Press & Reviews

Previews

• Barzca Blog: Ten Questions with Sarah Thorpe – writer/performer of HERETIC
• In The Green Room: Interview with Sarah Thorpe – writer/performer of HERETIC
• Stage Left (Radio Regent): Feature Interview with Sarah Thorpe – writer/performer of HERETIC

Select Reviews

• Stage-Door.com: ★★★★ (four stars) – “Thorpe’s retelling of the story of Joan of Arc makes this iconic figure, already the subject of numerous plays and films, seem fresh and new.  One major reason is the absolute simplicity of the production.  Another is the winning naturalness of Thorpe’s acting.  …  Thorpe shows us Joan is a human being, capable of fear and doubt, but she also shows us Joan an is illuminated from within by her goal.  …  Thorpe gives an eloquent performance that rises to enacting energetic battles that range throughout the entire theatre to solemn reflection on whether she is really guilty of pride and why men should suddenly be so cruel.  It’s quite a journey for play only 70 minutes long, but you will leave feeling that you know this important figure better than you ever have before.  …  Lighting designer Randy Lee and sound designer Wesley McKenzie combine forces to create the magical effect of Joan’s first vision.  Lee makes imaginative use of warmth and coldness of light to reflect Joan’s mood and of squares of light diminishing in size and brightness to portray her inevitable defeat at her trial.”

• Barcza Blog: “Brilliant  …  Inspired  …  Thorpe has brought this story back from the dead  …  HERETIC tells a story I’ve known all my life, but in a genuinely new version.  …  If for no other reason than to struggle with the meaty ideas in this story, you owe it to yourself to see HERETIC.”

• The Theatre Reader: “Powerful  …  A winning one-woman show  …  Thorpe shine[s]. She brilliantly slips out of Joan’s skin and into a slew of others.  …  Thorpe’s talent extends beyond the stage and onto the page. Her exploration of Joan humanizes the saint as the audience feels her fear and fierceness throughout her quest to fulfill God’s word.”

• Life with More Cowbell: “Poignant  …  Thorpe does a lovely job with the many facets of Joan, an earnest, driven young woman who dares to put on men’s clothes and throw herself into the fray – always with Joan’s humanity at the core of her performance.”

• Mooney on Theatre: “A mesmerizing one-woman show  …  It’s a lot of fun to watch Thorpe throw so much of herself into her performance.  …  What stands out the most about the story of Joan of Arc is simply this young woman’s defiance and willingness to stand up for what she believed in during a time when that stood in direct opposition of the church. What Joan of Arc represented is timeless and Thorpe does fine work capturing this.  …  The use of sound and lighting made the small space come to life and I have to hand it to lighting designer Randy Lee and sound designers Wesley McKenzie and Jakob Ehman for giving life to the space.”

• James Wegg Review: “Thorpe succeeds in this “modern retelling” of history. Playing the heroine and a baker’s dozen of supporting roles, Thorpe readily soars through her tautly written scenes with authority, compassion and just the right amount of pathos.  …  Thorpe’s eloquent, pitch-perfect delivery is more than enough to make her points”