Reviews

“[Ms. Milton is] a sexy indy playwriting genius” PianoFight, via Twitter

“Milton takes on serious subjects like the dangers of technology and the evils of colonization, but she does so with a wicked sense of humor and a remarkable gift for slinging zingers.” Charles Kruger, Theatrestorm

“Local playwright Patricia Milton has a scrumptious way with comedy.” Lily Janiak, SF Chronicle Datebook

 

The Engine of Our Disruption

“Local playwright Patricia Milton makes dialogue zesty: Each line, however economical, uncovers something cringey, zany or piquant about a fast-talking character.” Lily Janiak,  SF Chronicle Datebook

“An exceptional comedy that simultaneously entertains, educates, satirizes and surprises…” E.Mendel, Berkeleyside

“Director Gary Graves’ tight pacing enhances Milton’s wit and satire … Come and see how the Bubble bursts … through a unique comedic lens” P. Morin, Theatrius

“The Engine of Our Disruption” is well-researched, challenging, an intellectual romp and a laugh a minute. 5 stars! C. Kruger, TheatreStorm

Escape From the Asylum

Escape from the Asylum earned the “Outstanding Production” award from the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

“Escape from the Asylum is a delightful madcap comedy!” E. Mendel, Berkeleyside

Escape from the Asylum is featured in the SF Examiner’s Fanfare section

“The play is full of Patricia Milton’s typical blend of puns, political satire, and scholarly feminist insight, all played for laughs and maximum damage to patriarchal pomposity.” C. Kruger, TheatreStorm

“this comedic play charms with quirky characters, clever dialog, feminist issues, and a plot twist leading to a surprise ending. The four actors…are delightful.” V.Cordell, Cordell Reports

“Central Works’ Escape from the Asylum returns us to the male-dominated Victorian era, to shine a powerful light on women’s fight for freedom. Their sharp wit surpasses their label as merely ‘ladies.’ ” P.Morin, Theatrius

“this reviewer watch[ed] with glee and admiration the ingenuity and courage of three women who ignore the biases of their world in order to outsmart the men around them as they fight for the rights and lives of women.” E. Reynolds, Theatre Eddys

The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective

BroadwayWorld has ranked “The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective” at The Public Theater in Lewiston, Maine, as one of the best productions of the year!

This witty contemporary spin on the Victorian murder mystery confronts convention, gender bias, and a serial killer all in one fast-paced, delightful evening. Directed by Christopher Schario, the mystery unfolded in a heady concoction of suspense, thrills, and laughter.” Read more.

“Audiences attending The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective can expect an exhilarating ride as Milton’s signature fast-paced, deeply-researched style tells the story of two sisters who run a boarding house for Single Ladies in London, but find vocational distraction as self-appointed investigators … A bone-chilling and unexpectedly hilarious thriller.” Lou Fancher, East Bay Express

“Enticingly fun to watch … The real beauty of Patricia Milton’s fresh-off-the-press script (she says in the program that she finished it during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings) is that this captivating mystery and commentary about men’s societal disregard for both women’s safety and sagacity is peppered with ongoing, laugh-out-loud humor.” Four and a half stars (of five)  TheatreEddys

Bamboozled

Bamboozled steals your heart. … In her sharp and revealing new play, Milton covers race, nostalgia, corruption, gender, and greed, all mingled with comedy by four outstanding, superb women actors. … Bamboozled offers a heady mixture of laughs, surprises, and rewards: Bamboozled fills in the blanks in our present quagmire. Barry David Horwitz, Theatrius

“… as in most of Milton’s plays dealing with complex, controversial issues, it is by no means heavy-handed. The pacing is fast, the dialogue smart, sassy, and snappy. ” Gaetana Caldwell-Smith, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

“With her first hand knowledge and a writer’s eye for building a narrative from conflict to conflict, [Milton] has crafted a memorable play. . . a thoroughly entertaining work.” Victor Cordell, SFBATCC

“A delightful evening’s entertainment…go see” M. Field, For All Events

Without Mercy

“Gripping … Twists in the plot are jaw-dropping. In Without Mercy, Milton has written a suspenseful, heart-breaking, tightly-woven one-act in which, through her characters under Richard D. Harder’s astute direction, she raises important legal, ethical, and social questions in one’s own mind regarding life, murder, and death.” Gaetana Caldwell-Smith, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

