Reviews
Links to specific shows:
Peer Gynt | The Red Horse is Leaving | Poetic License | General Reviews
KID | Mr. Raisin Head Facing East |The Watcher and The Watched |Waiting for the Dawn |
Invitation | Litko | Teaching Comments
Robert Cushman — National Post
Batdorf's staging is brilliant; she makes imposing use of the site's
built-in resources... and inventive use of a few simple recurring props
and masks. She also continually finds new and surprising ways to introduce
the characters… remarkable.
Keith Garebian — Stage and Page Website
Erika
Batdorf’s one-woman show may be the first stream-of-consciousness
monologue to depict how an artist struggles to express an elusive artistic
vision. … packs a great deal into its duration of slightly over
sixty minutes. What stamps it with genius is not simply Thaya Whitten’s
singular artistic and spiritual identity, but Ms. Batdorf’s artistry
that expresses the relationship between genius and madness with haunting
vividness and sympathetic understanding..…quirky humour …Ms.
Batdorf’s extraordinary physical movement speaks volumes to this
theme. … for the most creative of us (as Ms. Batdorf articulates)
are destined to be “lovers of longing.” One of the extraordinary
achievements of this solo piece is its vivid ability to make this longing
a thing of spiritual radiance.
Eye Weekly, Paul Issacs
...
supremely talented physical performer. The Red
Horse Is Leaving opens with a single scene of magnificent control, … (completely
free of dialogue) is an absolute marvel: a pitch-perfectly timed symphony
of coffee slurps, pill-pops and cigarette drags, as the artist contemplates
a terminally blank canvas before her. It’s a wonderfully sustained
piece of tragic-comic acting.
National Post, Robert Cushman,
In The Red Horse Is Leaving, Erika Batdorf
plays her own mother — a Nova Scotian woman of multiple talents; primarily
she was a painter, but she was also a jazz musician and some kind of
performance artist. She was also mentally ill, with a double-edged attitude
to the drugs prescribed for her condition. …Batdorf, herself an
accomplished performer … very funny silent sequence showing the
artist in her studio…
There is nothing embarrassing about this audience participation; Batdorf
is an underplayer, and the attitude she presents — firm in her ideas,
diffident in their presentation — makes everyone feel at ease.
(Batdorf is)…stabbing and unadorned.
One section of this show, sympathetically directed by Todd Hammond, bleeds imperceptibly into the next, and it seems that suddenly we are back in the studio, watching and hearing a verbalized elaboration of the opening silent sequence. This is a loving portrait, and both she and the audience are nourished by that fact, but it's an objective and unsentimental one.
Poetic License received 3 Dora nominations in the independent theatre category for
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Outstanding Performance by a Female
Outstanding Direction -Todd Hammond
NOW magazine Kate Pedersen NNNN
“License to Thrill …hilarious and thoughtful… Erika
Batdorf's show is emotionally compelling, visually elegant… the
very best thing about Poetic License is Batdorf’s humour…
Sitting in my little seat, munching on a circular chocolate wafer (significant
to the show) and watching Batdorf was the highlight of my week, possibly
my month.”
EYE Paul Isaacs
“wonderful… one of the most humorous, note-perfect performances
I’ve seen all year- a female Lucky Jim.”
Town Crier By Eric McMillan
“Daring ...moving theatre …a transporting event.
Erika Batdorf is a phenomenon.
…transporting and incredibly affecting…. this could be a
play that brings the masses into more daring theatre. …Poetic
Licence
—and Erika Batdorf in whatever she next does— is an experience
no one should miss.”
The Village Voice- James Hannaham
“great facility and quirky humor… a new way of perceiving
the world."
Backstage, NYC- Jane Hogan
" Batdorf is extremely skilled … clearly revealed her range.
Batdorf's work is both intense and subtle, … enigmatic yet accessible."
**** The Globe and Mail (Toronto)- Kate Taylor
"impressively convincing… remarkable.”
The Boston Herald
Karen Campbell
"…striking physicality. She doesn't so much create characters
as embody their every thought with gestures, facial expressions and movement
phrases that add a vibrant richness and texture to the spoken text…
Batdorf is a natural and authoritative dancer and choreographer, projecting
a sculptural quality enhanced by quicksilver shifts in gestural inflection."
