Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended
"... Although the production is blessed with a commanding performance by Teagle F. Bougere, who over the course of three acts and three hours recounts for us the Dickensian episodes in the young man’s progress, the fealty to the original text may not serve the theater quite as well as it does American letters. This “Invisible Man” abounds in narrative clarity and stylish invention. But while the story moves along, it never deepens. The tale does not so much rise and fall, as flat-line. And so we’re presented with an elegant if, at this point, fairly static discourse."
DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"... Invisible Man is a memory play, where the journey of the Invisible Man’s world ultimately lives inside his head. The Studio Theatre’s production of Invisible Man is a bold look into the past that digs deep, provides insight, and forces us to take a look ourselves… and the future. The themes are prophetic and resound loudly on the political drama of today."
MetroWeekly - Recommended
"... RALPH ELLISON'S THE INVISIBLE MAN is roughly about an African-American man's quest to find identity and meaning in the mid-20th century. But it's not a stretch for others to relate to this man's struggles. In fact, I read the book in college just as I was coming to terms with being gay, two decades ago. Though not black, I could identify with the novel's general notions of feeling like an outsider, one that few others could truly see or understand, but also one who didn't yet feel kindred to many others, especially not gay-movement leaders."
Washingtonian - Highly Recommended
"... Acted by a sterling ten-person ensemble—nine of them veritable chameleons who disappear into multiple roles—and directed with fiery urgency and a striking visual sense by Christopher McElroen in a co-production with Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company, the piece gives theatrical shape to Ellison’s 581-page text about a young African-American man who struggles against the odds in Depression-era America. In his adaptation, Oren Jacoby uses much dialogue from the book and traces a clear arc through events in the life of the protagonist, the Invisible Man of the title."
BrightestYoungThings - Recommended
"... "Invisible Man" is fundamentally a story about an America divided by race and class, about marginality and power at the fringes of society. In many ways, it is a coming-of-age story—a tale about the loss of innocence and about keeping hope despite immeasurable odds. Perhaps the greatest testament to the quality of the work were the group of patrons who walked directly into the neighborhood bookstore to pick up a copy of the source material, wanting to know more."
The Georgetowner - Highly Recommended
"... The production is haunting, even beautiful. Bougere is passionate—at turns distant and feverish—as the nameless, invisible man. The staging is stunning. When we meet him the hero lives in a small basement apartment, illuminated by hundreds of light bulbs, making it seem like a consecrated carnival booth. The set by Troy Hourie is remarkable: it doesn’t just shine with lights but is a constantly moving back drop of historical black and white imagery."
MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended
"... Studio Theatre’s production of Oren Jacoby’s adaptation of Invisible Man, I’m thrilled to say, succeeds brilliantly. Not only does this production give the theatregoer a full-scale sensual onslaught combining history and theatre, video and live action, special effects and moments of intense drama, but it also blends those highly contradictory elements with a careful, disciplined finesse rarely experienced in this rapid fire, “we don’t have time to sweat the small stuff” age. This Invisible Man is spectacularly luminescent."
DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended
The stunning new adaptation of “Invisible Man” currently playing at Studio Theater brings Ralph Ellison’s legacy novel into a whole new light, including literally. A ceiling full of light bulbs rises upward or lowers ominously, lighting the stage and the main nameless character. His opening monolog demonstrates Ellison’s mastery of interspersing socially poignant messages with everyday idioms and images.
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...For 35 years, Studio Theatre has been a force to be reckoned with in the DC theatre community with productions that range from the classical to the contemporary. Its current production of Invisible Man, based on Ralph Ellison’s best-selling novel and adapted for the stage by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Oren Jacoby, stretches the theatre’s artistic and production-related limits in a good way. A delightful confection of a strong ensemble cast (led by the extraordinarily talented Teagle F. Bougere), a strong script, and stunning production elements make this show a must-see."