press

Praise for Comedie of Errors:

“Comedie of Errors embodies the kind of slapstick humor that thrives on confusion a la Who’s on First?, the vaudeville comedy routine made famous by Abbott and Costello. The brains behind the production wanted something that would be family friendly and create a welcoming environment…If Comedie’s not free, public art making a difference in every day life, I don’t know what is.”
- Jesse Sposato, The Greenpoint Gazette (Read full article.)

Praise for Al’s Business Cards:

“Al’s Business Cards,” (is) a zippy new comedy receiving a very funny staging…The director, Lauren Keating, has the cast clicking nicely…

-Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times

Director Lauren Keating walks a fine line here, keeping the tone comic but encouraging her carefully cast thesps to explore the sad side of their characters’ lives — and the dark side of their casual bigotry…Keating and company give Koenigsberg exactly what his play needs — a solid feeling for the characters whose fates the playwright leaves unresolved.
- Marilyn Stasio, Variety

Lauren Keating directs this gentle farce with a sure hand. She allows the characters room to be fully ridiculous, without ever holding them up to ridicule. This creates genuine sympathy for Al, a character who in less capable hands could easily become pathetic…They deserve to have their say, something Al’s Business Cards does with care and humor.
- Paulanne Simons, CurtainUp.com

Directed by Lauren Keating with a sure hand, this is one of the nicest surprises of the summer.  At Play, in association with Old Vic New Voices, have presented Al’s Business Cards in a deftly economical production that emphasizes the script and, with Keating at the helm, provides the quick pacing it requires.
- Martin Denton, nytheatre.com

Praise for The Confidence Man:

2009′s most exhilarating theatrical achievement…The Confidence Man is most definitely a work of dazzling genius, a spellbinding feat of collective creativity.
– John Del Signore, Gothamist (read the full review)

“The Confidence Man” works well; The vignettes, all blocked and assembled very well by a team of three directors (Stephen Brackett, Lauren Keating and Michael Silverstone), are thematically cohesive…Some of these pieces are as elaborate as a good thriller.
– Sam Thielman, Variety (read the full review)

…a marvelously intricate and involving new show. On a technical level, it’s a breathtaking stunt. But, The Confidence Man is much better than it needs to be for gimmickry’s sake alone.
– Adam Feldman, Time Out NY (read the full review)

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testimonials

Oskar Eustis; Artistic Director, Public Theater

Lauren Keating is the real thing.  She is a force to be reckoned with, and I know she will make major contributions to the American Theater.

Daniel Sullivan; Tony Winner, Best Direction for PROOF

Lauren is extremely smart, observant and has excellent communication skills.  To these I would add: A sense of humor, a sense of rhythm and timing, a good eye and that most ineffable quality – knowing when a “moment” feels right on the stage.  It's clear that Lauren can translate difficult ideas into clarifying action and that she can communicate these ideas to actors.

Elaine Avila; Robert Hartung Endowed Chair, University of New Mexico, MFA Program, Dramatic Writing

It is rare to find a director with such openness, range, and sense of fun.  Lauren is up to any challenge. She can work with a wide range of people, from young actors to seasoned professionals.  She has a wealth of strategies for developing work.  The dramaturgical outline she created was so excellent that I incorporated it, with her permission, into a class for my MFA playwrights.  Lauren is an inspiring, clear director.

Amanda Charlton; Artistic Associate, Williamstown Theatre Festival

In her work, Lauren demonstrates an excellent understanding of the script, and was able to convey her opinions to the actors and designers in a constructive manner.  In everything she has directed at Williamstown, she has brought a clear artistic vision, an inventive visual aesthetic and the actors were unified in their understanding of the play.  Her calm and confident demeanor combined with her experience and tremendous people and communication skills served Williamstown quite well.  Many people remarked to me how valuable she was to the community.  Her intelligence, humor and strength of character combined with her tremendous artistic ability make her an exceptional director.

Maria Mileaf; Professional Director, Featured in American Theater Magazine

Lauren has the ability to make clear, confident choices and to flesh them out with visual, physical and language based ideas.  She has a mature sense of rhythm and is able to implement ideas and craft motion with wit and boldness.   She is smart, curious, witty and considerate.  She offers her opinions with kindness and specificity.  She seeks out criticism in order to challenge herself.  She takes advantage of the world around her.

Will Frears; Professional Director

Lauren shows a keen understanding of the particularities of working on a classic text; how language informs character and action, the ways in which the play works both personally and politically and how the two operate in tandem.  Her thoughts on staging were always deft and appropriate – large enough and open enough to allow the play to breathe.  She was also, on a more prosaic level, punctual, discreet and never anything less than utterly professional.  I have nothing but good things to say about her work.