The Allentown Express (PA)
"One of the most effective integrations of theater of movement and
idea I have ever seen."
Anchorage Daily News
Anne Herman
"…succeeded in presenting the breadth of creative energy inherent
in today's movement theater and performance art."
The Providence Phoenix
Johnette Rodriguez
"Reverberations from a preview of Erika Batdorf's performance pieces
two weeks ago produced intense conversations with colleagues, friends
and even a stranger...Batdorf's down to earth, unpretentious combination
of lecture and performance and her creative amalgam of storytelling and
dance… make her pieces fresh and startling."
The Nice Paper (Providence, RI)
Rick Massimo
"..entertaining… an extremely skilled mimic; her portrayals
are very distinct…laced with affection and humorous moments…
evocative movement… some of the movements spoke what would have
taken hundreds of words…"
The Providence Journal
(Critics Choice) "…might just make you think about the way
you think."
The Boston Phoenix
"...talking about Erika Batdorf is like singing about physics."
Propaganda - NYC Fringe Paper-Rachel Scott
" sharp, insightful and entertaining... rich characterizations that
embrace physicality with specificity and vivacity … packed with
entertainment and surprises.... sporty physical and vocal work....a funny
and touching theatrical experience..."
The Boston Herald- Karen Campbell
“grows on the audience quickly... memorable... asks some intriguing
questions. ... touching and memorable … totally charming and realistic
child...”
The Boston Phoenix- Anne Marie Donahue
“gutsy… entirely convincing…amusing and horrifying by
turns… affecting … quirky ....”
The National Post (Toronto) Robert Cushman
“ piercingly performed...compassionately written … compelling...
she does it admirably.”
EYE magazine, Toronto Kevin Connolly
“impressive, unique creation… humor, cunning internal logic
and quiet intimacy”
“...a piece of good intellectual theatre.... uncanny in her shifts
in and out of male persona, knows how to soft-sell poetic structure …Textbook
movement-based theatre delivered from its musty binding, …compassion
and intelligence that gives performance art a good name…
…breathtaking … not just credible… uplifting.”
The Boston Globe- Skip Aschein
“gently surreal… imaginative and richly entertaining.…
uncanny comic timing... an evocative visual metaphor...”
NOW magazine, Toronto Glenn S.
“…the charismatic Batdorf… is a first-rate physical
performer …magical physicalization…"
Jon Kaplan
"Batdorf is marvelous…an appealing humanity.”
Theatre Mirror, New England Larry Stark
“”…effortless and miraculous... Batdorf’s body
does amazing things, effortlessly, and there is a hidden hint of searching
spirituality shining through all her work. She’s amazing.”
Bay Windows, Boston- Dawn Dougherty
"Her song, movement and emotions are completely absorbing... hard
hitting and poignant.... clear and deep. Batdorf's talent is obvious…
intriguing”
The Theater Mirror, New England- Larry Stark
" powerful, enigmatic … keeps unfolding in the mind long after
the lights fade… She is a commanding figure… The mystery of
it never interferes with the obvious art involved… unsettlingly
believable… intense and precise…startling images… unbelievably
expressive..."
The Boston Phoenix- Anne Marie Donahue
“ abstract and free ranging work, …Batdorf marshals an artistic
arsenal that includes multicharacter narrative, dance, song, and music...
intense and emotionally raw... evocative...chillingly real...."
The Boston Herald- Iris Fanger
Batdorf brings much talent to the stage, particularly her highly trained,
beautifully articulated dancer's body and a pleasing singing voice.
Words and Movement: The Dancer as Kinetic Writer
by Anne L. Herman
"...Her actions and gestures create a kinetic clarity and truth that
is immediately apparent to the audience,... struck the audience in ways
that were immediately apparent..."
The Boston Globe- Bill Marx
"...silky dance moves, effective music (she has a fine voice) and
intriguing visuals."
The Hartford Courant- Tony Angarano
"a provocative solo work... a tightly structured work of real dimension
…strength and substance."
Anchorage Daily News- Anne Herman
" thought-provoking… a succinctly potent comment on the human
condition..."
South End News, Boston- Jacob Smith Jang
"graceful….great theatrical skill… well acted scenes…"
The Village Voice, James Hannaham
“Batdorf, a Boston based movement professional, slinks her way through
one short and one long solo piece with great facility and quirky humor.
