Washington Post - Highly Recommended
"... The result in the easygoing “Body Awareness” is indeed very funny, skewering everything from the professor’s pretensions to the blunt sex talk Frank delivers to Jared (who soothes his non-diagnosed but screamingly obvious disorder by sucking an electric toothbrush). The actors in Eleanor Holdridge’s unflaggingly entertaining production at Theater J plainly love this stuff, and they look good in it: Baker’s dialogue is tart and personable, with just enough unexpected twists in the characterizations to keep you leaning forward."
DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"... Body Awareness, directed by Eleanor Holdridge, is set in the fictional Vermont town of Shirley and revolves around the non-traditional family formed by Phyllis (Susan Lynskey), a psychology professor at Shirley State College, her high school teacher girlfriend, Joyce (MaryBeth Wise), and Joyce’s genius, introverted, possibly autistic son, Jared (Adi Stein). This play expertly weaves together themes of mother-son tension, jealousy, feminism, love, family, male vs. female issues, and self revelation and discovery. Baker tempers the tension with many moments of humor."
Washington City Paper - Recommended
"... The show’s quietest and best performance comes from MaryBeth Wise, who shows us her love for her hard-to-love son, her devotion to Phyllis, and her attraction to Frank in persuasive, almost entirely nonverbal ways. he shoe twirl she does as she begins to undress tells us everything about her own unfulfilled longings. In the space of a couple of seconds, we’re reminded that a committed, long-term relationships is a choice that demands sacrifice."
Washington Blade - Recommended
"... Under the smooth direction of Eleanor Holdridge, the cast brings these rich characters to energetic theatrical life, Lynskey is strong as a rather rigid ideologue whose more tender feelings are betrayed by a suspected facial tic and a meltdown during her Friday lecture. MaryBeth Wise is superb as Joyce, the woman who plays peacekeeper to the warring factions and still tries to address her own needs. Michael Kramer is fascinating as Frank, striking a fine balance between a sensitive empowering artist and a somewhat creepy voyeur who has his own issues relating to women."
The Georgetowner - Recommended
"... In an hour and a half with no intermission (this was also the case for “Circle Mirror”), “Body Awareness" director Eleanor Holdridge deftly lets the play take its time and lets us almost move in with the characters and the sparse space of the set which is the cabin-like home owned by the couple. In the process, you get lots of talk, edgy combative talk, awkward painful talk spoken with a naturalness that turns the characters into people you start to care about, almost in spite of themselves."
MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended
"... With Body Awareness, Annie Baker gives the audience a peek through a window into the home of lovers Phyllis (Susan Lynskey) and Joyce (MaryBeth Wise) as well as Joyce’s son Jared (Adi Stein). The view is loving, engaging, and many times gut-wrenchingly revealing."
DCTheatreScene - Recommended
If this presidential race has been giving you tunnel vision, come veer way off to the left with us into Shirley, Vermont. The people of playwright Annie Baker’s fictional New England town — polite, well off, and highly academic — are undecided about very little. This is the quiet land of care, community, and political correctness. If someone, heaven forbid, tries to put you in a box, someone’s there to help you think your way out of it. Equality isn’t just a concept; it’s a daily cause.
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"... Theater J, known for its productions of plays that enhance social and political consciousness, is starting its 2012-2013 season out strong with the DC premiere of Annie Baker’s Body Awareness, first seen at New York’s Atlantic Theatre Company in 2008. Much of the success of this production can be attributed to the cast under the direction of Eleanor Holdridge, but the strength of the script cannot be overlooked. Solid production values round out this commendable effort."
