Reviews

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Avery Clark as Claudio brings an earnest astonishment that his fortunes could have fallen so horrifically unjustly and we recoil at the absurd injustice of his sentence.

Maryland Theatre Guide, Elizabeth Bruce

The cast performed exceptionally well and it was truly refreshing to see actors completely surrender to their roles. Jonathan Munby’s casting produced a high caliber of acting, which was especially evident in Avery Clark’s convincing role as Claudio.

Teen Critic Review, Tara Holman

Happily there are more honest performances from Avery Clark as the endangered Claudio

Washington City Paper, Trey Graham

 

CHRISTMAS CAROL

One of the show’s most affecting scenes is between Scrooge, played as a young man by Avery Clark, and Belle (Joy Farmer-Clary), the woman who was the love of his life. There is an obvious and enormous affection between them. But when Scrooge chooses the cruel business practices of his mentor – he is also rejecting the love of Belle. This real-life moral dilemma is the only time we see Scrooge as a real person, first full of optimism and love, then broken-hearted and on the road to his own personal hell. 

Cincinnati Enquirer, David Lyman

 

DEATH OF A SALESMAN

As Biff, Rep veteran Avery Clark embodies the directionless angst and wanderlust of his character.  In the flashback scenes, eh's a cocksure and carefree football star Adonis, while the present-day Biff, 34 and still trying to figure out what to do with his life, is desperate and still deeply wounded by a scarring, long ago encounter with his father's failings.

Arkansas Times, Robert Bell

Clark - known to audiences of The Rep from productions of Henry V, Hamlet and The 39 Steps - is nothing short of a gem. 

Sync Weekly, Spencer Watson

Clark, an Arkansas native who is every bit as compelling as Willy's underachieving son Biff as he was in the Rep's memorable stagings of Hamlet, The 39 Steps, and Henry V.  Clark has a fascinating ability to remain coherent while portraying a justifiably enraged character such as Biff, whoe inability to find a clear path in life can be traced to what he sees as his self-aggrandizing father's betrayal of their family when Bif was full of promise at 17.

Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Karen Martin

HENRY V

Avery Clark, who plays King Henry, delivers a performance commensurate with the great Shakespearean actors, bringing a realism and a contemporary slant to the character that would be identifiable to even the dullest among us. His Henry is a man of humility, honor, grace, and humor. The Rep's show overflows with perfectly-timed, expertly-crafted lines so funny that in the final act the audience was laughing too much, making it hard to hear some of the dialogue. What I saw was acting on a level that surpassed all live performances I have yet seen in Shakespeare's plays, and yes, that surpassed the storied Kenneth Branagh film from 1989. I know that speaking ill of Branagh is blasphemy, yet I do not apologize. The actors in The Rep's "Henry V" utterly transformed the Bard's prose into a living and breathing work of glory. And as I mentioned, Clark amazed.

Arkansas Times, Aaron Sarlo

Avery Clark, who wowed Arkansas Repertory Theatre audiences in 2010 with his tantalizing portrayal of Hamlet, is by turns passionate, brutal, clever, forgiving and forceful as the brash young hero of Shakespeare's Henry V. But what makes the Rep's production a must-see is Clark's way with humor. And this play, although focused on a 15th-century war between England and France -- with its attendant drama, agony and intrigue -- is plenty funny. Yet, to Henry's credit, he's a fine public speaker, rousing his troops with the famous St. Crispin’s Day speech -- magnificently delivered by Clark.

In Arkansas, Karen Marin

Avery Clark (last year’s Hamlet) does great things in the title role, striking a fine balance between authoritative and antic, though not until the final scene, the hilarious wooing of Katherine does he seal the acting deal.

Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Eric E Harrison

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Clark, who has shown his humorous side at the Shakes in “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” really lets loose here: quivering lower lip, pleading saucer-shaped eyes.

Orlando Sentinel, Matt Palm

Avery Clark charms as Algernon Moncrieff, the dashing playboy Brevard Culture Pam Harbaugh Mr. Clark oozed class confidence and idle wealth.

Archikulture Digest, Carl F Gauze

MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM

Avery Clark and Walter Kmiec are wonderfully physical as the women’s loves: Clark becomes quite a sniveler as he follows a new beloved fruitlessly through the forest.

