Press/Awards

PRESS/REVIEWS

KING JOHN 2022

Joshi and her artistic partners are not so much saying something about gender as they are capitalizing on what these artists can bring to these hyper-masculine stories about power and violence and intrigue and unchecked ambition..... In the end, whether or not you want to concern yourself with the historical specifics of the story, this production has left you with a visceral sense of the themes important to the story. It’s as exciting an experience of theater as one can hope to have.
- The Portland Observer

BRING DOWN THE HOUSE 2020

...as cast, these are without question the right performers for these roles. To a person, they are magnificent, filling the stage with dazzlingly chewy moments of rage, riot and revelry.... Much of the action, including many of the battles, are staged with ritualistic flair, some fast and brutal, others gaspingly poetic.
- North Bay Stage and Screen

RICHARD III

Richard III is a dazzling theater tour de force with bold and superbly inventive staging .... as well as clever and innovative design and a superb ensemble of female actors led by Ms Hartlett’s deliciously complicated performance as the villainous Richard. It’s a ripe and passionate night of theater bravado.
- Seattle Gay Scene

Every role — king to servant, dukes and prince — is played by a woman. They take on traditionally male roles and pour skill and passion into every portrayal.
- Queen Ann News

Bleak, sleek and fleet, Rosa Joshi’s staging whips us through Richard’s bloody rise to the English throne, and his precipitous fall from it. ...Sarah Harlett [ ] exploits every scrap of ironic humor, as Richard gloatingly checkmates all who stand in her way.
- The Seattle Times

BRING DOWN THE HOUSE 2017

Opportunities for fierce femmes to collaborate in the theater are deeply needed. Upstart crow collective’s willingness to break gender codes evidences the revolutionary potential of more inclusive casting…. Bring Down the House naturally prompts the audience to question their own gendered assumptions around power, control, and leadership...The work of movement director Alice Gosti, the visionary directing of Rosa Joshi, and the abstract scenic design of Shawn Ketchum Johnson weave together to produce a piece of reimagined classic theater that drips with intrigue.
- Seattle Weekly

Joshi’s abridged, lively staging makes its own case. Visually stark, it ingeniously employs high-backed chairs and Geoff Korf’s pinpoint lighting to zip us through animated choruses of exposition, and many shard-sharp scenes....The large, tight, acting ensemble doesn’t miss a beat as they rip along.
- The Seattle Times

Wisniewski’s stone cold bravado makes Margaret’s commanding leadership feel authentic and cruelly terrifying as she crosses lines of decency that transcend gender....[Schwartz’s] Henry VI radiates a kind-hearted innocence that’s alien to all the power-hungry souls around him.... The inclusion of Japanese taiko drumming as an undercurrent throughout the production adds a sense of building tension to the proceedings ....the thundering rumble makes it feel like there’s always dread lurking ominously on the horizon.
- Seattle Met

Bring Down The House was featured on Howlround in an article by Erin Murray.
Read the full text here: Gender Bending Power ~ Bring Down The House

TITUS ANDRONICUS

It's the performers that need to bring it all home and bring it they do. Gottberg is delicious as the duplicitous Queen Tamora .... Joyner is heartbreaking as the destroyed Lavinia. Thone as the aging Titus.... turns in an incredible character arc as she devolves from conquering hero to revenge obsessed madman.... And Imoru takes evil scheming to a whole new level as her portrayal of Aaron goes beyond the scheme and into a realm of pure treachery. An entrancing and beautiful show (as beautiful as a show about rape and murder can be), this production of "Titus Andronicus" is one not to be missed ..... Come for the badass women, stay for the power of the production.
- Broadway World

...they don't stint on the stage gore or the sheer horror or the bleak humor therein. Rosa Joshi's mounting at the Lee Center for the Arts....is for the most part riveting, cogent.
- Seattle Times

Choosing to use an all female cast allows sixteen immensely talented performers to have roles in a play that normally only requires two women..... It is remarkable that such skillfully produced Shakespeare is available in this convenient venue.
- Drama in the Hood

KING JOHN 2006

.....this remarkable ensemble is a flawless unit. Amy Thone [ ] gives a cerebral performance that is equal parts bumbling, confident, and heartbreaking..... [Peggy Gannon's] finely crafted monologues highlight a performance full of unrelenting fire. Betsy Schwartz is a shinning centerpiece as the King's helpless nephew Arthur. From top to bottom, this is one the best acting companies in recent memory. It is a pleasure to see such crafted communication. This is what theatre is and should be. This King John ranks as one of the most important, entertaining, and inspiring outings on any Seattle stage this year. The presence of this mammoth production will be felt for years to come. Joshi and company are clearly a force to be reckoned with.
- Broadway World

upstart crow (named for an epithet once hurled at Shakespeare), have really thought through this text. And they execute their ideas about it with blazing energy. Women play all the roles, but in a camp-free zone. When appearing as court operatives in modern business suits, they're really portraying men, not parodying them [.....] And if this is the standard of classical work Joshi and company are capable of then bring them on again. Soon.
- Seattle Times

...this all female cast makes a convincing team that tears up the stage... they listen and react with precision bent on clarity above all else in telling this unfamiliar tale.
- The Stranger

Joining Seattle's abundance of female talent for classical repertory with the contemporary relevance of King John results in a more perfect union. Joshi's production is a knockout...
- Seattle Weekly