Native Gardens Reviews
Washington Post- Recommended
"...Harking back to the days when the Ricardos and Mertzes got into ludicrous feuds and Lucy and Ethel wound up sobbing on each other's shoulder, "Native Gardens" is an out-loud situation comedy rife with tiresome antics and characters that telegraph American tics minted circa 1957."
DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended
"...Head to Arena Stage’s Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C. You’ll have a bloomin’ good time watching Native Gardens, which is making its D.C. debut."
MD Theatre Guide- Recommended
"...Karen Zacarías' new play "Native Gardens" condenses some issues we are facing in our country today into two backyards right here in DC. It is a wonderful exploration of the current sociopolitical climate in a cheerful and ridiculous way, therefore making it less intimidating or aggressive. It doesn't back away from anything and is a truly funny and thoughtful night of theatre."
DCTheatreScene- Highly Recommended
"...Native Gardens is a true breath of comic fresh air, at a time when DC desperately needs it. It's a biting, perceptive, and ultimately hopeful sendup to our fraught relationships with those around us - even right next door. Beyond snappy one-liners and garden hose fights, the play challenges audiences to look beyond petty differences and rediscover our shared decency. More than ever, that's a message worth celebrating."
BroadwayWorld- Somewhat Recommended
"...Unfortunately, it is essentially a 30-minute sitcom presented in a theatrical setting for 90+ minutes. Director Blake Robison (now Artistic Director at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, but formerly of Round House Theatre in Bethesda) keeps the proceedings moving along the best he can, but in the end, we have a less than streamlined story we've all seen before, albeit with a bit of a local twist."