On Theater, Elizabeth Maupin

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Avery Clark, who made a strong impression in the blood-and-thunder production of "Hamlet" that brought Orlando Shakespeare to my attention last season, wears his two hats no less well: He's darkly romantic as Mr. Darcy and delightfully ludicrous as Lysander.

Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout

Clark makes a striking Darcy, and it’s fun to watch him as his emotions get the better of him. His body language with Vazquez’s Lizzy is fraught and lovely when the two characters finally see each other for what they really are.

On Theater, Elizabeth Maupin

THE 39 STEPS

Clark has the straight-man role but he's smart and intuitive and doesn't miss many chances for finding laughs. For proof, check out the way he falls asleep. Clark effortlessly captures and keeps the attention thrown his way. The Rep has benefited greatly from his presence this season (he was the lead in "Hamlet") and would do well to find him more roles. But those who haven't had the chance or are in the mood for a sweet night in theater need to check out "The 39 Steps."

Arkansas Times, Werner Trieschmann

Clark, who recently graced The Rep’s stage as Hamlet, is back, and this time instead of delivering some of the best known lines in English literature he’s doing the arguably more daunting task of making the mundane act of turning on a light bulb into something funny.

Sync Weekly, Spencer Watson

HAMLET

Taking on the title role of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is practically a losing proposition. Whether you are fighting against the interpretations of the past (every big-name actor has tackled it) or trying to best the sky-high expectations of the audience, the actor poised to run Shakespeare’s difficult race hits the starting line loaded down with some heavy baggage.

The news coming out of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of “Hamlet” is that Avery Clark, the native Arkansan who plays the tormented Danish prince, is up to the task and then some. It’s hard to imagine another Hamlet generating as much humor — yes, genuine laughs — as Clark does. His performance sets the tone for this production, and delivers a “Hamlet” that is, above all, exceedingly and excitingly clear. He makes plain from his opening monologue, fighting back tears, that this young prince is whiplashed by emotions.

All gangly arms and legs and darting eyes, Clark captures so perfectly the mood swings — one minute he’s jumping into the arms of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and the next he’s pouncing on poor Ophelia.  This is a Hamlet unhinged just enough to be truly terrifying — it makes sense that Claudius’ court would be disturbed. Clark also bravely carves jokes out of Shakespeare’s knotty language that many other actors couldn’t find or would let pass (his last line to his mother as he’s dragging out Polonius’ body is worth the price of your ticket). Clark is so electric and vivid that every other actor improves in his presence. Yet, in the end, what you want from “Hamlet” is an opportunity to hear those speeches and see and feel the young prince wrestle with mortality. The Rep gives Clark a great platform and, like an athlete in his prime, he seizes the moment. It’s a thrilling thing to witness.

Arkansas Times, Werner Trieschmann

Avery Clark’s multi-faceted and human Hamlet is engaging, accessible and shows just how Hamlet is not always in control of his emotions, but certainly putting on the facade of madness.

The Shakespeare Standard, Joel L. Schindlbeck

The success of any production of Hamlet is dependent on its eponymous lead character. Avery Clark, who stars in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's staging of Shakespeare's drama, guarantees that success by portraying Hamlet as tantalizingly human. There's not a false moment in Clark's performance. His Hamlet is by turns cunning and obvious, oratorical and wisecracking, strategic and clumsy, fiery and tearful. Clark's gift of subtle facial expression can convey emotions to the farthest reaches of the Rep's auditorium with a roll of his eyes, and a feline physicality makes his every move mesmerizing.

The play's fame has caused much of its dialogue to become cliched (the entire 'to be or not to be' soliloquy is an example), but not when Clark is handling it -- the commonplace becomes breathtaking in his delivery.

In Arkansas, Karen Martin

No doubt you’ve read the raving reviews of Avery Clark’s performance in the Arkansas Rep’s current production of Hamlet. As the daughter of a British literature teacher and being a English literature major - focused on Elizabethan drama no less - I’ve never felt myself nearer to crying watching a performance of the tortured Dane. However, with the Rep’s production, the audience also got a dose of humor. That’s a good thing when watching Hamlet. According to critics, the play is supposed to bring a catharsis of emotion for those in the audience. Clark did a great job. Perfect in the role.

Tiny Acorns, Tonya Oaks Smith

The acting was superb, with Avery Clark providing an intense, yet surprisingly wry portrayal of the title character…My ears aren’t attuned to that type of language and I couldn’t understand some of what was said.  The exception being the lines delivered by Clark, who delivered them solidly and clearly.  

