Breathe... Or You Can Die!
...pure and innocent, while simultaneously being complex and very sophisticated and often brilliantly, hilariously dark. It is a simple little masterpiece.
Zastrow is a skilled physical performer, and her pliable acrobatic face seems to be able to telegraph several emotions and intentions at once with pinpoint precision.
nytheatre.com, Ross Peabody
...poignantly silly... precise and subtle... Anna Zastrow makes an adorable clown. Not the Bozo type, but the French cirque type.
Backstage, Kerri Allen
Romeo and Juliet
Anna Zastrow gives a delicious portrayal of the dotty Nurse. Their mutual scenes are the production’s highlights. Yet when Zastrow becomes Lord Capulet, she makes the leap easily.
Backstage, Irene Backalenick
The fun part was watching Anna Zastrow...
New York Times, Campbell Robertson
Mother Courage and Her Children
Anna Zastrow is a standout as Yvette, delightfully earthy, full-bodied, and bringing a suitably "white trash" sensibility to this comic role.
TalkinBroadway, Warren Hoffman
Anna Zastrow provides a carefully nuanced rendering of Yvette, the prostitute. . . CTH is one of the few companies where I consistently find myself challenged by daring and invigorating theater.
American Theater Web, Andy Propst
The Classical Theatre of Harlem's excellent production...both stirs the heart and faithfully makes Brecht's point [about war]... all the performances are very strong.
Time Out, Kate Kilbane Porter
More on Mother Courage:
New York Times, Margo Jefferson
Newsday, Gordon Cox
The Mechanical
The actors in the ensemble create all the magic and mystery required with their highly physical and expressively energetic performances. In particular Joanna Sherman and Anna Zastrow are called upon to serve as exotic scenic elements, dancing sailors, Austrian and French royalty, and slapstick narrators straight out of a classic Three Stooges episode. Sherman and Zastrow make their diverse roles look effortless with impressive athleticism and the precise, physical specificity of Ninja masters or, well, at least, veteran vaudeville jugglers.
OffOffOnline.com, Johnna Adams
Circus of Vices and Virtues:The dead-on skit called "Pride," performed by a fantastic young clown named Anna Zastrow, is alone worth the trip.
Hotreview.org, Jonathan Kalb
* * *
New York Times article on clowning:
Modern Clowns With a Fear Factor
...pure and innocent, while simultaneously being complex and very sophisticated and often brilliantly, hilariously dark. It is a simple little masterpiece.
Zastrow is a skilled physical performer, and her pliable acrobatic face seems to be able to telegraph several emotions and intentions at once with pinpoint precision.
nytheatre.com, Ross Peabody
...poignantly silly... precise and subtle... Anna Zastrow makes an adorable clown. Not the Bozo type, but the French cirque type.
Backstage, Kerri Allen
Romeo and Juliet
Anna Zastrow gives a delicious portrayal of the dotty Nurse. Their mutual scenes are the production’s highlights. Yet when Zastrow becomes Lord Capulet, she makes the leap easily.
Backstage, Irene Backalenick
The fun part was watching Anna Zastrow...
New York Times, Campbell Robertson
Mother Courage and Her Children
Anna Zastrow is a standout as Yvette, delightfully earthy, full-bodied, and bringing a suitably "white trash" sensibility to this comic role.
TalkinBroadway, Warren Hoffman
Anna Zastrow provides a carefully nuanced rendering of Yvette, the prostitute. . . CTH is one of the few companies where I consistently find myself challenged by daring and invigorating theater.
American Theater Web, Andy Propst
The Classical Theatre of Harlem's excellent production...both stirs the heart and faithfully makes Brecht's point [about war]... all the performances are very strong.
Time Out, Kate Kilbane Porter
More on Mother Courage:
New York Times, Margo Jefferson
Newsday, Gordon Cox
The Mechanical
The actors in the ensemble create all the magic and mystery required with their highly physical and expressively energetic performances. In particular Joanna Sherman and Anna Zastrow are called upon to serve as exotic scenic elements, dancing sailors, Austrian and French royalty, and slapstick narrators straight out of a classic Three Stooges episode. Sherman and Zastrow make their diverse roles look effortless with impressive athleticism and the precise, physical specificity of Ninja masters or, well, at least, veteran vaudeville jugglers.
OffOffOnline.com, Johnna Adams
Circus of Vices and Virtues:The dead-on skit called "Pride," performed by a fantastic young clown named Anna Zastrow, is alone worth the trip.
Hotreview.org, Jonathan Kalb
* * *
New York Times article on clowning:
Modern Clowns With a Fear Factor