OPENING NIGHT REVIEWS - openingnight.online - Edward Kliszus
“This … horror comedy delivers campy 1950s thrills in NYC’s Black Box theater scene.
Manhattan Repertory Theatre has struck theatrical gold with Tim Mulligan’s wickedly entertaining “Point Loma,” a gleefully campy horror spoof that channels the best of 1950s B-movie schlock while delivering genuine scares and belly laughs in equal measure. Under Ken Wolf’s spirited direction, this off-Broadway gem transforms the intimate black box space of Chain Theatre into a haunted playground where paranormal podcasters meet their match in a sinister San Diego hospice house.”
“Parker Jenkins brings a perfect blend of vulnerability and determination to Chad, grounding the increasingly absurd proceedings with genuine human emotion. His chemistry with Ian Brady’s exuberant boyfriend Todd provides the production’s emotional anchor, while Brady’s infectious enthusiasm for all things supernatural delivers some of the evening’s biggest laughs.”
“The paranormal investigation team proves equally compelling. Jevon Nicholson’s Rick perfectly captures the self-important bravado of a podcast host, while Michelle Park’s Kim brings depth to what could have been a stereotypical goth medium character. Mathew Hernandez rounds out the trio as Carl, the perpetually terrified cameraman whose reactions to the escalating horror provide consistent comic relief.”
“Jessica Luhmann deserves particular praise as Anna, the day-shift nurse whose wine-fueled breakdown and ultimate heroism steal several scenes. Luhmann navigates the character’s journey from professional competence to frazzled desperation to wine-bottle-wielding savior with impressive range and impeccable comic timing.”
“Wolf’s direction proves particularly ingenious in using the Chain Theatre’s intimate space to create a truly immersive theatrical experience. Rather than confining the action to the traditional stage area, the production transforms the entire venue into a haunted environment. Ghostly figures materialize from behind unsuspecting audience members, creating genuine jolts of surprise that ripple through the theater.”
POINT LOMA by Tim Mulligan
The Reviews are in!
Theaterscene. org - Darryl Reilly
“Disembodied opening and slamming kitchen drawers, pictures flying off walls and ominous, blood red messages scrawled on household objects such as a toaster, all figure in playwright Tim Mulligan’s uproarious, contemporary paranormal mystery comedy, Point Loma. Laughs and thrills are plentiful. Mr. Mulligan’s exquisite command of dramatic writing, director Ken Wolf’s dazzling physical staging and the exuberant performances, all make this an exhilarating and purely entertaining experience.”
“With Orson Welles-style auteurist brio, Mr. Wolf forcefully brings Mulligan’s vision to the stage. There are gorgeous tableaus, stunning stage pictures and precise placement of the actors, who periodically make striking entrances and exits through the venue’s rear area and the auditorium, and its front floor. Then there are the recurring, hooded cast members in swirling white robes depicting mischief making apparitions.”
Thinking Theatre NYC - John R. Ziegler and Leah Richards
“As the play opens, the walls and furniture of the set are draped in white sheets, a haunted house where mediumistic Kim (Michelle Park) and camera/soundman Carl (Mathew Hernandez) from the podcast Ghosting are about to experience more than they bargained for, while Rick (Jevon Nicholson), the third member of the Ghosting team, hosts from back in the studio. When the lights come up again following the scares of the dimly lit, red-tinged opening scene, the set has been denuded of its coverings, transforming it into the bright white kitchen of a house belonging to an older man named Hank (Dave Silberger), whose Art Deco home boasts a historic designation from the city of San Diego. Hank has been in a coma for months–the production smartly uses the raised landing in front of the first row of audience seats as his upstairs bedroom, along with other locations–and while assertively cheerful VA nurse Anna (Jessica Luhmann) has been sticking it out on the day shift as Hank's home health aide, turnover on the night shift has been very frequent, as Anna informs new night nurse Chad (Parker Jenkins). It doesn't take long to see why, as loud noises of unknown origin quickly give way to further spectral phenomena. And then there's that door to the cellar.”