Pulaski News, Robert Shearon

Avery Clark, a 2002 University of Arkansas graduate who grew up in Fort Smith, plays Hamlet. His take on the character is exhilarating, far from an uptight or stuffy performance.  Clark colors Hamlet with shades of madness, jealousy and humor. While it is considered a tragedy, there were moments of levity when the audience laughed out loud on several occasions.  His connection with the audience is exceptional. At times his performance would move from manic to very still, and he delivered Hamlet’s famous soliloquies with a depth of emotion that captivated the audience.

The Forum, Everett Johnson

This actor, Avery Clark, who’s playing Hamlet at the Rep, is really good.  He’s internalized the role, so the lines don’t feel like lines to him, but come unbidden, rolling, tripping, bouncing off his tongue.  He electrifies the old play, introducing an unlikely hit on danger into what ought to be a rather predictable enterprise…an effective mix of tragedy and comedy thanks to the timing and skill of Avery Clark. A tour de force and a triumph.  

Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Philip Martin

Much of the success of the show depends upon the performance of young Hamlet, and filling that role most aptly is Avery Clark.  From is early soliloquy about the fragility and fickleness of women to his soul-searching “to be or not to be” speech, perhaps the most famous in all of Shakespeare’s works, Avery infuses his Hamlet with a tempestuous vitality that flickers back and forth between pure rage and genuine humor.  Whether verbally assaulting Polonius with clever wordplay or savagely lashing out at Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Avery’s performance is a treat to watch, and one wonders at the talent it must take to handle such a taxing role night after night.  

Sync Weekly, Spencer Watson

THE 39 STEPS

Clark plays the innocent lead to a respectable T as his character tracks down information on the elusive 39 Steps.

Fayetteville Flyer, Tobias Wray

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Avery Clark and Walter Kmiec make strong impressions in the smallish roles of two playful lords.

Orlando Sentinel, Elizabeth Maupin

HAMLET

Avery Clark's flamboyantly physical performance of the title role makes for one of the most theatrically potent Hamlets I've seen in a good many seasons, far fresher than last year's Jude Law-powered Broadway production and more accessible to boot...

Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout

Avery Clark, in his debut season at the Shakes, delivers a rousing and exceptional take on the legendary character. Believably walking the tightrope between madness (real and feigned), shrewd scheming, sense of duty, contemplations of suicide and loss of love, Clark owns the role and the stage. Through choices made in line delivery, movement and a wonderfully expressive face and eyes, Clark reels the audience in and never lets us go until he breathes his last on stage. If the goal as an actor is to be believed, to transport us into another place/time and to make us feel and experience, then Clark delivers on every count. He creates the freshest take on the Danish prince that I can remember. He is truly Hamlet unbound and liberated to become the three dimensional, full character Shakespeare surely intended him to be. In particular, his rendition of the famed “to be or not to be” soliloquy is the most moving and wrenching I have experienced.

The Ledger, Paul Castaneda

Avery Clark shines in the title role, choosing an approach that ranges from neurotic to disturbing, and is simply fun to watch. Although he is best showcased in his interactions with other characters, his soliloquies are delivered artfully, highlighting the deep and contemplative sentiments without losing the whiny flare of adolescence that is so integral to the character.

The Sandspur, Alexis Riley

Avery Clark’s Hamlet slips in and out of the cloak of madness as if he’s slipping on and off a mask. Nothing gets in the way of this young prince and the wheels spinning in his mind.  And how those wheels do spin!  first he’s a mourner, an unhappy young man who puts on the mask of civility for his mother’s sake, then lashing out with anger and sarcasm. But there’s something grounded about this Hamlet: Even as he’s about to die, Clark finds both sanity and the remnants of the “antic disposition” that, in this Hamlet, make him so modern a man.

Orlando Sentinel, Elizabeth Maupin

THE PILLOWMAN

The Writer, Katurian, played by Avery Clark, is gentle innocence embodied, at least initially. We like him immediately and fear for him as events unfold. The actor moves effortlessly through a stream of emotions, from delight to agony.

USA TODAY, Georgina Young-Ellis

The real gem of the show, though, is Avery Clark. On stage for almost the entire play’s duration, and given multiple lengthy, complicated monologues as he recounts Katurian’s stories, Clark is nothing short of magnetic. His Katurian is a slightly dim, ingratiating man who practically grovels in his helpfulness when first brought in for questioning.  He has a calm, deluded self-assurance in his own abilities.  He’s as wanly smug as everyone else on stage is, and when his smugness is questioned, his face distorts into a mask of ugly hatred.

