rEVIEW

"In the hilarious first half of Paul David Young’s new play, David (Richard Gallagher), a version of the playwright, pays a reluctant visit to his childhood home, in Kentucky. His monster of a mother, Regina (a spectacular Deborah Hedwall), announces, through the fog of her dementia, that David’s true biological father was his (now dead) pediatrician, Dr. Woodman (a perfectly doctorly Brian Hastert), and not her long-suffering husband, Bill (touchingly performed by Jonathan Hogan). . ."

——The New Yorker, Review, Oct. 11 by Rollo Romig https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/theatre/all-my-fathers-10-21-19

rEVIEW

“A surprisingly nimble and funny fantasia”

“Packed with curveballs, All My Fathers is also a work of considerable literacy.”

“[T]here is poignancy as well as cleverness here.”

Lighting & Sound America — Review, Oct. 7 by David Barbour http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/news/story.asp?ID=5NL6H1

REVIEW

“All My Fathers is a clever, circumspect examination of paternity and “how to find it,” especially if one’s mom has been clouding the issue which women may do to save themselves and their children. Young’s humor is salient and sardonic. The actors are just terrific. Yionoulis’ direction reflects the balance needed to move from the dramatic beginning to the humorous, absurdist ending and the lovely reconciliation at the conclusion.”

Theater Pizzazz — Review, Oct. 5 by Carole di Tosti https://www.theaterpizzazz.com/all-my-fathers/

REVIEW

"Director Evan Yionoulis handles the potentially heavy material with a light touch, keeping her cast's heads above the flood of twists and turns, with Hedwall and Hogan turning in performances that are both hilarious and poignant. Young's text mirrors the emotional journey of his "protagonist," in that it goes through a lot of different feelings but hasn't come to terms with what it all means.”

Theater Is Easy — Review by Regina Robbins on 10.13.19 http://www.theasy.com/Reviews/2019/A/allmyfathers.php

REVIEW

“Then we have Mr. Young’s new play All My Fathers (RECOMMENDED), which has been stylishly directed by Evan Yionoulis at La MaMa. Mr. Young uses a number of tools in his shed to tell the “pseudo” autobiographical story of his relationship with his parents, specifically in light of a family secret (no spoilers here) that was divulged towards during the twilight of their lives. . . . The acting is very good across the board, especially Deborah Hedwall and Jonathan Hogan, who gamely play Mr. Young’s aging parents with agility and color.”

Interludes — Review by Adrian Dimanlig, Oct. 11, 2019 http://www.adriandimanlig.com/viewpoints-memory-in-motion-paul-david-youngs-all-my-fathers-and-tennessee-williams-the-glass-menagerie/

REVIEW

"In All My Fathers, Paul David Young manages to weave material from thousands of years of literature’s unhappy families into his own story and make it all sound like one family, undeniably distinct and yet painfully familiar. All My Fathers is remarkable work and should not be missed."

"Amazingly, everything fits together cohesively to make a truly wonderful piece of theatre. In Evan Yionoulis’ capable hands, a script that could have been played as complete tragedy or as a mockery of the aging mind walks a fine balance that lets us laugh at absurdity of the situation but also see the genuine pain that it causes each character. Acting is stellar throughout, especially Deborah Hedwall’s Regina, who is both maddening and heartbreaking. Design elements are strong; in particular, Melissa Friedling’s excellent video design is complemented by Ao Li’s simple, versatile set.”

The Reviews Hub — Review by Carrie Lee O’Dell, Oct. 16, 2019 Awarded All My Fathers Five Stars * * * * * https://www.thereviewshub.com/all-my-fathers-la-mama-e-t-c-new-york-city