Critical Acclaim
“… another highly polished production from the intimate Elements Theatre Company… still one of the best kept theatrical secrets on the Cape.”
— Cape Cod Chronicle, The Merchant of Venice
“The acting is engaging and meticulous with subtle nuances and powerful emotions.”
— Cape Codder, Pillars of the Community
“This gem of a repertory company again wows with its acting range and versatility.”
— Cape Codder, All My Sons
“I commend this theater group for seeking to be agents of change through art. ‘Encountering the Other’ challenges us to hold a mirror to ourselves and peer into our own prejudices and behavior. By doing so, we are stirred to make new choices, hopefully ones that lean toward mercy.”
— America Magazine, The Merchant of Venice
“. . . a splendid production that people are bound to remember.”
— Broadway World
“excellent production”
— The Cape Codder
“lavish costuming, sharply honed acting”
— Barnstable patriot, Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)
“Element’s repertory cast is deep with talent. . . .”
— Barnstable Patriot, Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)
“one of the Cape’s most memorable Shakespearean performances of all time”
— Barnstable Patriot, Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)
“. . . a robust, bloody rendition of Julius Caesar, staged in the stately courtyard to the church⎯which should indicate that neither the church community nor the audience is full of shrinking violets.”
— American Theatre Magazine, Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)
“Everything about this production is awe-inspiring, from the intricate yet natural- looking set to the wonder of the audience actually feeling as though they are part of the story . . . the acting is honestly superb. The theater’s professionalism, the talent of those involved . . . how easy it is to see how much both cast and crew alike care for the making of a splendid production that people are bound to remember.”
— Broadway World
“The director, set designers and actors of this excellent production of King Lear know what they’re doing. This is a long play that requires a great deal of preparation and dedication from the cast, and the director, Danielle Dwyer, who delivers a King Lear that is well orchestrated and performed from start to finish. As we’ve come to expect from Elements Theatre Company, production values are exquisite.”
— The Cape Codder, King Lear
“While Shakespeare’s play (The Merchant of Venice) itself is problematic, this production was impeccably acted and beautifully designed. It was clear the company had dug deeply into all aspects of this play and era.”
— Cape Cod Times, 2015 Year favorite: The Merchant of Venice
“With its lavish costuming, sharply honed acting and august theatrical space, this Elements Theatre Company production of Julius Caesar instantly makes it one of the Cape’s most memorable Shakespearean performances of all time. . . you could do no better than catching this shimmering production.”
— Barnstable Patriot, Julius Caesar
“This classically trained company delivers lines with ease, taking mastery of the archaic language as if it were second nature. . . . The entire cast is exceptional.”
— Cape Cod Times, Twelfth Night
“These actors and the extraordinary performance they gave really makes Shakespeare’s words seem so easy to roll off the tongue. . . . The costumes are perfect, the fight choreography impressive . . .and the acting is honestly superb.”
— Broadway World, King Lear (William Shakespeare)
“. . . excellent British diction. This is the only time I’ve understood every world in a play with British accents. . . . ”
— Cape Cod Times, Blithe Spirit
“The cast is fantastic and the acting superb. . . .”
— The Cape Codder, Blithe Spirit
“Theirs is a labor of love. Their professionalism and commitment to their craft are unmistakable.”
— Broadway World, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (William Shakespeare)
“Each member of the cast gives a meticulous performance. The highly professional troupe gives its heart and soul to the production producing a dramatic masterpiece.”
— Cape Codder, The Cherry Orchard (Anton Chekhov)
“Elements Theatre Company’s Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward is a tour de force”
— Cape Cod Times, Blithe Spirit
“As we have come to expect at the Elements Theatre Company, production values are exquisite.”
— Wicked Local, King Lear (William Shakespeare)
“This classically trained company delivers lines with ease, taking mastery of the archaic language as if it were second nature. . . . The entire cast is exceptional.”
— Cape Cod Times, Twelfth Night (William Shakespeare)
“Once again the masterful cast of Elements Theatre Company present an impeccable product. Director Sr. Danielle Dwyer, along with her repertory troupe, grab hold of Ibsen’s heavy plot twists and never lose their grip. The acting is scalpel sharp, the timing exact; the period costumes beautiful and the set striking.”
— Barnstable Patriot, Pillars of the Community (Henrick Ibsen)
“Shakespeare’s work is commonly performed, but it takes an uncommon theatre to perform it to its fullest. Under the consistent direction of Danielle Dwyer, the first-rate cast of seventeen is no stranger to Shakespeare’s old English . . . with subtle nuances, and elaborate costuming, and spectacular sets.”
— Cape Codder, Twelfth Night (William Shakespeare)
“An emotionally moving and hope-filled play. . . . Elements Theatre Company’s A Christmas Carol fits the bill.”
— Cape Codder, A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
“Beautifully staged and, even better, magnificently acted. The entire acting company is superb. The actions of the characters, their motives and machinations, are all brilliantly played out.”
— Cape Cod Times, Shakespeare’s Own: Vicious or Virtuous? (Scenes from Hamlet & King Lear, William Shakespeare)
“Doubling as the director, Dwyer makes sure each character’s tics are fully developed to produce constant laughter as the show spirals to its surprising conclusion. The talented cast expertly manages the tricky and well-timed dialogue and coordinates the many entrances and exits that add to the madcap plot.”
— Cape Cod Day, Rumors (Neil Simon)
“A sheer delight to watch, and wonderfully entertaining in the adept hands of Elements’ ensemble cast. Every facet of Elements’ production sparkles.”
— Barnstable Patriot, Rumors (Neil Simon)
“A rip roaring version of one of Wilde’s most brilliantly written plays. Elements Theatre Company hits Wilde’s humor perfectly, and its 1920s updates to the Victorian-era show are tactful and clever, making the point that every decade has its moral problems. Simply put, Lady Windermere’s Fan is more entertaining than a whole speak-easy full of flappers and bathtub gin.”
— Cape Cod Times, Lady Windermere’s Fan (Oscar Wilde)
“A stunningly beautiful and powerful production. It brings together an immensely talented cast of actors, led by an internationally renowned director, featuring gorgeous costumes and sets, and world-class live music. Director Joanna Weir-Ouston deftly draws together all aspects of this production into a shimmering spectacle of royal life in the middle ages. With storyline and dialog as high as the castle wall itself, Ouston has the cast and play moving as swiftly as the blade of a broadsword.”
— Barnstable Patriot, The Lion in Winter (James Goldman)
“Everything about the production—the directing, the acting, sets, lighting, costumes, and music—has a polished shine to it. Each role is well cast, and all the actors handle the play’s verbal jousting with aplomb.”
— Cape Codder, The Lion in Winter (James Goldman)
“A lively, colorful and uplifting production that keeps audience members entranced by the sheer beauty of the setting and talent of the performers.”
— Cape Codder, The Rock (T. S. Eliot)
“A thoughtful and compelling examination of what really matters in one’s life here on earth. . . . This is a sublimely powerful production with many intricate layers of symbolism that resonate long after the play ends. Every detail, from the costumes to the casting to the stage itself, offers a deeper glimpse of the underlying message.”
— Cape Cod Times, Everyman (Anonymous)
“Weir-Ouston uses authentic details to capture the exuberant spirit of Elizabethan drama. If Shakespeare himself walked into Paraclete House, he might think he was in the Globe theater.”
— Cape Cod, The Comedy of Errors (William Shakespeare)
“This production by Elements Theatre Company brings all the blackness of Richard’s heart and the redness of spilt blood to bear on a three-hour show that left Sunday night’s audience leaping to their feet in applause.”
— Cape Cod Times, Richard III (William Shakespeare)