THE BOOK OF WILL at Round House Theatre

The reviews for The Book of Will at Round House Theatre! Follow the links for the full articles.

*WashingtonPost, “… with winning lead turns from Todd Scofield and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh as the actors on a hunt…”

*CityPaper, “There’s really no reason this shouldn’t be the movie it already feels like, and it’s tough to imagine Hollywood could improve upon Round House Theatre’s cast: Todd Scofield and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh as Misters Heminges and Condell, respectively…”

*DCTheatreScene, “The chief virtue of Ryan Rilette’s production is the all-star ensemble and the rich variety of vibrant characters they bring to life… [Ebrahimzadeh’s Condell is] fiery and headstrong…”

*BroadwayWorld, “Henry Condell, hilariously played by Maboud Ebrahimzadeh… Under Ryan Rilette’s excellent direction, a uniformly marvelous cast gives one of the best ensemble performances I’ve seen this season of a very strong play.”

*EntertainmentOrDie, “… the leading pair of Scofield and Ebrahimzadeh really put the heart and soul into the story…”

*DCMetroTheatreArts, “Todd Scofield and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh give both these characters good presence…”

*MDTheatreGuide, “Ebrahimzadeh’s Condell offers a more fiery persona…”

 

THE PRICE at Arena Stage

*Washington Post, “Maboud Ebrahimzadeh is another of Sueko’s assets; his earthy, blunt style feels exactly right as Victor. Ebrahimzadeh channels the character’s intelligence and good-guy ethics lightly, which is pivotal if you’re going to keep Miller’s play from feeling like a righteous harangue.”

*BrightestYoungThings, “The actor who pulls the play out of the fire is Ebrahimzadeh. He has the hardest work to do, playing moments of revelation, shame, moral righteousness, and quite a bit of pain, and he dives in. The climax is his.”

*BroadwayWorld, “Attention must certainly be paid especially to Maboud Ebrahimzadeh. He’s delivered a number of wonderful performances on area stages in the past few years (his performance in Round House Theatre’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was particularly memorable), but his work at Arena surpasses all of that. It’s that sensational. Nuanced yet explosive acting when required, he reveals all of Victor’s many layers with considerable skill.”

*WomanAroundTown, “As Victor, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh goes toe to toe with Linden. Solomon uses the various pieces of furniture to draw Victor out about his father and their lives. Ebrahimzadeh displays a range of emotions during these conversations that sum up his feelings about his father and his life.”

*TheaterMania, “Maboud Ebrahimzadeh plays Victor with conviction, expressing just the right amount of tension until the last burst of fireworks, when he lets his temper flare completely. He alternates between those tense moments with his brother and extremely tender ones with his wife, who needs a lot of pampering.”

*Alexandria Times, “Playing off an exceptional performance of Maboud Ebrahimzadeh as Victor Franz, a frustrated cop who failed to realize his potential, this production, artfully directed by Seema Sueko, is a well-cast delight that brings both searing drama and mood-lightening humor to the American stage.”

*MDTheatreGuide, “Maboud Ebrahimzadeh portrayal of Victor is heartbreaking in his reactions to the family treachery he learns about. It is a pitch-perfect depiction of a good man coming to terms with decisions (a word used very often by his brother) that he had known nothing of, and yet which impacted his life so deeply.”

*MetroWeekly, “At the center is the put-upon Victor Franz, a man trying to stand his ground against the world’s expectations and his own self-doubt. Bringing a skillful mix of confidence and agitation, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh is memorably compelling as this husband and troubled younger brother. He very much gets Miller’s syncopation and his rhythms of expression…”

*TheDCMoms, “Go to The Price for Linden, but stay for the standout performance by Maboud Ebrahimzadeh…”

*DCMetroTheatreArts, “Ebrahimzadeh’s Victor might not have the edge of a police officer who has been on the beat for half his life, but he more than makes up for it with his stoically repressed delivery.”

Photo Flash: Meet the Cast of THE PRICE at Arena Stage

by BBW News Desk (9.5.2017)

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater presents Arthur Miller’s The Price, which has been extended to receive an additional week of performances due to popular demand. The Price runs October 6-November 12, 2017 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle. BroadwayWorld has photos from today’s meet & greet below!

Three-time Emmy Award winner Hal Linden, known for his portrayal of the title character in the hit television series Barney Miller and his Tony Award-winning performance in Broadway’s The Rothschilds, stars as Gregory Solomon under the direction of Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko. A high-stakes drama about the struggle to make peace with the past and create hope for the future, The Price is considered one of Miller’s most personal plays.