Jevon Nicholson, Michelle Park, Ian Brady, Parker Jenkins and Mathew Hernandez
FEARS MAGAZINE
“Ken Wolf's masterful direction shines in POINT LOMA, showcasing a magical interplay between the cast and stage effects. The ensemble scenes, rich with movement, sound effects, and engaging actions, embody the classic poetry of a staged comedy. The actors swiftly establish their characters, captivating the audience and holding their focus throughout the energetic 90-minute performance. The cast is excellent, delivering a compelling, relentless and memorable evening.”
Jevon Nicholson, Michelle Park and Mathew Hernadez
Theaterscene .net - Scotty Bennett
“Point Loma by Tim Mulligan is a play about the paranormal events set in a historic house in the Point Loma area of San Diego. The house was used as a hospice associated with a nearby naval base. The story was inspired by Mulligan’s personal experiences with paranormal events in the home of a friend in the same area. Ken Wolf, artistic director and co-founder of Manhattan Repertory Theatre, skillfully directs an able and enthusiastic cast in their delivery of a story of things that go bump in the night. It’s an entertaining evening of theater for people who enjoy the thrill of a scary story."
Parker Jenkins and Jessica Luhmann
Jessica Taghap - OffOffonline. com
Ken Wolf’s direction and production design join seamlessly with Mulligan’s writing to build a world that immerses the audience...
Hi Drama on Saturday at 1:30 pm on Spectrum TV CH 56, RCN Ch. 83 and Fios Ch.3
LESLIE DILEO
Everybody loves a ghost story. For some people, the more shocking and tragic the background story, the better: (hatchets anyone?) Others feel empathy for the poor ghostly creatures unable to move on—tied to a lighthouse, a graveyard or Victorian mansion; tied to this Earth in unrelenting sorrow and despair—eliciting moans and cries and strange thumping in the night. And then there are those who are in it just for the ratings: like ghost hunter podcasters, whose followers called “Ghosties” are dying for the next big “Boo!”
Point Loma, written by Tim Mulligan, is a ghost story inspired by strange things he actually experienced at a friend’s house in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego.
The play features a ghost hunting podcast team on assignment as they move toward a haunted mansion. One of the pair is traumatized by what she experiences, and the future of the podcast hangs by a thread. The action moves to the home of a comatose patient on the site of a former military hospice. The daytime nurse and her new night time replacement experience increasingly mysterious and terrifying events. Can the podcast team be convinced to explore what could be their most terrifying and sensational case yet?
The show is skillfully and creatively directed by Ken Wolf. He makes excellent use of the theater space and its stadium seating center aisle so that the audience feels immersed in the podcast and surrounded by ghosts who travel up and down the aisle. The set design is clean and appropriate for both the haunted mansion (sheet covered furniture) and the comatose patient's kitchen where some scary special effects are perfect. The ghosts themselves donned in partial head coverings and flowing white capes fit right in.
I absolutely love the premise of this show, and the actors perform with gusto: Parker Jenkins as night nurse Chad is likable and earnest; Ian Brady is quippy and snappy as Chad's paranormal-obsessed boyfriend; Jessica Luhmann's day nurse Anna is cheerfully unhinged by her haunted assignment; Matthew Hernandez's Carl anchors the ghost hunting duo with equal parts nerdy excitement and sheer terror. Jevon Nicholson's Carl is the most naturally performed character. Michelle Park as Kim stands out as the ghost hunter and medium whose desire to find the truth is almost surpassed by her recent trauma. Dave Silberger as Hank, the comatose patient, is not just a pretty face.
Point Loma is serious and silly in equal parts. It's well-produced and entertaining. If you are in the mood for something lively, and the subject of ghostly happenings interest you, I recommend Point LOMA.
Happy Face!
Mathew Hernandez and Michelle Park