Reviews and Press Quotes


"...a proficient, polished, professional production worthy of this troupe's talents and a reminder of why they are an unsung addition to local theater!"   "With its fine production values and stellar performances, 4th Wall Theatre's production of Big Fish is one you won't want to miss."  
-Ruth Ross, New Jersey Arts Maven (Big Fish)

'Hardbody' resonates... because its stories are universal. These people are not looking for a part in a play - they are looking to get their lives going. They are stuck in the rut of Longview and are longing to move up, move out, or move on. This play will be timeless for that reason, and the members of 4th Wall can stand proud for having done it justice. Each cast member in this production dug deep and brought out the heart and soul of his or her character.
-Daniel Galioto, Running Like an Antelope, (Hands on a Hardbody)

"...the daring aspect of the book and situation, the terrific accompaniment of a live trio onstage and the variations in the music...all delivered by a cast of talented actors/singers, make Hands on a Hardbody by 4th Wall Theatre a production that should be seen."
-Ruth Ross, New Jersey Arts Maven (Hands on a Hardbody)

"...an expert cast, whose virtuosity played our heart strings like violins and gave us all a great deal to consider, during intermission and after the entire story resolved."
-Sherri Rase, Q Onstage (Next Fall)

"Director Gwen Ricks-Spencer has directed this fine acting company with finesse and truth. She follows the shifts from past to present with an ease that allows audiences to go on the journey of this memory play. Her rhythm as a director is evident in the precision in which comedy and drama are interwoven in this piece..."
-Greg Allen, BroadwayWorld (Next Fall)

"If you are looking for a fun evening that will make you laugh until your sides ache and then can turn on a dime and pull at your heart strings, leave the kids at home and drive yourself to Bloomfield to see what this neighborhood has to offer...at least for now."
-Greg Allen, BroadwayWorld (Avenue Q)

"For a reasonable admission and a super experience with a different style of musical theater, just head on over to Bloomfield by June 15 to see a thoroughly professional production every bit as good as the original!"
-Ruth Ross, NJ Arts Maven (Avenue Q)

"Kate Swan's expert direction brings this cast to fine tune."
-Sherri Rase, QOnstage.com (Avenue Q)

"...a delightful and fascinating 100-minute glimpse into the creative process."
-Ruth Ross, NJ Arts Maven [title of show]

"...the 4th Wall folks have returned to their musical roots with a charmingly wicked production of Lucky Stiff."
-Ruth Ross, NJ Arts Maven (Lucky Stiff)

"The Jersey connection also can’t be beat–4th Wall talent and Emily Mann’s script, as Mann is the artistic director of the McCarter Theatre in Princeton–make an unbeatable combination."
-Sherri Rase, QOnstage.com (Having Our Say)

"Having Our Say may be a tribute appropriate to Black History Month, but it speaks of universal truths applicable throughout the entire year: strength to pursue one's dreams in the face of racial and economic obstacles, tenacity, optimism and, above all, dignity of the individual regardless of race, color or creed. Bravo, 4th Wall—Theatre on the Edge!"
-Ruth Ross - NJ Arts Maven (Having Our Say)

"We can all learn something from someone else's experience. Theater has always been a place to teach us while entertaining, and that is exactly what 4th Wall Theatre is doing in their current production of Having Our Say - the beautiful adaption by Emily Mann of the best-selling memoir of two African-American sisters."
-BroadwayWorld.com (Having Our Say)

"The hearty applause started the moment after the first-act blackout...It’s the type of reaction that I saw the Pulitzer Prize-winner get once off-Broadway and twice on Broadway. Attendees wanted to reward the achievements of Brian Yorkey’s book and lyrics and Tom Kitt’s music, not to mention the cast, which was in top form here, too."
-Peter Filichia - MTI Marquee (Next to Normal)

“PARADE succeeds as a galvanic piece of theater that no serious playgoer can afford to miss. As the exemplary production at 4th Wall proves…”
-Peter Filichia - MTI Marquee (PARADE)

“I have been reviewing 4th Wall Theatre for 16 years since its inception; they have produced many wonder-inducing shows, but Parade is far and away the most ambitious and the most successful.”
-Ruth Ross - NJ Arts Maven and The Worrall Papers (PARADE)

"As usual, the 4th Wall brings together a superb cast, this time led by two new young faces. Bland, a Webster University grad, gives her character the moving gravitas of a girl becoming a woman. Field, a fellow Webster alumni, could initially be mistaken for spunky little upstart if not for the scene which illuminates her past. She allows the yearning, loss and hope break through in a scene that will give you chills."
-Orlando Callegari, Jr. - The Bloomfield Patch (The Spitfire Grill)

"Theater is a transforming medium. It entertains us, lets us look through a window into the lives of others and provides a mirror for our own. The Spitfire Grill at 4th Wall Theatre does all this and more: it makes one believe in the goodness of human beings even as the news would show us otherwise. For these reasons, don't miss this production."
-Ruth Ross- NJ Arts Maven (The Spitfire Grill)

"A heartfelt production...A majority of the credit for the highly professional, creative quality of the production must be given to Director/Choreographer Swan..."
-Caryn Robbins -Broadway World (A Man of No Importance)