In ‘kid’ she does a dead on impression of a child”
Backstage, Jane Hogan
"Batdorf became a little girl waiting for her sister, who may or
may not really be coming, who tells the audience a story while hoping
her sister arrives. Batdorf... created a full-blown character through
voice and movement, and coupled with “Mr. Raisin Head,” clearly
revealed her range. Batdorf's work is both intense and subtle, and her
vulnerable characters remain enigmatic yet accessible."
Propaganda - NYC Fringe Paper, Rachel Scott
"Erika Batdorf's creation is sharp, insightful and entertaining...
Batdorf creates rich characterizations that embrace physicality with specificity
and vivacity... packed with entertainment and surprises.... But this isn't
simply an actor tossing off clever character work; the pieces resonate
with deeper and more complex questions about how we live. Beneath Batdorf's
sporty physical and vocal work, the characters are wrestling with the
agonizing problems of being human. The first is about a vulnerable, lonely
girl anticipating her sister’s arrival. The character... is so endearing
in her vulnerability that it’s almost painful....a funny and touching
theatrical experience...."
The Boston Herald, Karen Campbell
“... perhaps the most touching and memorable piece on the program
is ‘kid’, in which Batdorf creates a totally charming and
realistic child...”
The Boston Phoenix, Anne Marie Donahue
“The riskiest offering in the entire festival is an odd and haunting
monologue called ‘kid’ written and performed by the gutsy
Erika Batdorf. Against all odds, Batdorf is entirely convincing as a four-year-old
girl who calls herself Stinky.... Stinky’s tale, amusing and horrifying
by turns, centers on her quest to find Mr. Mean Man, who not only made
Stinky stinky but also condemned her to remain a little kid forever. Along
the way, she meets three other creatures who’ve been blighted by
the same diabolical guy: Mr. Mole Man, an artistic turtle who thinks he’s
a mole; the brave Mr. frog Man, who is blind; and the menacing Birdlady,
who can’t fly. Ultimately, all come to a nasty end except Stinky,
who wreaks her revenge at great cost and then metamorphoses into an adult.
In lesser hands than Batdorf’s, ‘kid’ could come off
as ridulous. As, performed, however, it is an affecting piece that...works
as both quirky narrative and as an allegory of childhood trauma.”
The Globe and Mail (Toronto), Kate Taylor
****“impressively convincing... Batdorf fashions a tidy little allegory
for the way child abuse freezes the vistim in immaturity.... Again, it’s
the contrast between her recherche themes and her warm physical comedy
that makes Batdorf’s work remarkable.”
The National Post (Toronto), Robert Cushman
“Kid... piercingly performed...compassionately written and telling
a compelling story... It works as a fairytale, with the horrors as relentless
and as saddening as only a children’s narrative can be, and it reverberates
as the author wishes. Batdorf has time to animate 5 characters- verbally,
visually or both, plus drawing some of them on a blackboard- and she does
it admirably.”
The Eye (Toronto), Kevin Connolly
“Batdorf’s final shift from wounded child to healing adult,
signalled in a breathtaking shift in and out of adult voice, is not just
credible, it’s uplifting.”
Comments from Health professionals about 'kid'
"Kid," the dynamic performance by Erika Batdorf, is a deeply
moving expression of the inner life of an abused child. I strongly encourage
mental health professionals to view it themselves as well as to encourage
their clients with an abuse history to attend, as it validates the universality
of what might otherwise be seen as a unique experience. Batdorf's use
of the arts as an approach to healing the devastating wounds of abuse
is inspiring and reminds us of the intrinsic capacity of the heart to
transcend all limitations.
Mary K. Radpour, LCSW, family therapist, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Kid is a stunningly emotional portrayal of lasting trauma and the process
of healing from childhood sexual abuse. It states the truth in a way that
touches the heart. It is powerful enough to bring tears to seasoned counselors,
and sensitive enough to be used as a training tool for students and as
a healing tool for abuse victims. It is an excellent foundation piece
for the discussion of many aspects of abuse such as self esteem, defenses,
repressed memory, issues of trust, the core of fear and others. Excellent
and extremely insightful.
