SWEET
After you’ve watched the subtle, nuanced performance of Dane Zinter as Fredrick, a pathetically lonely, obsessed madman in “The Collector,” you may be excused for concluding that the actor himself is more than a little deranged. His defensive smirk, his furrowed brow, his awkward gestures with his hands are so spot-on that you simply lose sight of the fact that he’s acting. And his accent—working-class Brit—is impeccable, and he doesn’t lose it for a single syllable. If I seem to be raving here, please forgive me. I was simply bowled over by this young man. In my view, he could become this generation’s Meryl Streep.
Cynthia Citron – Reviewplays
SWEET
All in all, The Collector is an outstanding two-character drama, with two gutsy and multi-layered performances. It should not be missed.
Lynne Bronstein – Reviewplays
BITTERSWEET
The staging was also mostly very effective, with very convincing physical altercations between the two, choreographed by John Colella. It is, then, a little puzzling that the evening lacked power. It is perhaps due to the direction (by Edward Edwards) but most probably due to the script. The dynamics and tension between the two didn’t seem to build as they might, the sparring seems, often, perfunctory.
Geoff Hoff – LA Theatre Review
SWEET
A gripping script, interpreted by a most capable director, who elicited two memorable performances, makes The Collector a very exciting evening of theatre.
Beverly Cohn – Santa Monica Mirror
BITTERSWEET
Although the text is at its strongest when it delves into psychological motives and unveils social truths, we’re at the mercy of the play’s troublesome structure: awkward exposition and sometimes tortuously extended scenes that never quite hit us hard enough. Add problematic, indulgent staging, and, unfortunately what “The Collector” leaves us with are some very interesting bits in an overlong evening.
Jennie Webb – Backstage
