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Derby Day

Papermag
Top 10 Off Off Broadway Shows of the Year 2011

NY Press
“A welcome voyage to undiscovered country. It’s a wittily subversive country at that…Derby riffs on the formulaic here, but we believe these guys, even if we don’t believe in them, which is a testament to the realism of Williams’ play and of director Michole Biancosino’s direction.”

BlogCritics.org
“Featuring some of New York's finest cutting-edge talent, the play gives us a fresh and roaring take on what we often want most from theater: a vision of humanity's smooth outer surface falling away, and the collapse, right before our eyes, of what has passed for civilization.”

SimplytheBess
“Dark comedy is a tricky beast. It is a rare play that can make an audience laugh heartily at other people’s misfortunes, and a rarer play yet that manages to do so while maintaining strong, realistic characters. Derby Day, a world premiere by Samuel Brett Williams, deftly accomplishes this delicate balance. As I laughed, gasped, and cringed along with the rest of the audience I realized how unique this plays is…Director Michole Biancosino has done a fantastic job with a talented cast.”

Lovesick

Show Business Weekly
“Part of Lovesick’s buoyancy comes from director Michole Biancosino’s event-style staging concept.”

NYTheatre.com
“LoveSick is joyous, clever and uplifting.”

Curtain Up
"For young adult audience who wants to see something contemporary and quirky, LoveSick or Things That Don’t Happen is sharp, funny, and relevant." 

The Crackwalker

The Washington Post
"Credit director Michole Biancosino and her fine cast for finding the humor -- and humanity -- amid so much grit. Biancosino and her actors strike the balance effectively between moments of comedy and poignancy, maintaining Thompson's empathy for the characters without tipping into sentimentality."

The Washington Blade
"The realism of each performance is nearly overwhelming… Michole Biancosino’s direction allows the actors to flesh out their characters without affect."

The Revival

Backstage
"Director Michole Biancosino skillfully emphasizes things the play merely hints at."

The New York Press
"Perfectly directed by Michole Biancosino."

The Advocate (Voted #2 Show of 2010 in NYC)
"This staggering drama by Samuel Brett Williams crackled with cinematic tension at the Lion Theatre."

Playfixer
"Michole Biancosino has put up a superb production."

That Sounds Cool Blogspot
"The plot itself isn’t all that new—Eli gets himself into some trouble after falling for Daniel (David Darrow), a rough, cow-pummeling runaway in need of shelter—but the execution is divine, particularly when it comes to the impeccable cast. Authenticity runs throughout the entire Project Y Theatre production, from the roughly hewn crosses and wooden beams hanging above Kevin Judge’s split-scene set to director Michole Biancosino’s choice to add pre- and post-show hymns (sung by a live chorus) and to plant worshippers in the audience. The Revival does enough to make you want to spring to your feet—and at the same time, floors you. The result is the sort of play that makes you feel like you’re floating, and a highly recommended piece of theater."

Lion in the Streets

The Washington City Paper
"Biancosino’s staging sends these actors ricocheting around the District of Columbia Arts Center’s tiny auditorium with what can best be termed tightly focused abandon. Gestures that seem random turn out not to be and ragged stage pictures always seem to coalesce artfully by the time the lights fade… the passion and energy she elicits from her performers is undeniable."

The Washington Post
"Project Y’s disciplined, kinetic performance is remarkable. Director Michole Biancosino’s cast attacks the material with breathless, do-or-die energy."
In the Boom Boom RoomThe Washington Post
"Need more proof that some of the most inspired and edgy theater in Washington is coming from young companies working barely above the poverty line? Check out Project Y's production of David Rabe's "In the Boom Boom Room," which just opened at Source Theatre (and is playing the off nights of Source's current production, "Dutchman"). The early-1970s script, a bitter farce that appears to be older than almost all the performers, hasn't aged well. But Project Y reinvigorates it with enough raw energy and promising talent to hold your attention from start to finish.

Thanks to Michole Biancosino, who directs, we can still be interested in it. She locks onto the script's two strengths -- twisted humor and theatrical construction -- and makes the show into a wonderful sort of absurdist odyssey. She doesn't seem interested in shocking anyone with social problems, but rather in exploring the emotional havoc they wreak on Chrissy. In fact, you see in the often wittily choreographed movement a sort of sly but not condescending wink acknowledging that parts of the material are dated."

White Biting Dog

The Washington Post
"Director Michole Biancosino keeps the whole thing moving at the required speed -- which is to say, like a freight train. Still, amid the play's gyrations, she finds a through-line of poignancy."

Bobby Hebert and The Trashbag Tourist

The Times Picayune
"Out of nowhere, a group called The New Orleans Theater Experiment has whipped up two new plays for the post-Katrina South. One is "Bobby Hebert," a short, tragi-comic curtain-raiser, and the other a longer one-act, "The Trash Bag Tourist." Both are quirky, funny, yet serious pieces..What they have produced in The Club space at the Fine Arts Center Uptown is a screwball comedy that surprises with the depth of feeling beneath the humor."