Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE?

Daryl Roth presents the world premiere of Accidentally Brave, written by and starring Maddie Corman, opening Off-Broadway last night at DR2 Theatre in Union Square. The play is directed by Tony Award Nominee Kristin Hanggi (Rock of Ages, bare). Previews began on Monday, March 11 for the production's limited engagement through Sunday, July 14. at the DR2 Theatre (103 E. 15th St, NYC).

Courageous, daring, and unflinchingly honest, Accidentally Brave is Maddie Corman's inspiring true story about discovering a new normal when her world falls apart. This new play challenges perceptions, captivates audiences and sparks an emotionally charged discussion that will leave you wondering... what would I do?

Let's see what the critics had to say...

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Michael Dale, BroadwayWorld: Remarkably, ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE never strays far from being a love story, or at least one that tests the boundaries of love. Despite moments of expressing pure hatred for her husband, she doesn't stop loving him. And there's extraordinary power and bravery within her compassion, making ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE a truly uplifting experience that allows you to believe that one day Maddie Corman will be okay.

Jesse Green, The New York Times: Here, though, the form forces her to create an illusion of drama through a kind of solo montage. Several customized bravura sequences show her toggling with daredevil facility among various characters and moods. She smash-cuts from devastation to furor to false calm as if road testing them to see which is most useful.

David Finkle, New York Stage Review: Though there's a comfortable rolling-chair on Jo Winiarski's inviting set, Corman doesn't remain sedentary. Under Kristin Hanggi's direction, she's up and down, back and forth, depressed and less often elated-as myriad images flash on a curved upstage wall (Elaine J. McCarthy's projection design).

Ron Fassler, Theater Pizzazz: So it is to Corman's credit, and to her director Kristin Hanggi, that they have crafted an evening that is pitched at exactly the right level of revealing personal drama (and trauma), that still leaves room for one's own feelings. The dissection of Corman's marriage is brutally honest, and at times, left me with certain uncomfortable feelings that came up about my own marital history-reverberations of what occurs when trust is shattered and picking up the pieces is fraught with fear of the future-although few people on any given night will have anything that compares with Corman's story.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel

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