Reviews
General Reviews
The New York Times
"There's No Place Like Home (Theatre)"- by Alexis Soloski
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/theater/immersive-home-virus.html
Broadway World
"Admittedly, this introvert was a bit startled by the amount of [participation] involved, but the excellent actors not only play their characters convincingly but are quite adept at handling any hesitation without pressuring you to answer." -Michale Dale
"BWW Review: Candle House Collective's Remote Immersive Experiences Bring Participatory Theatre To Your Phone"- by Michael Dale
Broadway Radio
"It was awesome!...It was moving, it was thrilling, it was funny, it was emotional" -Matt Tamanini
"Today on Broadway: Monday, April 13, 2020 (Podcast)"- Matt Tamanini & James Marino
https://broadwayradio.com/blog/2020/04/12/today-on-broadway-monday-april-13-2020/
CLAWS (Help!)
everything theatre (UK)
"John Ertman’s directorial choices, such as simple sound effects and some lovely vocal work, are used to plunge us into a world of isolation." -Gabriel Wilding
"Claws, Theatre via Telephone – Review"- by Gabriel Wilding
http://everything-theatre.co.uk/2020/07/claws-theatre-via-telephone-review.html
No Proscenium (Medium)
"The tight script...directed by John Ertman, keeps it moving along the whole time... It’s a perfect little Twilight Zone scenario, and the show plays out like an episode of the show in miniature." -Kevin Gossett
"‘claws’ Connects You With A Friend in Need (Review)"- by Kevin Gossett
https://noproscenium.com/claws-connects-you-with-a-friend-in-need-review-acfc5940eb20
Haunting
"The strength of the Claws lies in its fast-paced emotional intensity that pulls participants into a vortex of high-pressure decisions and frightening consequences...[it] is not afraid to bring up complicated emotions in participants, confronting them with their own mistakes and darker natures...[it] weaves traps that set up one of the most piercing twists that I have ever experienced in an immersive production." -Madeline Nelson
"Claws – Candle House Presents a Vortex of High-Pressure Decisions"- Madeline Nelson
W42nd St
"This is something different: this is a uniquely intimate moment in time that forces the audience of one to look inward." -Ruth Walker
"Is this the chilling future of theater?"- Ruth Walker
NEXT TIME (Remount)
Vulture
"Since Next Time’s conceit includes an incompetent bureaucrat trying to funnel you between reincarnation options, the on-the-phone-ness of the encounter heightened its Kafkaesque qualities. The phone is for frustration. The phone is for fear." -Helen Shaw
"A Play for Your Ears Only: Heather Christian’s Prime: A Practical Breviary"- by Helen Shaw
https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/review-heather-christians-prime-a-practical-breviary.html
Missing (remount)
Nightmarish Conjurings
"Immediately, there is something special about your call. However, the emotions she shares resonate on a human level that everyone has experienced. The direction given to Nelson by John Ertman is impactful as well as sensitive, especially in light of experiencing a statewide quarantine." -Review of Missing by Danielle Nicole
"Immersive Experience: Candle House Collective’s MISSING"- by Danielle Nicole
Under The Bed
Immersed*
"Director John Ertman lays out Neiden’s story, guiding performers Mat Benson as Jackson and Vincent D’Avanzo as Parker into natural, impressive performances...Neiden and Ertman work together expertly to craft a story that, while not likely to have happened specifically to a given participant, still resonates on a personal level with the listener."
