Caitlin Zambito. Photo by OddDog Pictures.

Harker Jones – BroadwayWorld

Tony-nominated playwright Lucas Hnath’s THE THIN PLACE is an eerie meditation on grief, regret and the need for closure, though it is undermined by the lack of a satisfying conclusion…

Obie Award- and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning Hnath (“Red Speedo”; “A Doll’s House, Part 2″) carefully delineates each character with precise brushstrokes, and director Abigail Deser allows her performers to breathe into the spaces Hnath leaves. The only drawback is that the ending doesn’t land. There’s no sense of closure for any of the characters and while that may be the point – that there aren’t necessarily answers we can find about the other side – it still leaves one with a sense of dissatisfaction. It needn’t be tied up in a bow, but it would be beneficial to have a sense of an actual ending. Read more…

Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw

On the page The Thin Place is a thoughtful drama, offering more than the story of a woman pursuing a ghost. As in The Christians, in which Hnath considers the unwillingness of certain “Christians” to renounce the concept of eternal damnation (even if it dooms a brave and honest boy to hellfire) The Thin Place illustrates how difficult it is for human beings to relinquish deeply embedded ideas…

But the production, directed by Abigail Deser, doesn’t do much for the text. One distraction is the choice to stage the play bleacher style, with the audience positioned on either side of the venue  (scenic design by Deser, Amanda Knehans and Penni Auster). This forces attendees to pivot their heads each time characters address each other from opposite ends of the venue; more importantly, it dissipates the drama of their exchanges. At other times the action takes place in the center of the playing space, but we mostly see everyone in profile, which detracts from the dynamic as well. Read more…

Patrick Chavis – LA Theatre Bites

Echo Theater Company Presents: The Thin Place @ Atwater Village Theatre – 8.1 out of 10 – Good Show! LA Theatre Bites Recommended! More…

Terry Morgan – ArtsBeat LA

Plays concerning the supernatural or people attempting to communicate with the departed have been with us for a while, from Noël Coward’s comical Blithe Spirit to Prince Gomolvilas’ excellent recent The Brothers Paranormal. While not quite enough to constitute a subgenre, these shows persist, speaking to the human need for connection to people they have lost. Lucas Hnath, one of the best playwrights currently working, tries his hand in this genre with The Thin Place, but the results are uneven, satisfying neither as drama nor thriller. The Echo Theater Company’s current production features terrific performances and subtle design, but unfortunately it’s not quite enough to overcome the inherent problems with the writing. Read more…