Washington Post - Recommended
"...Plays with hefty historical undercarriages are at particular risk of becoming glorified Wikipedia entries, but thankfully, this never happens with “Tempestuous Elements,” whose characters feel thrashingly alive and complex rather than indurated by ideologies. It’s also a testament to Psalmayene 24’s tight direction that the arguments in this dialectical drama never devolve into tiresome rhetorical wind sprints. When a student cites Booker T. Washington’s idea that “no race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem,” he’s not simply scrambling toward a beachhead in an abstract argument, but making a heartbreaking confession of the limits of his own abilities and others’ misplaced faith in him."
DC Theater Arts - Recommended
"...Though the elements of Cooper’s predicament were tempestuous, those of Corthron’s play and Psalmayene 24’s production will prove quite compelling to DC audiences. In the movement to bring greater recognition to oft-overlooked figures in our history, it’s high time that Cooper receives her rightful respect. Fortunately, it has arrived in an honorable production at the hands of individuals who so clearly recognize the importance of Cooper’s contributions. Naturally, Cooper continues to be a teacher for us all."
MetroWeekly - Recommended
"...As depicted in Kia Corthron’s Tempestuous Elements at Arena Stage, Anna Cooper, principal at M Street, fought to teach Black students a classical curriculum at a time when revered educators like Booker T. Washington advocated instead for learning a trade. While Washington preached uplift through industry, Cooper, like her contemporary W.E.B. DuBois, espoused the ideal of uplifting the race through education and civic engagement."
Talkin Broadway - Somewhat Recommended
"...Gina Daniels offers a majestic presence as Cooper, a woman born into slavery who sees Black youth, especially young women, facing the "tempestuous elements" of a shifting society. The play considers the social and political advances achieved through Reconstruction, until it was shut down by Congress, and the encroaching chill of Jim Crow. Another issue is the conflict between Cooper's belief in Black and white students attending the same universities and Booker T. Washington's focus on training young people as, in her words, "farmers and mechanics.""
Washington City Paper - Recommended
"...It’s no surprise that history weighs heavy in Tempestuous Elements. Undeterred by her battle with the administration, Cooper later quizzes her precocious students on the significance of Rome’s transition from a republic to an empire as it pertains to the United States’ own imperialist proclivities. Later, Cooper laments how quickly her pupils try to shrug off the horrors of slavery that they never experienced. Having seen the broken promises of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow, she knows this generation cannot afford to blind themselves to the past."
Washington Informer - Highly Recommended
"...There are many emotional dialogues in this play, and most are given by Gina Daniels as Cooper, the dedicated educator and feminist. Daniels moves easily between sternness in the classroom and supportive and understanding time in one-on-one guidance to students. Her effectiveness with her portrayal of Cooper does not feel like acting. When Cooper realizes that some of her teachers and personal friends are not on her side, we feel the hurt of their betrayal."
MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended
"...“Tempestuous Elements” centers heavily on Cooper’s final stint at M Street High School. Acclaimed playwright and Maryland native Kia Corthron offers audiences an inside look at what Cooper may have experienced in the days leading up to her dismissal as principal of the school. As imagined by Corthron, the character of Anna Cooper is invigorated, fueled by any controversy surrounding her versus being waylaid by it, and always an unwavering voice speaking up on behalf of her students. It is this willingness to go that extra mile for the kids at M Street that ultimately sparks the cycle of vicious rumors, half-truths, and accusations that lead to Cooper’s termination."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...There is no doubt that the themes and dramatic questions of Tempestuous Elements feel urgently relevant and important today, just as the words of Cooper herself continue to be more than a century on from when she wrote them. However, the power of the bold ideas expressed in Cothron’s script is occasionally overwhelmed and overburdened by its didactic, lecture-like moments, in which characters are introduced with an exhaustive reading of their resume, exposit at length at each other, perform long excerpts of written works verbatim, or launch into encyclopedic explanations of history."