Hazel A. Hutton, LAC, LSW (Licensed Addiction Counselor and Licensed Social
Worker in the state of North Dakota) former child protective services
supervisor
The Village Voice, James Hannaham
"Batdorf... slinks her way through... with great facilty and quirky
humor. In "Mr Raisin Head" she inhabits a Southie-type flunkie
who tries to stave off his impending age and obscurity by learning something
about art; hoping that 'virtues' will recognize him. In the process he
begins to discover a personal philosophy and a new way of perceiving the
world."
Backstage, Jane Hogan
"Batdorf has created a one-woman show that keeps you watching-- and
guessing.... Batdorf is extremely skilled at creating the complex character
through her physical movements... Batdorf's work is both intense and subtle..."
The Boston Globe, Skip Aschein
“Batdorf’s gently surreal “Mr. Raisin Head.... is imaginative
and richly entertaining... as an actress, she combines an ear for fine-tuned
inflection with canny comic timing... the ending is an evocative visual
metaphor...”
The Globe and Mail, Toronto ****Kate Taylor
“...impressively convincing...it felt like some wierdly productive
cross between Pilgrim’s Progress and a tawdry cabaret act... it’s
the contrast between her recherche themes and her warm physical comedy
that makes Batdorf’s work remarkable.”
Propaganda - NYC Fringe Paper, Rachel Scott
"Erika Batdorf's creation is sharp, insightful and entertaining...
Batdorf creates rich characterizations that embrace physicality with such
specificity and vivacity that this hour long show is packed with entertainment
and surprises.... But this isn't simply an actor tossing off clever character
work; the pieces resonate with deeper and more complex questions about
how we live. Beneath Batdorf's sporty physical and vocal work, the characters
are wrestling with the agonizing problems of being human...a funny and
touching theatrical experience, showing that the grotesque is only one
step before the divinely beautiful."
NOW magazine, Toronto, Glenn S
“charismatic, Batdorf is a first-rate physical performer and she
gets into the skin of her men and women with equal skill.”
NOW magazine, Toronto, Jon Kaplan
“Batdorf is marvelous at physically characterizing ‘Mr. Raisin
Head’, down to the bend in his toes and the lizardlike flicking
of his tongue... Batdorf gives the angst ridden ‘Raisin Head’
an appealing humanity.”
EYE magazine, Toronto, Kevin Connolly
“impressive, unique creation” “humor, cunning internal
logic and quiet intimacy”
“...a piece of good intellectual theatre.... Batdorf is uncanny
in her shifts in and out of male persona, knows how to soft-sell poetic
structure and uses an earthy Brooklyn accent as an effective counterpoint
to her character’s metaphorical speechifying. Textbook movement-based
theatre delivered from its musty binding, and with the kind of cross-gender
compassion and intelligence that gives performance art a good name.”
Bay Windows, Boston, Dawn Dougherty
“Batdorf transforms herself into her male and female characters
with style and ease (playing multiple characters/identities seems to be
one of her strong points), and Paul’s (Mr. Raisin Head) lizard-like
journey of discovery is both humorous and tortured. She captures the nuances
of his male character without exaggeration or insult and you are drawn
to his sweet and insecure nature.
Theatre Mirror, New England, Larry Stark
“It’s not just the shirt and tie, pants and suit jacket she
wears that transforms Erika Batdorf into a man--- it’s stance, gesture
patterns, accent, and attitude. And she shows how easy it is by winding
herself into a fluffy pink boa from time to time to become Mr. Raisin
Head’s girlfriend...When Batdorf’s Mr. Raisin Head becomes
a fish, the transformation is as effortless and miraculous as that from
man to woman and back. Batdorf’s body does amazing things, effortlessly,
and there is a hidden hint of searching spirituality shining through all
her work. She’s amazing.”
The Boston Herald, Karen Campbell
“Mr Raisin Head” grows on the audience quickly... a man in
the throes of self-examination. He vacillates between addressing the audience
with his metaphysical musings and chiding himself in an invisible mirror.
Batdorf, wearing a suit and a nearly perpetual leer on her wonderfully
malleable face, creates Mr. Raisin Head with macho swagger and a deft
Brooklyn acent... it’s a memorable character... and one that asks
some intriguing questions.”
Facing East (live music by Bruce Grover)
Bay Windows, Boston- Dawn Dougherty
"Her song, movement and emotions are completely absorbing... These
scenes are hard hitting and poignant....The vocals were clear and deep.
