Aug. 27, 2010
Marshall Theatre Alum Receives Rave Reviews in New York
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Sometimes you have to rely on other reviewers, especially when the production takes place in Central , New York.
Marshall University Theatre Graduate Mary Poindexter Williams has been starring as one-half of a two person production of “Six Dance Lessons” at the Cortland Repertory Theatre, Preble, N.Y. Neil Novelli writing for the Syracuse Post Standard, called the show a “beguiling mix of fireworks, charm and comedy” and that Ms. Williams and Kerby Thompson gave “adroit, sustained performances.”
The plot is simplistic --- Lily, a widow, hires a much younger Michael to come to her apartment and give her dance lessons, everything from the foxtrot to surf-rock. The two instantly dislike each other which makes for “no holds barred verbal battles” that occasionally turn “explosively hostile.”
Stating that Williams and Thompson convey a “unique blend of freedom and collaboration,” Novelli adds “Thompson and Williams make the laugh lines irresistible by tying them into the characters. And by creating characters that transcend sitcom; the two actors take the play straight to the heart of matters like human loneliness, hope and joy.”
News and reviews of Central New York Theatre called Williams performer “stellar” --- a proper minister’s wife and South Carolina school marm one moment, making sailors blush the next. “It’s like watching Betty White or Cloris Leachman on a Comedy Central Roast. She brings considerable poise to the role of Lily and a remarkable facility for comedy. Her comic delivery is flawless and her timing impeccable.”
For a “biased” opinion, we asked her husband , city councilman Steve Williams, for his comments: “She is incredible. I am so proud of her… at one point I just saw Mary’s character Lily and didn’t see Mary on stage. She was truly transformed.”
The performance received a standing ovation from the audience.
Ms. Williams , who performed at the Cortland in 2009, called “Six Dance Lessons” a “unique experience of challenge and reward.”
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Marshall Theatre Alum Receives Rave Reviews in New York
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Sometimes you have to rely on other reviewers, especially when the production takes place in Central , New York.
Marshall University Theatre Graduate Mary Poindexter Williams has been starring as one-half of a two person production of “Six Dance Lessons” at the Cortland Repertory Theatre, Preble, N.Y. Neil Novelli writing for the Syracuse Post Standard, called the show a “beguiling mix of fireworks, charm and comedy” and that Ms. Williams and Kerby Thompson gave “adroit, sustained performances.”
The plot is simplistic --- Lily, a widow, hires a much younger Michael to come to her apartment and give her dance lessons, everything from the foxtrot to surf-rock. The two instantly dislike each other which makes for “no holds barred verbal battles” that occasionally turn “explosively hostile.”
Stating that Williams and Thompson convey a “unique blend of freedom and collaboration,” Novelli adds “Thompson and Williams make the laugh lines irresistible by tying them into the characters. And by creating characters that transcend sitcom; the two actors take the play straight to the heart of matters like human loneliness, hope and joy.”
News and reviews of Central New York Theatre called Williams performer “stellar” --- a proper minister’s wife and South Carolina school marm one moment, making sailors blush the next. “It’s like watching Betty White or Cloris Leachman on a Comedy Central Roast. She brings considerable poise to the role of Lily and a remarkable facility for comedy. Her comic delivery is flawless and her timing impeccable.”
For a “biased” opinion, we asked her husband , city councilman Steve Williams, for his comments: “She is incredible. I am so proud of her… at one point I just saw Mary’s character Lily and didn’t see Mary on stage. She was truly transformed.”
The performance received a standing ovation from the audience.
Ms. Williams , who performed at the Cortland in 2009, called “Six Dance Lessons” a “unique experience of challenge and reward.”
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