Fremont Ave. Reviews

Washington Post- Highly Recommended

"...From the spiky 1968 meet-cute that sets an immediately ingratiating tone for "Fremont Ave." right through to the whiskey-fueled generational come-to-Jesus that wraps its stories cozily up in the present day, Reggie D. White's comedy makes one thing plain in its handsome world premiere at Arena Stage: Nothing singes the spirit quite like the home fires. It's a sprawling, boisterous, sharp-eyed, heartfelt take on family and friendships - and not incidentally a knowing-but-loving celebration of backbone and foible and excellence among Black men working to handle their business and make a mark across six decades of American cultural shifts."

DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended

"...That simple throughline grounds a sprawling, funny, and emotionally raw play. White's script is both wide-ranging and specific - rooted in the language, humor, and rituals that sustain Black male friendships even when words sting."

MetroWeekly- Highly Recommended

"...In the quiet, concluding moments of Reggie D. White's Fremont Ave. at Arena Stage, characters who have been at odds strike a moving spiritual connection. Sentiment, staging, and composition sit in gentle balance, as director Lili-Anne Brown and company close the often hilariously rowdy family dramedy on a graceful, and still forceful note of well-earned peace."

Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended

"...The play follows three generations of a Black family living in a Southern California suburb, beginning in 1968 and shifting to the 1990s and ultimately the 2020s. Bradley Gibson gives a thoughtful performance in which he plays three different but related roles and, with the assistance of Brown's nuanced direction (as well as LaShawn Melton's wig and hair design), makes each of them unique."

Washington City Paper- Highly Recommended

"...Director Lili-Anne Brown keeps the pace upbeat but not overcaffeinated, rewarding our attention with little bonuses like the brief but welcome dance breaks that turn scene changes into miniature triumphs of choreography."

MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended

"...The world premiere of "Fremont Ave." at Arena Stage is an evocative and moving exploration of family, legacy, and unrealized longing-an experience that feels especially poignant for fall, and perhaps even for the holidays ahead. Directed by Lili-Anne Brown and written by Reggie D. White, the production brings warmth, humor, and honesty to the story of one Black family across three generations. With a stellar ensemble, expressive lighting, and a set that feels alive with history, this new work creates a reflective space to consider how we inherit, repeat, and reshape the stories of relations who came before us."

BroadwayWorld- Somewhat Recommended

"...The play Fremont Ave., which is now at the Kreeger Theater at the Arena Stage, is an interesting attempt to show the healing effects of intergenerational family bonds. The playwright, Reggie D. White, has attempted to convey a multitude of themes and moods as affects the Plique family as they live their lives in a southern California suburb from 1968 until the 2020's. As the characters in the play confront their dreams, ambitions, and fears the audience reacted with such interactive yelling and talking back to the stage that the play certainly evoked much response -so much response that I was unable to hear the lines at many times."