reviews
"An imaginary beasts production is indeed a curious thing; the tone is whimsical, but its underpinning is strict; the atmosphere is usually one of surreal, magically sublimated innocence, like that of a forgotten daydream from childhood - but a sense of formal inquiry always moves beneath the sophisticated 'simplicity' of the action. Lewis Carroll and Gertrude Stein; puppetry and nursery rhymes and pantomime; these are the lodestars of Woods and the imaginary beasts."
– Thomas Garvey, The Hub Review
The Death of Tintagiles, Maurice Maeterlinck (2012)
"This current production of Maurice Maeterlinck’s The Death of Tintagiles will only further cement [imaginary beasts'] growing reputation for intelligent and visually rich performance. . . Almost magically, imaginary beasts turns Maeterlinck’s dark world view into something more; an order more complex and a whole lot prettier. Parts are acted by people and puppets. Sometimes actors wear masks and other times they’re manipulated by strings woven around the set with spider-like choreography. Sometimes actors appear on-stage beside their puppet counterparts, voicing their parts as the puppets act them out. Woods and the cast demonstrate vision and a collective execution that exceeds what anyone would expect out of a fringe show."
– Bryce Lambert, Boston Lowbrow
photo by Bethany Krevat
Hairy Tales: Vampirella and The Company of Wolves, adapted from Angela Carter's Radio Plays (2013)
"Hairy Tales, in no uncertain terms, awed me with its artistry and execution. . . Physical movement is the marvel and crowning glory of [the show]. Such physicality allowed for no wasted movements. The performers galvanized the radio play scripts: the words, the sound effects, the images that could only form diaphanously in our minds. Acting out the transformations from man to wolf, or serving as various set pieces like fire or furniture (I was a big fan of the evocation of a grandfather clock), or vaulting over props or actors alike, the show’s rich choreography was smooth without being dull, energetic without being spastic, joyful discovery, again and again.
Watching the audience watch the performance, watching in stillness while the actors moved, undulated, pulsated on stage, I felt the experience become surreal. The physical figures in front of me became figments of the imaginations of all those who sat in silence. The audience became the figures sitting around the fire, listening carefully, hanging on to every word the storyteller used to weave ominous yarns, finding the story in this flurry of voice, howling wind, and licking flames..."
– Fabiana Cabral, My Entertainment World
photo by Roger Metcalf
Lovers' Quarrels, Molière (2014)
"Amy Meyer presents a delightfully foppish Gros-René, a role which should now always be a pants role; she shows wonderful restraint in the comedy and heartfelt sincerity in the emotional rollercoaster of the jealous lover."
– Brian Balduzzi, My Entertainment World
photo by Roger Metcalf
Betty Bam, Danil Kharms (2015)
"Then BEAST performers/collaborators set to work: Sarah Gazdowicz, Molly Kimmerling, Amy Meyer, Beth Pearson and Kiki Samko as the same/different BETTY incarnations, along with Cameron Cronin and William Schuller as the commie/not quite Keystone cops, all contribute to the whole. To single out one part of the whole over another is impossible. I know. I know. Kharms himself says: 'Impossible is a stupid, empty word.' OK. I’ll try again. I can’t/I won’t single out anyone. IMAGINARY BEASTS are the finest ensemble in town."
– Beverly Creasey, Boston Arts Review
photo by Roger Metcalf
Winter Panto 2016:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
"As is always the case with an imaginary beasts Panto, there is a seamless blending of clever writing, playful set and costume design, imaginative puppetry, helpful sound and lighting, and infectious joy flowing from the cast to the audience. There is a mutual love affair with vibrant storytelling shared between the artists and the audience members."
– Al Chase, The White Rhino Report
photo by Nick Dakoulas
photo by Kayleigh O'Connor
Unusual Things Have Happened: Tales of Everyday Horror, adapted from short stories by Shirley Jackson (2019)
"The ensemble performances in this production are of imaginary beasts’ usual high quality. Unusual Things Have Happened appeals to the cast’s strongest skills. A production created via collaboration means that the ensemble can tailor their theatre to their artists. The choreography is executed with the same thoughtful care as the line delivery. The creepy hand puppets are as developed as the object work done with a 2×4.
In the first piece, “What A Thought” Drago, Meyer and Kimmerling shadow each other. Their voices are similar in timbre. By pairing these three and their similar voices, the audience is shown three separate sides of one anxious housewife."
– Kitty Drexel, The New England Theatre Geek