PRESS
REVIEWS
Waxing poetic or gushing emphatically, either way you should note the fact that Justin Nepomuceno’s set (adorned and augmented by Properties Designer Jessie Krupkin) is to die for. Nepomuceno sets up the French doors with the ivy and outdoor foliage in one corner, a staircase leading up into the house in another, the backdoor out to the driveway, and the fireplace— so realistic and charming yet ominous and foreboding— along with the passage to the front of the house in the fourth corner. It’s all very elegant, perfectly poised for the late 70’s though it has this timeless feel of a slightly earlier decade— and Nepomuceno’s attention to detail is stunning. The low-raised crossbeam to indicate that the writer’s study is— as described— an old stable-barn is perfectly placed and the plush crimson-velvet lining that drapes the four load-bearing support columns of the space is simply divine. Add to Nepomuceno’s work the intricately designed ‘window cards’ (not show posters) of Sydney Bruhl’s plays…all developed by Krupkin…and the various and sundry instruments of doom and gloom and you have a literal perfect set. (All its missing is Chekhov’s rule of gun-placement…only with the mace!)
-Amanda N. Gunther, Theatre Bloom
Set designer Justin Nepomuceno really stole the show with an immersive, joyful, and quirky family room that included not only the stage, but the audience as well. Nepomuceno utilized the even the far corners of the black box room to create a playing space that tells the audience what kind of family lives there before the story begins. The finishing touches were thoughtful and well-designed, from the parquet wood floors to the wallpaper and lovely framed pictures. The costume design by Julia Golbey supported the show well, with period appropriate silhouettes and a delightfully hilarious toga and garter ensemble.
-Alysa Cripe, MD Theatre Guide
Set Designer Justin Nepomuceno has outdone the expectations of pretty much any show at Spotlighters, but particularly a two-weekend-only world premier as a part of the BPF. The tavern scenery that Nepomuceno has fabricated into existence is not only deeply detailed but enchantingly inviting. Like the minute you walk in, it’s a struggle to not want to step up on the stage, park yourself at the tavern stool and order…whatever questionable mead or ale that might be stowed behind the bar. The painted stonework and the overall spatial layout is impressive and it really engages the imagination.
-Alysa Cripe, MD Theatre Guide
Sofie Treadwell’s “Machinal” is an important play with a fascinating back story. It’s regarded by many as a crucial member of the 20th century American theatrical canon, but has been very rarely produced for decades. Fells Point Corner Theatre (FPCT) is opening their “Rebellion” season with the piece, in a stunning production directed by Deirdre McAllister.
The theater has mounted the piece in ways that are true to its words, manner, and period, fully retaining the modern expressionism of its origin. The language is of its time, right down to the last “hot dog!” The objects are of their time—the telephone is a candlestick style, the radio is cathedral type, and so on. But Justin Nepomuceno’s scenery, like the play’s thematic content, accentuates the timelessness of the story as it unfolds. There are metal file cabinets—dozens of them—serving to underscore the nameless inhumanity of Treadwell’s world. Other furniture ranges from 1960s industrial to contemporary Ikea. It fits, though. It’s all the same, as are the characters.
-Max Gardner, MD Theatre Guide
Director Benjamin Isaiah Black has assembled a terrific team to realize his vision of the play. The pacing lags a bit, particularly in the second act, but for the most part the action holds focus and moves along at an appropriate clip. I’ve come to look forward to Justin Nepomuceno’s set designs, and this one is thoughtfully conceived, sturdily handling the requirements of a garden, a stoop, and the backside of a tenement building.
-Timothy David Copney, Bmore Art