"Not only did the 4th Wall production celebrate the work and spirit of Oscar Wilde in grand fashion, they were also more than bloody wonderful. The work was touching, sincere, grounded, and exuberant in equal doses."
-NJ CattleCall (A Man of No Importance)

"Director Swan has a superb cast at her disposal to bring these characters to life"
-Orlando Callegari, Jr.- Bloomfield Patch (A Man of No Importance)

"Like life itself, this show is poignant and funny, and puts a tickle somewhere in the region of your heart."
-Sherri Rase - Qonstage.com (A Man of No Importance)

"These fabulous actors are all veterans of 4th Wall productions and the blend of voices as well as the texture of the individual efforts is impressive. The harmony of the production as a whole-minimal sets, clear voices, sparkling lyrics-all make the evening memorable. Being able to talk back afterward is a gift."
-Sherri Rase - Qonstage.com (MID Stage:One Hundred Years Into the Heart)

"Sweeney Todd is the quintessential penny-dreadful tale that typifies what cheap thrill Halloween stories are all about. 4th Wall Theatre's concert version of Stephen Sondheim's musical, which opened on October 29, will put you right in the mood for Halloween night's performance.
-Sherri Rase - Qonstage.com (Sweeney Todd: In Concert)

"The Jazz Age is nearly always depicted as a time of extremes-extreme innocence, extreme decadence-and Michael LaChiusa's The Wild Party is all of that and more. In the 4th Wall's production, at Westminster Arts in Bloomfield, New Jersey, which I caught on June 4, Kate Swan's deft and sure direction and choreography has our ship of fools sailing into the sunset of what is likely, for most of them, only a canvas sky."
-Sherri Rase - Qonstage.com (The Wild Party)

"4th Wall Theatre presents Bill C. Davis' AVOW at Westminster Arts Center in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and it's slightly inaccurately named - this particular production should be called 'A-WOW'!"
-Sherri Rase - Qonstage.com (MID Stage: Avow)

"Leave it to 4th Wall to uncover such an odd and yet entertaining story. The group has made a name for itself of presenting off-beat, seldom-seen shows and this is no exception. However, we've been told that opera-lovers and opera-haters alike can sit back, laugh and have a great time."
Montclair Times - (Das Barbecu)

"Theater-goers can count themselves lucky if their local theatrical landscape features a theater group dedicated to doing off-beat and perhaps under-rated musicals a theater willing to take chances on original new American musicals."
Thom Molyneaux - The Montclair Times (The Rink)

"When Maury Yeston was writing a musical of 8 1/2, he decided to call it NINE because, he said, a musical should wind up bigger than its source. In this production by the 4th Wall Theatre, the show should be called at least 9 1/2 if not 10."
Peter Filichia, The Star-Ledger (Nine: The Musical)

"This production, this show, this look beyond the walls of social niceties, is a strong, sometimes challenging cup of tea. While it may not be for everyone, it will be enjoyed by those who like their art provocative, brave and free of the false comfort of platitudes."
Taressa Stovall - The Montclair Times (Assassins)

"4th Wall once again thinks out of the box - something they do very well - with an edgy, provocative production that will spin your head, play with your mind and make you think."
- Ruth Ross Essex Journal (Assassins)

"The production on view at 4th Wall Theatre...is a stellar example of what a talented director and cast can do with a show that's been around for a couple of decades."
- Liz Keill & Christopher Moore-Independent Press (Pippin)

"4th Wall Theatre's current production of Kander & Ebb's Kiss of the Spider Woman is searing, seamless and nothing short of genius!...the complex score, magnificent singing and ingenious staging make this a memorable and powerful theatrical event. Bravo 4th Wall!"
- Ruth Ross-Essex Journal (Kiss of the Spider Woman)

"This spirited production had the audience laughing, clapping, cheering and practically singing along on opening night. Bravo to 4th Wall for bringing a memorable La Cage Aux Folles to the Bickford."
Liz Keill-Independent Press (La Cage Aux Folles)

"4th Wall has proven time and again that its a troupe that can sizzle on stage...and this production is packed with exuberance."
- Liz Keill-Independent Press (Nunsense)

"A polished and stylish theater experience…funny and poignant, it will leave you laughing and crying-just like real life."
Ruth Ross - Recorder Publishing (La Cage Aux Folles)

"4th Wall has a genuine ensemble feel; the cast not only sings with vigor and harmony, but displays outstanding acting talent as well."
- Liz Keill-Independent Press (Falsettos)

"4th Wall worked hard on this production and it shows in the vitality and energy of their performances. That this troupe tackles off-beat and edgy material is too its credit!"
Ruth Ross-Recorder Publishing (A New Brain)

"Once more, 4th Wall Theatre has brought its own vibrancy and love of theater to a lively, often poignant production."
- Liz Keill-Independent Press (A New Brain)

"The title of 4th Wall's first show, Working, has proven prophetic. The group's idea to put on small-scale, little-done musicals has worked so well, 4th Wall has moved on to a bigger stage."
- Bette-Spero-The Star Ledger (Working)

Big Fish
Hands on a Hardbody
Next Fall
Avenue Q
Having our Say: The Delaney Sisters First 100 Years
PARADE
The Spitfire Grill
A Man of No Importance
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
The Wild Party
Das Barbecu
Assassins
La Cage aux Folles
A New Brain
Working