Jonah Reviews

MetroWeekly- Recommended

"...Studio Theatre’s production, directed by Taylor Reynolds (Studio’s triumphant Fat Ham), handily juggles the complicated plot while maintaining a quietly tense atmosphere. The foreboding mood persists even in the lighter moments between introspective teen Ana (Ismenia Mendes) and the boy she allows to sneak in through her dorm window, Jonah (Rohan Maletira)."

Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended

"...Many plays are built around the memories of one or more characters, but Jonah takes that idea one or two steps farther. Rachel Bonds' insightful play, now in the Milton Theatre at Washington's Studio Theatre, follows a woman as she lives–or recalls, or fabricates–her interactions with three men over decades of her life, and while that sounds complicated and hard to follow, it isn't."

Washington City Paper- Highly Recommended

"...Ismenia Mendes anchors the piece with a stunningly dextrous performance in the non-title role, tracking Ana’s survival-driven emotional adaptation across (maybe) three relationships and about the same number of decades. Hopscotching through the years, Mendes sells the shifts in her character’s age and maturity so persuasively through adjustments to her voice and posture that you never question them."

Washington Blade- Highly Recommended

"...Written by Rachel Bonds, “Jonah” is an undeniably compelling but unusual memory play with scenes pulled from the past, some present, and others seemingly imagined. Despite its title, the play is about Ana, a complicated young woman processing past trauma from the fragile safety of her usually quiet bedroom."

MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended

"...Ismenia Mendes, who has appeared on such storied stages at The Public Theater and The Old Globe, delivers what may well be the single best performance I have seen in my eight years as a critic for this publication."

Morris Theatre DC- Recommended

"...Jonah is a tough, often jaw-dropping watch that is made worthwhile through two incredible central performances."

The Georgetown Dish- Highly Recommended

"...The great acting, along with the dialogue, are so good, I never once looked at my watch the whole time. Ana and her men managed to keep me interested throughout the play."

BroadwayWorld- Somewhat Recommended

"...There is expert craftsmanship and technical polish in the production of Jonah, now playing at the always professional Studio Theatre, but there is also a feeling of detachment and insularity in this play by Rachel Bonds."

DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended

"...Navigating the emotional terrain of trauma from atop a mattress, Bonds offers a compelling theatrical meditation on how memory works. Psychologists tell us that life’s most searing experiences often return in fragmented flashes, blending past and present, fantasy and reality with startling vividness. Jonah captures that fractured quality of memory on stage, allowing scenes to collide and collapse into one another as Ana struggles to make sense of her past. Writing becomes her way of imposing order on that chaos — of reclaiming authorship over vivid personal experiences. Fortunately for us, Bonds invites the audience to accompany her on that journey. It’s a heady and deeply worthwhile ride"