Batdorf's talent is obvious. Batdorf picks up every nuance and difference
between the characters... "Facing East" is pieced together like
a patchwork quilt. The textured layers of music and dance combine to create
a dramatic presentation that both tells the story and creates the intriguing
mood of the piece."
The Theater Mirror, New England- Larry Stark
"Erika Batdorf's powerful, enigmatic piece of movement theatre, which
deals with hard subjects never quite head-on, keeps unfolding in the mind
long after the lights and music fade… She is a commanding figure,
and not an instant of "Facing East" is accidental. The mystery
of it never interferes with the obvious art involved… unsettlingly
believable… the power of the piece depends on its being intense
and precise without ever becoming specific…startling images…
and all of it focused on one unbelievably expressively supple woman's
moving body."
The Boston Phoenix- Anne Marie Donahue
In "Facing East," the most abstract and free ranging work of
the festival, Erika Batdorf marshals an artistic arsenal that includes
multicharacter narrative, dance, song, and music... intense and emotionally
raw... evocative...chillingly real...."
The Boston Herald- Iris Fanger
Batdorf brings much talent to the stage, particularly her highly trained,
beautifully articulated dancer's body and a pleasing singing voice.
Words and Movement: The Dancer as Kinetic Writer
by Anne L. Herman
"Erika Batdorf... has become particularly adept at crystallizing
this movement calligraphy... In dances such as "Facing East"
...Her actions and gestures create a kinetic clarity and truth that is
immediately apparent to the audience,...The sounds and their cadences
struck the audience in ways that were immediately apparent..."
The Boston Globe- Bill Marx
"...silky dance moves, effective music (she has a fine voice) and
intriguing visuals."
The Hartford Courant- Tony Angarano
"Erika Batdorf's "Facing East" crosses the line between
dance and performance art. Using song, speech and movement, she has created
a provocative solo work... Batdorf has created a tightly structured work
of real dimension. The tensile grace of her body expresses the work's
strength and substance."
Anchorage Daily News- Anne Herman
"Facing East" was a thought-provoking study of death in life,
with a strong undercurrent of ritual that intensified the emotions of
words and actions onstage. With songs words and movements Batdorf revealed
some of the cave of her heart ...It was a succinctly potent comment on
the human condition..."
South End News, Boston- Jacob Smith Jang
"graceful….great theatrical skill… well acted scenes…"
The Providence Phoenix
Johnette Rodriguez
"Reverberations from a preview of Erika Batdorf's performance pieces
two weeks ago produced intense conversations with colleagues, friends
and even a stranger- a fellow audience member who recognized me the day
after the performance because of the audience participation section of
the show… I was also compelled to re-enact some of Batdorf's movements
to back up my descriptions… Batdorf's down to earth, unpretentious
combination of lecture and performance and her creative amalgam of storytelling
and dance… make her pieces fresh and startling."
Theater, Yale School of Drama, Yale Repertory Theatre, Spring 1992
Kristin Johnsen-Neshati
"...a compelling montage which demands a hard investigation... of our culture. the challenge before both seasoned critic and first time theatre-goer is to define human behavior in gender-neutral, non-sexist terms...Batdorf provokes her audience to 'instinctive' response. We're urged to examine closely the same everyday pictures we have absorbed only half consciously, even unconsciously over a lifetime." (Full article available upon request.)
The Nice Paper (Providence, RI)
Rick Massimo
"..entertaining…Ms. Batdorf is an extremely skilled mimic;
her portrayals are very distinct…laced with affection and humorous
moments… evocative movement… some of the movements spoke what
would have taken hundreds of words…"
The Providence Journal
(Critics Choice) "…might just make you think about the way
you think."
NPR Alaska Edition
Gigi Berardi
"Waiting for the Dawn is a 55 minute solo… Batdorf handles
it beautifully… Batdorf is a gorgeous dancer, creative and in control.
The movements are clean and strong- the running dialogue with herself-
is sophisticated and provocative…it is touching…"
The Providence Phoenix
Johnette Rodriguez
"Reverberations from a preview of Erika Batdorf's performance pieces
two weeks ago produced intense conversations with colleagues, friends
and even a stranger- a fellow audience member who recognized me the day
after the performance because of the audience participation section of
the show… I was also compelled to re-enact some of Batdorf's movements
to back up my descriptions… Batdorf's down to earth, unpretentious
combination of lecture and performance and her creative amalgam of storytelling
and dance… make her pieces fresh and startling."
