THE TROJANS
“... At a long, narrow, no-frills space called Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre, you can pay fifty dollars and get a ‘Friday Night Lights’-inflected synthwave musical retelling of Homer’s Iliad, performed by a joyfully committed ensemble. ‘The Trojans,’ […] is that rara avis: a gorgeously produced downtown epic, somehow both trash-based […] and luxurious, rich in the way that theatre is meant to be rich—with imagination, intelligence, and potential. […] We’ve come for the same reason that scouts go to high-school football finals: to see stunning talents […] before everyone else hears about them, and to get back in touch with our love of the game.”
–Helen Shaw, The New Yorker
“The cast is exceptional, effortlessly toggling between their roles as warehouse workers and the high school characters they portray. […] ‘The Trojans’ triumphs in every sense. It’s a show that combines heart and a sense of mythic weight making for an unforgettable theatrical experience.”
—Tony Marinelli, TheaterScene
IN CAMERA
“The characters One and Two, played terrifically by Max Raymond and Marcy Em (both making TFT debuts) respectively, are asleep in their bed which resembles a white plastic cocoon when the house is opened and the audience takes its seats."
–Patrick White, Nippertown
THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING
"Under Brent Wilson's direction, this inaugural production from Star Pocket Theatre features co-founder Max Raymond's bedrock performance as Frankie... as Frankie's obsession with the departed couple grows, she frets over the impression she made, her appearance, and her future. We watch a precocious, creative queer girl starving for familial affection and intimacy, friends who recognize and value her, and artistic stimulation."
–Byron Woods, IndyWeek
"Star Pocket co-founding artistic director Max Raymond tackles the role [of Frankie] with passion, pluck, and complete lack of self-consciousness. His 12-year-old Frankie is uncomfortable in her clothes and her skin, constantly fidgeting and squirming at the kitchen table as she shouts her pledge to flee her hometown and play honeymoon tagalong with her brother and his soon-to-be bride. ... Frankie is a psychologically complex character, something that Raymond knows and tackles perfectly. ... The three-act play is far from tedious, mostly thanks to Raymond’s consistently surprising interpretation."
–Dustin K. Britt, Chatham Life & Style
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
“Little Shop follows the meek and awkward Seymour, who works at a struggling florist shop on Skid Row with his secret crush Audrey (an amazing Max Raymond). ... Audrey (the woman, not the plant) has always been synonymous with Ellen Greene, who created the character both in the original Off-Broadway production as well as the film adaptation in 1986. With Ms. Greene's iconic voice and characterization looming large, it might be easy to fall into the imitation game, but Raymond strikes a brilliant balance here, paying just enough homage to the Greene while finding fresh notes to contribute.”
–Garrett Southerland, Talkin’ Broadway
“Max Raymond is an honest Audrey, painting her as a survivor rather than a victim — standing her ground rather than cowering in the corner. He earns big laughs in ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ simply because he delivers the song with such sincerity.”
–Dustin K. Britt, Chatham Life & Style
HAY FEVER
"One of the funniest scenes is the simultaneous arrival of the effervescent (but apparently clueless) Richard Greatham (Jonathan King) and the mousy Jackie Coryton (Max Raymond). King and Raymond play off each other beautifully. Raymond, in particular, provoked peal after peal of laughter in this scene and others."
–Pamela Vesper and Kurt Benrud, Triangle Arts & Entertainment
"Actor Max Raymond impresses, in Laura P. Cormier's witty costumes and makeup, as a flapper girl terrified by the sturm und drang about her."
–Byron Woods, IndyWeek
