Review Roundup: THE FEW

by Kaitlyn Martin, marketing and development assistant

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's THE FEW opened this past weekend and positive reviews from critics and audience members alike have been reaching our ears! Be sure to read the press that we've received as well as making a trip to see this Samuel D. Hunter script on our Studio Theatre stage. THE FEW closes on March 19!

Mike Fischer,
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Outstanding Chamber cast delivers 'The Few'

Mary MacDonald Kerr and James Ridge in THE FEW.
Photos by Paul Ruffolo

"Featuring C. Michael Wright’s nuanced direction and an exceptional cast, it’s the best Wisconsin production I’ve seen thus far in 2017."

"QZ can be forgiven for seeming wary and confused, as well as angry, truculent and even a bit vengeful. Kerr gives us all that and something more, from this hurt and disappointed woman: Tender regard and lingering love for the broken man darkening her doorway."

"Bultman’s Matthew can remind one of a puppy: starved for love, eager to please and unbearably open. Physically bigger than either Ridge or Kerr, he can also seem uncoordinated, gangly and much too large [...] Because he’s such a bad fit for the space he fills, Matthew gives this dark play much of its humor; he’s also a reminder to his two elders of their best younger selves."

"Despite a few explosive moments during which all this simmering comes to a boil, there’s nothing overt in Ridge’s work, here; true to the character he plays and the themes coursing through this play, communication and connection are never that easy."

Paul Kosidowski,
Milwaukee Magazine
Life is a Highway...

James Ridge in THE FEW.

"Ridge plays Bryan with great attention to his damaged spirit and his passionate resilience. Watch him listen—early in the play—to a personal ad phone message from “Cindy.” He routinely types her message, then stops dreamily as her rambling story becomes more than ad copy—a familiar tale of a lost and lonely soul."

"MacDonald Kerr plays QZ with the hard edge of a pragmatist—a Mother Courage of the interstate, perhaps—but reveals her heart in the care she shows for Matthew."

"Bultman, who is making his local major theater debut, gives his character touching honesty and vulnerability. Personal ads and all, The Few is Matthew’s refuge from a cruel past, and Bultman is heartbreaking in his tenacity to get the paper out on time."

"It’s all orchestrated by director C. Michael Wright, who helps imbue the characters with intricately wrought humanity. It’s a great play for our troubled times, and MCT’s production offers a welcome dose of compassion and respect for the troubled fellow travelers."

Dave Begel,
On Milwaukee

Chamber Theatre gives 'The Few' solid, sensitive treatment

James Ridge, Mitch Bultman and 
Mary MacDonald Kerr in THE FEW.

"Milwaukee Chamber Theatre offers a wonderful treatment under the bright and sensitive direction of C. Michael Wright and a cast featuring two of the best actors in this state."

"Kerr and Ridge are among the finest actors this state has ever produced, and this production clearly shows why. [...] Kerr can say more with a single discouraged glance at Ridge than you might get in a full page of dialogue. Ridge wears his forlorn life like a shroud, never once stepping outside of what we think he ought to be. They are both brilliant."

"Bultman is new to me and an absolute delight. He's funny and sensitive and angry and not a single one of those traits strikes a false note."

Harry Cherkinian, 

Shepherd Express
Chamber Theatre's "The Few" Explores the Disconnect of High-Tech

Mitch Bultman and James Ridge in THE FEW.

"[The Few] is a beautifully wrought, stark and poignant reminder of the ever-constant need for human contact—this largely due to the excellent cast and seamless direction of C. Michael Wright."

"Ridge is perfectly suited to the gaunt, burned-out drifter and completely inhabits the role."

"In a stunning breakout MCT performance, Bultman is the catalyst (and catapult) for the explosive transformations that follow. His insecurities, kindnesses and fearfulness transform his Matthew into more than what the script provides."