Joining Hal Linden in the four-person cast are D.C.-area actors Maboud Ebrahimzadeh (Folger Theatre’s Timon of Athens) and Rafael Untalan (Theater J’s Yellow Face) as brothers Victor Franz and Walter Franz, respectively, with Pearl Sun (Broadway’s If/Then, Next to Normal national tour) as Victor’s wife, Esther Franz. Ricardo Frederick Evans (Round House’s Two Trains Running) will assume the role of Victor Franz beginning November 7.

Seema Sueko (Director) joined the Arena Stage staff in July 2016 as deputy artistic director and made her Arena Stage directorial debut with Smart People. She previously served as associate artistic director at The Pasadena Playhouse and executive artistic director of Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company. Her directing and acting credits include The Pasadena Playhouse, People’s Light, The Old Globe, San Diego Repertory, Yale Repertory, 5th Avenue Theatre and Native Voices, among others. As a playwright, she received commissions from Mixed Blood Theatre and Center Stage. Her work has been recognized by the California State Assembly, NAACP San Diego, Chicago Jeff Awards, American Theatre Wing and American Theatre magazine. Seema developed the Consensus Organizing for Theater methodology, has done research on the neuroscience of acting and serves on the Diversity Committee of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Tickets may be purchased online at arenastage.org by phone at 202-488-3300 or at the Sales Office at 1101 Sixth St., SW, D.C.

Photos courtesy Arena Stage

Full Company Announced in Arthur Miller’s The Price

The Price by Arthur Miller at Arena Stage
The Price by Arthur Miller at Arena Stage, starring Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, Hal Linden, Pearl Sun, Rafael Untalan. Directed by Seema Sueko.

FULL COMPANY ANNOUNCED FOR ARTHUR MILLER’S THE PRICE

(Washington DC) Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces full casting for Arthur Miller’s The Price, which has been extended to receive an additional week of performances due to popular demand.

Three-time Emmy Award winner Hal Linden, known for his portrayal of the title character in the hit television series Barney Miller and his Tony Award-winning performance in Broadway’s The Rothschilds, stars as Gregory Solomon under the direction of Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko.

A high-stakes drama about the struggle to make peace with the past and create hope for the future, The Price is considered one of Miller’s most personal plays. The Price runs October 6-November 12, 2017 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

Joining Hal Linden in the four-person cast are D.C.-area actors Maboud Ebrahimzadeh (Folger Theatre’s Timon of Athens) and Rafael Untalan (Theater J’s Yellow Face) as brothers Victor Franz and Walter Franz, respectively, with Pearl Sun (Broadway’s If/Then, Next to Normal national tour) as Victor’s wife, Esther Franz. Ricardo Frederick Evans (Round House’s Two Trains Running) will assume the role of Victor Franz beginning November 7.

“I look forward to experiencing Seema Sueko’s interpretation of this great play by Arthur Miller,” says Molly Smith. “Miller wrote superb plays about American family life. Even though this play was written decades ago, it continues to snap with contemporary relevance. It’s a pleasure to welcome Hal Linden to Arena, and I know this production will light up the Kogod.”

Full press-release via BroadwayWorld.com News Desk.

Production details can be found at Arena Stage.

TIMON OF ATHENS at Folger Theatre

*DCTheatreScene, “As for Ebrahimzadeh, he has, for as long as I’ve watched him (nearly ten years, now), been a subject-matter expert in presenting characters whose pleasant facades mask a violent impulse. He outdoes himself as Alcibaides, though…. That Ebrahimzadeh can do this with little help from the text shows what a fine economical actor he is, and how suited to this role.”

*DCMetroTheaterArts, ” Alcibiades (a solid, stoic, friend-to-the-end Maboud Ebrahimzadeh) defeats Athens but promises to protect the city and its citizens.”

*BroadwayWorld, “The support cast is often just as inspired,… Maboud Ebrahimzadeh‘s thoughtful soldier Alcibiades among the standouts.”

*DCist, “Ebrahimzadeh and Robinson are wonderful, warm, and genuine in their roles, providing the sole rays of hope for those who wish to believe in mankind’s goodness.

*TheatreBloom, “The only one among them who sets themselves apart is the noble, albeit misguided, Alcibiades… Ebrahimzadeh takes the character on a transformative journey, which opens up his inner rogue spirits for all to see by the second act.”

*TheaterMania, “Maboud Ebrahimzadeh is stalwart as Alcibiades, the military man who is Timon’s friend.”