reviews / previews
The Cake
Religion and Gay-Rights Become a Wedding Clasher in The Cake - interview with Vancouver Presents
“Erla Faye Forsyth as Della and Stephanie Elgersma as Jen deliver two of the best performances you’re going to see this year... Get your tickets. Really. Get your tickets." - Colin Thomas, Fresh Sheet
"Playing Della, actor Erla Faye Forsyth gives a downright miraculous performance…As Jen, Stephanie Elgersma matches Forsyth step for step. Her Jen is often playful and girlish — as Jen admits, she still has some growing up to do — but Elgersma also brings such a shattering depth of feeling that her performance is one of the reasons I found it difficult to speak after the show.” – Colin Thomas, colinthomas.ca
“Stephanie Elgersma turns in a stellar performance as the equally sexually ambiguous Jen. She handles the play’s most poignant – and perhaps most disturbing moment in retelling her earliest experience of heterosexual intercourse” - John Jake, reviewvancouver
"All the actors in this play offer vivid, true performances… Go for the laughter. Go for the deeper, humanising meaning but, in any case, go see "The Cake" at Pacific Theatre." - Lorraine Graves, Richmond Sentinel
I appreciated how all four actors felt consistently sincere and vulnerable through moments of extreme emotion and in silly quirks…Enough flavour and substance to keep the audience thinking, but satisfying and sweet enough that we went home pleased." - Blake Hepburn, Two Cents & Two Pence
A Brief History of Human Extinction
What's Upintheair with Stephanie Elgersma - interview for Upintheair Theatre
“Surprisingly enough, a major character in the show is Ommie the otter. The puppet is skillfully
crafted and the opening image of Ommie in the tank is striking. It is easy to form a connection to
this cute creature” – Katie Gartlan-Close, Vancouver Presents
“Stephanie Elgersma, who designed the incredibly lifelike otter puppet, operates it expertly
with the help of Dave Mott.” – Kathleen Oliver, Georgia Straight
“...there are some lovely moments of staging. Stephanie Elgersma designed Ommie, the otter
puppet, and is her chief operator. Ommie is a charmer and swims beautifully.” – Colin Thomas,
colinthomas.ca
“Director Omari Newton’s positioning of the audience around the perimeter of an actual workplace lunchroom—harshly fluorescent and strewn with debris—gives the shifting power balance between the two characters a powerful immediacy, and Stephanie Elgersma and David Bloom ride the script’s emotional roller coaster with finesse.” – Kathleen Oliver, Georgia Straight
“Stephanie Elgersma’s Una is both naïve and bold—and the shift from one aspect to the other gave me goosebumps. Elgersma allows Una to speak with her eyes. In them, I saw a river of blood and an absence of childhood.” – Sarvin Esmaeili, colinthomas.ca
Blackbird
Blackbird
Zoetrope
Performance students to debut stage puppet show - Preview for Zoetrope, Langara Voice
Audience response:
"If you have a free night this week, go check this show out. Great puppetry, a fun environment, and a beautifully touching story."
"I went to Studio 58 to see Zoetrope directed by Stephanie Elgersma and Shizuka Kai tonight. Very glad that I did - charming, atmospheric, and well staged, the student's work with the puppets was full and wonderful. Some truly beautiful moments in a tender tale... The moments I spoke of were beautifully rendered and realized, heart growing moments. That they shone for me sans words, through puppets surrounded by their completely visible human animators is a testament to [the] directors' skill and heart."
Tinkers
Audience response:
"After 40+ years as an actor/director I had become disenchanted with the whole business. Tinkers woke me up. Your work with Buddy touched my heart. And I fell in love with Megan. Thank you for your work. Actors have the opportunity to affect people deeply. You have contributed to my awakening. My re- discovery of my love for the theatre, and for that I am grateful. "
"Tinkers was a fascinating and unusual achievement – certainly one that will stay with me for many years to come. What an experience it was – what sets, what props, what lighting, what imagination, acting and directing! Kudos to all for a naturally organic ensemble and a lovingly prepared and wonderfully realized evening of real theatre! Your work with the dog was so impressive and impeccable and I have to say that I’ve never heard anyone imitate dog sounds with such accuracy!"
My Beautiful Monster
Review from Plank Magazine
Audience Response:
"Then there's Stephanie Elgersma's My Beautiful Monster, simple and honest storytelling that will also hold special resonance for girls who grew up with the church shaming their bodies."
"My Beautiful Monster - if you grew up in a Christian home or are currently a Christian, someone struggling with faith or if you just don't understand Christian culture GO SEE THIS SHOW! Stephanie Elgersma beautifully explains a painful self loathing journey that many of us go through with our sexuality as Christians. Beautiful work! And what a talent she is!"
"I saw My Beautiful Monster tonight and it's definitely worth the walk up the hill from the Granville Island. While the play was deeply personal, pairing the autobiographical sections with Frankenstein helped keep it from becoming self-indulgent. Go see it."
"Stunning performance and fantastic script. You are a genius. Thank you."
"So glad I saw Beautiful Monster. Not only was the performance seemingly effortless but the writing is also really really really good! Hope to see more!"
The Children's Hour
"Stephanie Elgersma and Alicia Novak have a wonderful chemistry as Karen and Martha, respectively...Elgersma’s steely, grief-stricken rage is a thing of beauty; there’s incredible bite in every scathing thing she says to Mary’s rich grandmother, Mrs. Tilford" - Andea Warner, The Georgia Straight
"Elgersma and Novak, as Karen and Martha, are at the heart of the play and they both reflect refinement, sensitivity and decency. Elgersma is almost physically transparent in her unhappiness and confusion in the final scenes" - Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier
As our two protagonists Stephanie Elgersma (Karen) and Alicia Novak (Martha) give fearless performances. They abandon themselves to the roles and embrace the complexities with a refreshing clarity. Ms. Elgersma travels from noble teacher, to shocked victim, to confused friend, to vengeful ally fully committed but with admiral restraint" - David Jones, OUTtv
"The women...are wonderfully played by Elgersma and Novak. Roles like these are the reason that actors are in this business, and they do justice to them" - Andrea Rabinovitch, Vancouver Observer
