Jump to:
WBAI Radio interview with Jordan Baker (Anna) and Susan Yankowitz (Playwright)
Chelsea Now feature (by Jerry Tallmer) with Jordan Baker
(Anna) and Susan Yankowitz (Playwright)
"Under the direction of Daniella Topol, Jordan Baker is extremely moving
as
a woman trying to recapture and put into words the thoughts that once
were
no trouble for her to express."
- TheaterScene.net
"You could do yourself no greater favor than immersing yourself in
this
riveting, dark yet anything but cheerless, starry 'Night Sky.'"
- John Simon - Bloomberg
"Without hesitation I recommend it highly"
- Jewish Forward
“Watching her character desperately struggle to express the simplest
of ideas, one is brutally reminded of our fragility -- and how we take
the most basic human abilities for granted.”
- New York Post
"The performances are uniformly strong, with Jordan Baker - last seen
her in the Pulitzer-prize winning Three Tall Women 15 years ago - outstanding
yet again"
-
Roma Torre/NY1
“Yankowitz shines in the pacing of Night Sky and in stitching a patchwork
of scenes into an instructive and entertaining whole. Like Anna, Yankowtiz
describes a universe willing to tell us marvelous things if we can only
learn to listen.”
-
About.com
"Night Sky is a heavenly journey that reaches to celestial heights
as it firmly plants your feet on the ground and reminds you what is really
important. Treat yourself to a very impressive work and see this one."
- Electronic
Link
""Director Daniella Topol steers the story through short scenes
that often provoke laughter through the tears"
- CurtainUp.com
"Every nuance of Anna's strong character turned inside out is beautifully
brought to vivid life"
-
Talk Entertainment
“I went to the matinee today and was really moved by the play. I
saw Jordan afterward, by sheer accident and got to tell her how splendid
she was. Congratulations, on taking on such a magnificent, stirring story
and bringing it to glittering life.”
“This is not a play for aphasics or families of aphasics but for
everybody who has ever struggled with the difficulty of finding language
to express feelings. It is engaging, funny, painful and extraordinarily
moving. Yankowitz's understanding of Anna's suffering speaks eloquently
to the precariousness of all our efforts to locate our selves and connect
with others in this unforgiving universe. It is very much a play to be seen
by all.”
“What a super show that was last night! I was blown away by so many
moments in the play (when I wasn’t laughing!). The one that has stuck
with me most this morning is when Anna can’t remember Jen’s
name. Heartbreaking!”
"Very moving play. Even though I had no personal affiliation with
aphasia, I truly understood the frustration etc. The closest I can associate
with aphasia was an uncle who had a stroke. Actors and actress were very
professional."
“Just wanted to write you to say that I had a great experience taking
in Night Sky last night. I thought it was very powerful stuff that made
for strong theater. Having a relative with Aphasia made it hit home extra
hard. Jordan Baker was amazingly good I thought. She (and [Susan Yankowitz],
they are [her] words after all) broke my heart in a good way.”
“I just wanted to tell you how marvelous and how deeply moving last
night's performance of Night Sky was. So wonderful to hear [Susan Yankowitz’s]
beautiful words float off the page. I was especially moved by the mother/daughter
relationship -- so fraught, so fragile, so beautiful.”
“The play was truly beautiful, poignant and powerful. What I appreciated
most was how [Susan Yankowitz] didn't turn this woman's struggle into a
victim/pity-party kind of story, but instead maintained her strength and
dignity despite the new challenges she faced. The frustration of someone
who is very highly functioning (intellectually) prior to the event and then
must learn to deal with her limitations thereafter was right on target.
Finally, my absolute favorite aspect was how a new side to Anna's character
developed after her accident-- having to do more with the emotional/spiritual
rather than the logical/analytical.”
“It was stunning. I'm so glad I invited a friend to join me. We were
both moved beyond words. Let's hope this opus has some legs and goes to
Off-B'way. I would love to see the Public do it.”
“Very, very powerful! And I know you're not unaware that some of
what she "mis-said" in her search for words was the best saying
of all. Wonderful actors and directing, too.”
“The whole play with language was so moving. The scene in which the
voices and the wall close in on her was fantastic. The whole second act
was especially strong. It became clear that it was a play about couples'
and family relationships, not simply aphasia. The scenes between the couple
were terrifically effective but at times the daughter really stole the show.”
“To stage a play in language about losing language is about as tough
a challenge as it gets. [Susan Yankowitz] did it beautifully. She did justice
to everyone involved. Her handling of the subject showed sensitivity, respect,
and a real understanding of the pain that people with aphasia go through.
I loved the play, and I thought that Jordan Baker was exceptionally good
as Anna. It's a true and successful tribute to Joe Chaikin. As I told Susan
on Monday night after the performance, I thought her recurring triad was
brilliant: ‘mystery-misery-missing’.”
“[Susan Yankowitz’s] play was fantastic. I always knew you
were talented but that play even exceeded my expectations. [She was] able
to inject just enough laughter to offset the sorrow of the affliction. If
[she] hadn't I might have been a weeping mess. KUDOS!!!”
“We were swept away by Night Sky, a provocative, fast paced work--I
enjoyed the comic relief of the teeny bopper daughter, Jennifer her twitchy,
loose-limbed charm, and was delighted by [Dan] Domingues the guy who did
[the] Cary Grant imitation, ticket taking, restaurant manager, great voice,
timing, and that New Yowk accent was perfect-Tony Curtis. Bill had complete
authority as the science fact gatherer--I especially admired how he handled
the Schroedinger Cat in Box story, the quantum probability. Terrific drama.
Of course, courageous, witty Anna played by the incandescent Jordan took
the evening and brought tears --her struggle for a word--when she finds
telescope wrenched me. I hope the critics by now how have discovered this
gem and will hold it to the light.”
Lauren Ashley Carter (Jennifer) and Jordan Baker (Anna) |
Maria-Christina Oliveras (Speech Therapist) and Jordan Baker (Anna) |
Jim Stanek (Daniel) and Jordan Baker (Anna)
. |
Dan Domingues (Reporter), Jordan Baker (Anna) and Jim Stanek (Daniel) |
Jordan Baker as Anna |
Maria-Christina Oliveras (Female Friend), Lauren Ashley Carter (Jennifer),
Jim Stanek (Daniel), Jordan Baker (Anna), Tuck Milligan (Bill) and Dan
Domingues (Man on Street) |
Photo Credits: Carol Rosegg
Ellayne S. Ganzfried and Alec Baldwin
Susan Yankowitz, Kevin Kilner and Daniella Topol
Maria-Christina Oliveras, Jim Stanek, Jordan Baker, Dan Domingues and Lauren
Ashley Carter
Photo credit: Michael Portantiere
|