The Nice Paper (Providence, RI)
Rick Massimo
"..entertaining…Ms. Batdorf is an extremely skilled mimic;
her portrayals are very distinct…laced with affection and humorous
moments… evocative movement… some of the movements spoke what
would have taken hundreds of words…"
The Providence Journal
(Critics Choice) "…might just make you think about the way
you think."
Anchorage Daily News
Anne Herman
"…the evenings strongest work… Erika Batdorf's "Invitation"
was an intensely sensual dance about love, hate and passion… she
fills the space with sharp, angular motions that contrasted with the claw-like
shapes of her hands. Raw emotions of loss and anger poured from her body
in sounds and movements. Later her hands and body softened into curved
and woven patterns that embraced the space and herself. Her body became
a siren's song beckoning the beloved, and offering herself with fingers
that opened like flowers on her stomach."
Anchorage Daily News
Anne Herman
"…it was as if she had swallowed a Mamet play whole and was
regurgitating each written word and stage direction like some insane actor.
She was actor, critic, analyst and stage director all rolled into one,
each character distinct and separated only by split-second changes in
body posture and vocal intonation."
The Boston Herald, Karen Campbell
"Batdorf does a terrific job with David Mamet's short "Litko: a dramatic monologue" an odd, humorous little deconstruction of theatrical artifice. The sober, deadpan Litko talks in theatrical cliches while two other characters- a pretentious professorial type and a manic, slightly wacko enthusiast- attempt to dissect the monologue. Batdorf bounds between the three personae with clarity, verve and split-second timing."
"Batdorf is an exciting new voice on the horizon of the performing arts. She has an exceptional vision and a keen sense of responsibility to that vision.....Erika is a sharing artist, one who feels that her performance is inextricably linked to her pedagogy. .. she maintained a wholesome balance between the develoment of individual creative expression and the necessity for technique, culminating in a disciplined, forceful, expressive, and physical approach to our craft."
Neil Donohoe, Theatre Chairperson, The Boston Conservatory
"As a performing artist, teacher and colleague, Ms. Batdorf has my highest recommendations... Her cretive combination of theater and dance make her a unique and highly respected performing artist. As a talented and motivated artist, she constantly seeks new ideas, new forms of expression and new ways of communicating to her students. Working with erika has been a pure delight."
Yasuko Tokunaga, Dance Chairperson, The Boston Conservatory
"The residency was a resounding success. not only were Batdorf's choreography and performance all we might have wished, but her visits to our acting and movement classes were well-planned, sensitively and clearly delivered, and inspirational to students and teachers alike. Batdorf has the skill, the sensitivity, and the strenght to do excellent work as a teacher/choreographer in either a university or professional venue. She is personable, straightforward, and extremely well-schooled. Her vision is refreshingly clear.,,"
Michael Hood, Chair, Theater and Dance, University of Alaska Anchorage
(Currently Dean of Arts at the University of Pennsylvania)
"Batdorf is without a doubt one of the finest young movement teachers/performers in America today. her performing is cogent and inspiringly informed with the same energy and care as her teaching."
Thomas Leabhart, Chair, Theater, Clairmont Colleges, CA
"The opportunity to bring together theater and dance students, faculty and community performers in such a unique residency guided by an artist of Batdorf's caliber is a gift. Her ability to achieve the integration of diverse interest groups so successfully through her work in the classroom and through her performance concept was a joy to watch. Theater and dance students benefited enormously from her expertise. They learned to expand their own boundaries and conceptualizations about their own craft and the ways in which the boundaries of theater and dance intersect and merge with each other. As educational leaders are encouraging and embracing interdisciplinary approaches in learning, without a doubt, Batdorf is a leader in the arts field... her performance concept was creative, original and an enormous success."
Jill Crosby, Dance Coordinator, University of Alaska Anchorage
"...Erika asked me to give a workshop to a group of her students. I was delighted by their attitude and by the level of their work, a level for which Erika must receive credit. The group, which included some very advanced students and professionals, spoke of Erika with deep respect, gratitude and genuine affection."
Fred Curchack, Professor of Art and Performance, University of Texas at Dallas