“Milton’s smart script continues to reveal layers of their characters … Without Mercy is a thought-provoking look at the myriad ways people respond to tragedy.” Leslie Katz, San Francisco Examiner

“The script has classical overtones. The actors don’t use physical masks but play as though they had trunkfuls. The performance is a competition among hubris-bearing mortals contributing to their own fatal and fateful undoing.” Jim Strope, San Francisco Salvo

“Theatre at its redemptive best… [Throughout,] the power of Milton’s script prevails. ‘Without Mercy’ accomplishes what theater can offer: to give us pause to reflect and consider.” ~D. Marc Capobianco, Theatrius

Hearts of Palm

Hearts of Palm is a “wildly funny satire … Milton’s script is surprisingly sophisticated.”  Charles Kruger, therumpus.net, Notable San Francisco

“Hearts of Palm is a wonderful play. Fascinating; filled with delicious dramatic tension, and raising challenging questions.”  Julie Motz, KWMR Radio

[Hearts of Palm is] “engaging, well-performed by the cast and solidly directed … And if it inspires anyone in the audience to pay more attention to domestic companies’ shady practices abroad, so much the better.”  S. Hurwitt, SJ Mercury News

“As seen in her previous award-winning play and other works, Milton is a pro at blending painfully direct and on-point social and/or political commentary with comedy and relatable characters—making for a must-see show!”  Kim Cohan, Theatre Bay Area

“Fear not; Milton leaves no would-be white savior unquestioned — or unscathed.”  Lily Janiak, SFGate

“With three women determined to mesh their employers’ political agendas with their personal feminist goals and a male buffoon who thinks he’s a white savior … there is intrigue, jealousy, professional territorialism, and stupidity to spare. … Hearts of Palm draws plenty of laughs from the audience with some well-targeted zingers.”  George Heymont, HuffPo

“[Hearts of Palm] melds sharp political insights with comic personal exposure… high comedy and satire.”  Barry David Horowitz, Theatrius

Enemies: Foreign and Domestic

**** “Enemies: Foreign and Domestic will keep you laughing, thinking, and completely engaged for its 90-minute running time. For its author, the prolific Patricia Milton, it marks a leap forward into the big leagues. Highly recommended.”  Charles Kruger, Theatrestorm

A stunningly intelligent and politically provocative dramedy which contains four impressive and powerful roles for women… Milton’s tightly-crafted play is a tense family drama with overtones of government abuse as well as family violence. In terms of raw theatre, this a powerful sight to see (make no mistake, Milton’s new play is the perfect vehicle for regional artistic directors seeking a drama written by a female playwright with four solid roles for women). ENEMIES: Foreign and Domestic inaugurates the 25th season of world premieres from CentralWorks with a bold new piece of theatre guaranteed to challenge any audience’s comfort zone.  George Heymont, HuffPo

“Don’t miss.”  SFGate

“Enemies: Foreign and Domestic is a wickedly funny black comedy that relates an intimate history of family trauma and abuse while drawing fascinating parallels between domestic abuse, terrorism, and the waging of war.”  Charles Kruger, Rumpus.net ‘Notable San Francisco’

“Not to be missed.”  Julie Motz, KWMR Radio. Listen to the full review on the audio player below:

 

Moments of Truth

“A charming little chamber musical … a gem.” Richard Connema, For All Events

**** “The book of Patricia Milton really shines in this new musical. Coupled with excellent timing of direction of Louis Parnell, the dialogues and interactions are packed with both comedic gems and soul-touching probes and confrontations…  All in all, Moments of Truth is a worthy new creation that leads us each to contemplate those times in our lives when we have lost confidence in the innate strengths of our abilities and/or relationships. The new musical also joins a long line of works focusing on the making of art and its effects on the lives around that act; and in my book, those works are usually well worth the night out.” Eddie Reynolds, Theatre Eddys

“Milton’s breezy dialogue finds both the humor and anxiety of the situations…Moments of Truth has an easygoing charm – and that’s no lie.” Richard Dodds, Bay Area Reporter

Believers

“[Believers is a] lively and often sharply funny outing. Believers is the work of a sometimes bracingly original mind with a smart sense of humor, an apocalyptic imagination and a healthy distrust of pharmaceutical solutions and corporate ethics. Even at their most outlandish, Milton’s slightly futuristic situations are rooted in some frightening realities.” Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle

“Playwright Patricia Milton has good comic chops and there are plenty of laughs to be found in this light-hearted romance. Actors Casey Fern and Maria Giere Marquis are charming as Rocky and Grace, the battling researchers. . . . It is clearly stageworthy and deserves repeated productions.”  Charles Kruger, TheatreStorm

“… Hilarious … a fun evening … Whichever pill you choose, if you are up for some high energy, muskrat silliness and some strong performances, check this one out.” Mark Shilstone-Laurent, Monterey Herald

 Reduction in Force

Reduction in Force es una obra teatral recomendable, no se la pierda. (highly recommended – don’t miss it.)”  Mario Echevarria, SF Tribune, Bay Area Critics Circle

“ . . . local playwright Patricia Milton has crafted a piece about the Icarus Wealth Management Group . . . a hilarious lampoon of corporate culture, Reduction in Force combines comedy with intrigue and a healthy dose of satire.” Elana McKernan, Theatre Bay Area Magazine

“I’ve never been so engrossed in a play. It’s diabolical and fun. The ending will throw you for a loop. Not only is the sly humor sensational – this is a riveting and mesmerizing play. It definitely is an Edge of the Seat evening. Satire of the highest level.”  Lee Hartgrave, BeyondChron

“Fascinating characters in new play ‘Reduction in Force’ at Berkeley City Club. Patricia Milton’s play is remarkable.” Lee Hartgrave, BeyondChron (via Twitter)

“Patricia Milton, in collaboration with director Gary Graves, the cast and crew, has come up with a farce -turning into a frenetic doorslammer- with a barrage of satiric dialogue and one-liners. It’s fast and funny, with constant hilarious reversals.”   Ken Bullock, Berkeley Daily Planet

“A timely, witty farce … Patricia Milton’s very funny, three-character spoof of our ongoing economic crisis . . . with impeccable timing, drawing hilarious, deeply committed performances from all three actors.”  Jean Schiffman,  SF Examiner

“The play is clever and funny…and a pleasure to watch overall.”  E. Wornimont, Benicia Herald

“’Force’ is a timely comedy . . . Milton has packed the play with very funny lines.” Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle

“Reduction in Force is that all too-rare theatrical bird:  an intelligent, fast-moving farce about high-risk dysfunctional behavior in the nation’s most precarious financial markets. Vastly entertaining. . .  For anyone who has played the stock market, lost money in the stock market, or hates the people who specialize in manipulating the stock market, this show is not to be missed.” G. Heymont, HuffPo  

“Directed by Scot Atkinson and Beth Tantanella, the fast-paced farce brings a steady stream of laughs from its hardworking cast. . . Milton’s script builds the action steadily and with enough reversals to heighten the door-slamming, hiding-behind-the-desk comic tension.” Erin Keane, WFPL Louisville

In the Silence of Tangerine Groves

“Smartly written and performed with a zeal for finding a quieter source of inner strength, I can easily see it gaining popularity as a one-act attraction during Fringe and/or Women’s Festivals.” George Heymont, HuffPo

Busybody

“A disturbing slice of life . . . a chilling tale designed for maximum emotional discomfort.”  Pat Craig, Contra Costa Times

 It’s Murder, Mary!

“Hilarious, high-spirited fun for everyone. . . Irresistible! Four glasses of champagne (highest rating)!” Lee Hartgrave, BeyondChron

 Strange Bedfellows

“Happily, ‘Bedfellows’ does poke fun at every political persuasion and sexual orientation around, both real and stereotypical. The result is a wacky comedy for the early 21st century, steeped in the ever-juicy back-room wheeling and dealing that has always characterized American politics.

In lesser hands, the play’s succession of zany scenarios and zippy one-liners would be mere throwaways. Here, the jokes serve the story and characters. Another plus is the reliable comic timing of Cordova’s cast members, who fire off their lines at rapid speed while doing justice to the script’s rhythms and sharpest edges.” Orange County Register

“A wondrous ride. With its expert plot and engaging characters, this play is a winner.” Ute Von der Hayden, CityPulse, Lansing, MI 

 P*rn Yesterday

“. . . just the right mix of poignancy and laughter in this saucy tale of one man’s struggle toward redemption.” mydesert.com

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