The Art of Care Reviews

Washington Post- Highly Recommended

"...War. Fear. Illness and death. These crises twine through the braided narratives in Mosaic Theater Company's "The Art of Care." But the emphasis in this world premiere is less on trauma than on empathetic human responses to it. A passerby's offer of first aid to an injured stranger. A refugee mother's tender cradling of her baby during a dangerous ocean escape. A musician playing a hammered dulcimer for hospital patients."

DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended

"...As you enter the Sprenger Theatre to attend this deeply affecting devised performance, don't be surprised if a cast member approaches you, welcomes you warmly, and asks if you would be willing to share the name of someone significant to you whom you have cared for or who has cared for you. However much audience participation is not your groove, it behooves you to say that person's name, for speaking that name to someone still a stranger has the singular effect of securing your stake in an extraordinary experience of communal connection."

MetroWeekly- Highly Recommended

"...On the whole, remarkably upbeat given the subjects at hand, The Art of Care extracts meaningful truth from its combination of sources and formats. And the artists indeed render care in bravely sharing intimate aspects of their humanity so that we might connect so directly with them, others, and ourselves."

Washington City Paper- Somewhat Recommended

"...Ultimately, what is most frustrating about The Art of Care is that the testimonies of its participants-in other words, the fruits of its model-are undercut by its structure. Certain passages are marked as the actor's own words in Zavier August Lee Taylor's projections, but otherwise the intermeshing of the stories makes them difficult to track and therefore difficult to fully appreciate (this is especially problematic for the people whose interviews and expertise became source material for the work but who do not speak on their own behalf)."

MD Theatre Guide- Recommended

"...Under the watchful eye of director Derek Goldman, the cast pulls off a quite smart experiential trick. The tone of delivery here is conversational, more like a group therapy session than a dramatic experience, a vibe that frequently shows the back of actors' heads, which, contrary to theatrical convention, works. The actor's flowing movement around the stage injects it with compelling energy, never falling into the same formation twice without a clear purpose. There's a great challenge in balancing energy and calm, but to find serenity out of the combination is even more impressive. Exum's elegant, measured drumming underscores that sense of serenity, keeping the audience's tension from growing too intensely."

Theatre Bloom- Highly Recommended

"...The must-see event features six veteran DC actors (Billie Krishawn, Raghad Makhlouf, William T. Newman Jr., Tuyết Thị Phạm, Susan Rome, and Tom Story) and showcases original music composed and played live by Jabari Exum, the Lead Djembe player (African Drummer) for Marvel's Black Panther 1 & 2. Over the course of roughly 90 minutes, the actors share personal stories and songs around the theme of caring (combined with the voices of interviewed caregivers, medical professionals, and everyday people) to highlight our collective resilience in the face of unexpected crises; the beauty of caring through births, passings, and other boundary crossings, as well as the humor unexpectedly found in dark situations."