The Chalk Boy - Reviews
Ethan Stanislawski of blogcritics raves: "The Chalk Boy, perhaps more than any other play in recent memory, treats teenage girls as more than caricatures. Its characters are all human beings with human problems, whose flaws are just as tragic as those of characters from Chekhov, Caryl Churchill, or Ibsen."
Dana Lang of offoffonline says: "It's refreshing in a dark comedy to see characters who seem to be self-searching rather than the predictable self-loathing, as they find themselves unable to be contained within their own drawn circles (or pentagrams as the case may be), demonstrated by their changing allegiances and willingness to experiment beyond them. This optimism satisfies, somehow making it a "feel-good" darkened Black-as-Death world. If nothing else, it's certainly more fun."
Lee of RetroVisionMedia writes: "...Taking their respective performances up to, but not over the top into the realm of the edgy avant-garde, this play turned out to be a perfect blend of talented writing, creative directing/staging that gives the audience far more than they could have expected."
The Chalk Boy is a Backstage pick! In fact, A. J. Mell of Backstage writes: "Fathoming the minds of teenage girls is no small task, but writer-director Joshua Conkel has risen to the challenge with this dark, compassionate satire," and that the play is "Filled with appalling but true-to-life observations"
Joseph Pisano of EDGE Magazine calls The Chalk Boy: "a razor-sharp satire, whose caustic observations will linger long after the actors take their bows" and "a resonating achievement"
Glen Weldon of Washington City Paper says the play is: "admirably layered, thoughtful and slyly funny...Just see it."
Julio Martinez of Variety says: "Scripter Josh Conkel captures the frustration of small-town girls struggling to make sense of their claustrophobic lives while dealing with a specter haunting the townfolk's collective psyche in The Chalk Boy. Conkel has a keen ear for the often comical, self-absorbed posturing and casual vulgarities of contemporary teen-spiel"
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