SALT CHOCOLATE
The Duke on 42nd Street, April 2004

“ In “Salt Chocolate,” Gabrielle Lansner combined choreography with texts, investing memories of shocking political events with tragic dignity.”
Jack Anderson, The New York Times, 2004.

“Salt Chocolate” is a smoothly woven tapestry of movement and spoken-word that examines potent ideas- thoughtfully, carefully, and with deep concern for human nature.”
Pia Catton, The New York Sun, 2004.

“… the piece abounds with honest pathos, talent, and the artistic collaboration of artists that brought African Movement right into the seats of the audience. The final dance duet of outrage and heartbreak, longing for “real” reconciliation and JUSTICE, was riveting!

“The Cast is superbly grounded in their ability to emote with gripping passion.”
Arthur Wilson, Attitude Magazine, 2004.

HOLOCAUST STORIES: ADDRESS UNKNOWN, THE JEWISH WIFE, MAGDA
The Duke on 42nd Street, 2003 & HERE, NYC, December 1997

ADDRESS UNKNOWN

"In each of Lansner’s works, she has successfully handled stories of difficult subject matter, keeping the emotional content, suspense, and pathos on a restrained but compelling level."
Phyllis Goldman, BACKSTAGE, 2003

"Lansner strived and achieved quite a lot with her approach to blending the mediums of text, sound, movement into one world. Depth and insight into characterization, weighted themes, innovative sound and direction, clever symbolism and props filled her evening – quite a formula".
Catey Ott, Dance Insider, 2003.

" Lansner has a gift for creating vivid dramatic landscapes out of an almost seamless merging of text and movement."
Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, 2003.

THE JEWISH WIFE
"Desperate public and private histories build through layers of small but telling details. The piece says as much through movement as it does through text..

...the woman, played with a searing luminosity by Dee Pelletier... The chill husband, played iwth impressive sublety by Mark Gerow..."
Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, December 19, 1997

"Lansner's skillful adaptation of Brecht's story neatly dovetails the personal and the historical."

"The two-part work which successfully combines Lansner's stylized movement with text borrowed from Bertolt Brecht and American writer Cynthia Ozick, is poignant without being melodramatic.
Deirdre Kelly, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada, September 1, 1999

MAGDA
"As people sit still, the events of history tumble forward. All are caught in its monumental sweep-the good, the bad and the reluctant audience member too."
Deirdre Kelly, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada, September 1, 1999

"How eerie it was for me to hear my own (long ago ) words rising out of a moving, shifting, unpredictable newness...It is a stunning imagining you have made...extraordinary transformations..."
Cynthia Ozick, author, December 19, 1997

FRANKIE’S WEDDING
Walker Space, New York, 2001

"Frankie's Wedding" is like taking a beautiful Sunday drive...The view stretches to the horizon, filling your eyes, ears and mouth with the memory of landscapes past. Lansner is particularly adept at creating movement that speaks volumes of descriptive text.

Lansner is a fine director. She magically creates dancers out of actors, and vice versa."
Diane Vivona, The Dance Insider, online, Mar. 26, 2001.

"Frankie's Wedding" abounded in attractive bits and pieces of words and movements lovingly assembled by Gabrielle Lansner.”
Jack Anderson, The New York Times, Sat. Mar.31, 2001.

" With a delightful mixture of spoken word, and dance, Lansner combines portions of text from the novel, "The Member of the Wedding", with choreography conceived in collaboration with the cast. With elegance and sincerity, "Frankie's Wedding" strikes an ideal balance of motion and elocution which is believable, captivating and enjoyable."
Emily Fishman, The Columbia Spectator, NYC, Mar. 29, 2001.

MAN SUIT(E)
HERE, New York City, 2000

"...expertly balancing theater and dance...Ms. Lansner and her three bold performers manage to suggest the fallout in the late 20th century from that apple eating Eden."
Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, April 15, 2000.

CRUSH
HERE, NYC, 2000

"...a poignant and imaginative work of theater. Gabrielle Lansner achieves a seamless blend of movement and dramatic narrative...Best of all are her six performers, each with a distinctive character drawn in deft strokes...Impressively, the performers maintain a clear and evocative sense of time and place through fast non-linear shifts from kindergarten first love to 30's crises and back again."
Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, June 8, 1999

"... a host of images and relationships among clearly defined individuals.
...interesting ideas kicking around..."
Sylviane Gold, Newsday, April 8, 2000