Review of Under The Bed (BLACK BOX) by Cristen Brinkerhoff
REBOZO
"REBOZO BY CANDLE HOUSE COLLECTIVE IS A BRILLIANT MODERN TAKE ON THE TALE OF LA LLORONA"
by Emma Lee
https://becomeimmersed.com/rebozo-review/
BLACK BOX
"CANDLE HOUSE COLLECTIVE’S BLACK BOX IS A MEMORY TRAPPED IN MIDAIR"
by Cristen Brinkerhoff
https://becomeimmersed.com/black-box-review/
THE LUCKY ONES
"THE LUCKY ONES IS A BREATHTAKING, BOLD MODERN-DAY TRAGEDY"
by Tim Beedle
https://becomeimmersed.com/lucky-ones-review/
GOOD MORNING
"GOOD MORNING HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPLEXITY OF CONFLICT"
by Emma Lee
https://becomeimmersed.com/good-morning-review/
NEXT TIME
"NEXT TIME BY CANDLE HOUSE COLLECTIVE IS A PLAYFUL AND POIGNANT AFTERLIFE EXCURSION"
by Emma Lee
https://becomeimmersed.com/next-time-review/
GHOST LIGHT
"GHOST LIGHT IS A DARK AND SHOCKING TALE OF OBSESSION"
by Tim Beedle
https://becomeimmersed.com/ghost-light-review/
*Note: Immersed chose to review each of the six experiences of the Under the Bed Festival individually with contributions from Tim Beedle, Emma Lee, and Cristen Brinkerhoff
No Procenium
"What strikes me about the range of emotions I felt during Lucky Ones was how unexpected they were. (I should note Candle House Collective has some of the best safety protocols in the business, as appropriate for this intense of a production.) I thought The Lucky Ones would be a horror story presented against the backdrop of a telemarketing call. I wasn’t wrong. It was just a much realer horror story than I was expecting. Candle House creates a window between your life and another world, and brazenly refuses to highlight any boundary between the two." - Blake Weil on THE LUCKY ONES in ‘Under the Bed’ Explores Life, Death, and Everything In-Between (The NoPro Review)
Under the Bed’ Explores Life, Death, and Everything In-Between (The NoPro Review)- by No Proscenium
Nightmarish Conjurings
"Aside from the storytelling...one of my favorite aspects of GHOST LIGHT was how much it felt like I was there in the theatre with Jean...The movement that you could hear over the phone was subtle and any time Jean stumbled or found something that freaked her out, you were right there with her. It’s such a small immersive-related note, but it does go a long way for those of us that get easily distracted on the phone."- Sarah Musnicky on GHOST LIGHT
Immersive Experience: Candle House Collective ‘s GHOST LIGHT by Sarah Musnicky
Horror Buzz
"Without question, I enjoyed what Candle House brought my way. Each show drew me into the fold with efficiency and precision...Superb writing was matched with superior acting, making it possible for Candle House to dance along the fine line required to pull off an effective phone immersion...Candle House Collective tells human stories in inhuman ways but nonetheless keeps the whole process exceedingly humane."- Melinda Stang
REVIEW: Candle House Collective’s UNDER THE BED by Melinda Stang
https://horrorbuzz.com/2019/12/27/review-candle-house-collectives-under-the-bed/
moonlight Serenade
Haunting
"...Moonlight Serenade-it’s beautiful and more than a little sad...with strong direction by John Ertman" - Tim Beedle
"Moonlight Serenade – Candle House Collective Reaches for the Stars"
Review of moonlight serenade by Tim Beedle
No Procenium
"From themselves, they require characters who actively and affectionately listen. Characters who react to participants with genuine warmth, making them in on the joke — never annoyed by interruptions, never impatient. The result is an elevated and gracious form of storytelling: one that enjoys and celebrates the peculiar, the awkward, the offbeat." - Lauren Bello
"The Stars Are Aglow in ‘moonlight serenade’ (The NoPro Review)"
Review of moonlight serenade by Lauren Bello
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (revised)
TAPInto New Providence
"Watching this play is a little like bumping into your old gang of friends after 40 years, and they haven’t changed a bit. The play centers around everyone’s favorite angst-ridden character, Charlie Brown. His dread and insecurities, played perfectly by Jack Nissen, propel the musical along, as well as the 16 musical numbers, which show off each cast member...John Ertman, who directed the play and worked on this production for a month and a half...has been working as an actor in theater for eight years, an experience that has helped him step into the role of director"- Jennifer Pagano
"Good Grief! Don't Miss "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at New Providence Recreation Center this Saturday!" Review of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised) by Jennifer Pagano
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/new-providence/articles/good-grief-dont-miss-youre-a-good-man-charli