsos' really stood out. Overall, I liked 'Clutter'. It's an ambitious attempt to tell a story in a non-traditional way. Phil Powers did a great job portraying Me's toxic nostalgia and deep regret for his past.
'Clutter' is a tight 90 minutes with no intermission." - Ben Connor Barrie, Damn Arbor
PULP: Arts Around Ann Arbor
Clutter at Theatre NOVA
"'Clutter' is an inventive play with countless elegant moments that are orchestrated throughout by director Diane Hill, and acted capably by all three actors who shift tonally from comedy to drama and back to comedy with finesse and grace. Phil Powers in the role of Me is likable and embodies the Everyman nature of his character well, effectively acting as a lens for the audience to peer into his mind. 'Clutter' fits neatly into Theatre Nova’s commitment to producing new plays that are relevant to modern audiences. As Hill put it, “this play will touch anyone who sees it that has ever been in a relationship, failed or successful.” I’m inclined to agree with her completely. It is an admirable effort and I look forward to seeing what Cox comes up with next, and how this play continues to evolve.
" - Toby Tieger, Pulp: Arts Around Ann Arbor
REEL ROY REVIEWS
“What good else is the past for?” Theatre Nova’s Michigan premiere of Clutter
"...expertly directed with delicate and precise nuance by Diane Hill, the play is a revelation. 'Clutter' details in a brisk 90 minutes the tragic dissolution of a 23 (or is it 24?) year marriage. Phil Powers (an actor whose surname sure as hell suits his talents) is our guide as “Me,” exploring the confines of his messy office (minimal but pitch perfect set design by Ariel Sheets) and even messier mind, laying bare his soul with crack comic timing and professorial eccentricity. Cox keeps the play from turning maudlin or melodramatic (a peril of the memory play convention) by keeping a meta-absurdist’s eye on the proceedings. " - Roy Sexton, Reel Roy Reviews
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THE CRANKY CRITIC
No mess, just a fine-tuned production at Theatre Nova
"a gutsy, thoughtful and thought-provoking examination of one couple's deteriorating marriage through the recollections of the husband. ...in the hands of Diane Hill, making an impressive directorial debut since joining Theatre Nova as a producing artistic director a handful of months back, every moment is precision tooled to keep the timeline clear and the plot focused. Equally focused are Tory Matsos and Artun Kircali as Woman and Sir ...the two are in total sync with each other throughout their fully believable performances. But most impressive is Phil Powers as Me. In 'Clutter', Powers invests every emotion imaginable into his character, so much so that I'm not sure how he pulls it off night after night and not go home mentally exhausted - especially following the emotionally draining final minutes of the show." - Donald V. Calamia, The Cranky Critic