New York Press, Mark Peikert

As Katurian, Avery Clark is the very personification of reason and rationality, which makes the horrifying stories he tells all the more unnerving: If someone so cool, so collected, so normal could come up with these fantasies, what would spring from a truly disturbed mind?

BroadwayWorld, Jena Tesse Fox

The cast handles the difficult material beautifully, specifically Avery Clark as Katurian who brings the seemingly innocent character's sinister side to life through his storytelling.

Nytheatre.com, Sarah Whalen

Clark gives Katurian a likable and trustworthy core, you truly feel his horror that anyone would find his stories disturbing, let alone confuse him for the evil incarnate which so easily springs from his mind time and again.  The true sadness of the piece comes when the softer sides of Clark are in evidence when Katurian interacts with his brother.

New York Theatre Experience, Karen Tortora-Lee

Avery Clark plays Katurian, the writer who is accused of the child murders and is instantly likable from the moment the lights come up on him in the first scene. He is funny and sad, tragic and heroic, sarcastic and earnest all at the same time and still conveys a likability.

Theater is Easy, Darron Cardosa

The performance of the role of the writer is pivotal to the play. Mr. Clark is all appropriate earnestness about his concerns over the crimes, the perpetrator, and most of all, his efforts at writing.

Irish Stage in NYC, Kathleen Shea Kennon

This is the fourth production of this play I've seen:  the London premiere, Broadway and Steppenwolf.  This was the best...captured something the other productions had missed.

Austin Pendelton, Actor/Director/Writer

A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM

The quartet of young lovers are divine.

Reading Eagle, George Hatza

Avery Clark, as Lysander, is a study in studiousness…the couples are fantastic, moving so briskly it’s as though their feet barely touch the stage.

The Press Papers, Paul Willistein

The four sweet lovers are Heather Leonardi, Zack Robidas, Avery Clark, and Rachel Moulton.  The boughs of the forest bow to them all.

Philidelphia Inquirer, Howard Shapiro  

Avery Clark’s Lysander is a sincere and lovestruck suitor, kind and gentle and always charming.

The Morning Call, Myra Yellin Outwater  

Heather Leonardi, Rachel Moulton, Avery Clark, and Zack Robidas do a fine job as the quarrelsome quartet that ends as two happy couples.

Philidelphia Performing Arts Examiner, Mary Cochrane-McIvor

Zack Robidas and Avery Clark get in some good physical comedy.

EDGE Philidelphia, Alaina Mabaso  

ROMEO & JULIET

Avery Clark’s Romeo and Adriana Gaviria’s Juliet powerfully captured the passion and horror of a high-tech Miami of the mind…Their Romeo and Juliet rocked:  courageous and creative with powerful acting and daring interpretation of Shakespeare’s text.

Shakespeare Bulletin, Philip C. Kolin

Clark and Gaviria create a relationship both in scenes together and apart that is by turns passionate, childish, serious, comical, and deeply felt. The pivotal “balcony scene” depicting their impetuousness and their debate on whether it is dawn or still night set up their suicides and the waste of two lives. Romeo’s proclaiming “I am fortune’s fool” and Juliet’s declarations as she prepares for her death lend seriousness to their often adolescent statements.

Montgomery Advertiser, Michael P. Howley

THREE DAYS OF RAIN

Pip and his father Theo are played by Avery Clark. Pip is a young actor with a promising television career, a charming, romantic figure for both Nan and Walker. Theo is a volatile, angry, dynamic man who betrays himself and everyone around him with his outbursts. Here Clark is brilliant.

Berkshire Bright Focus, J. Peter Bergman

Oldcastle newcomer, Avery Clark, a thespian with impressive nationwide credits, is a welcome addition to the theatre's cadre. He portrays Pip and Theo with an intensity of character that audiences can believably credit to the father-son gene pool. There are moments- such as Theo's stance in the rain upon discovering Lina's infidelity- where he pulls off James Dean-type vulnerability with brooding, fatalistic overtones.

Bennington Banner, Joshua Rupp

THE SHAPE OF THINGS  

Avery Clark smoothly and believably undergoes a transformation both in appearance and personality over the course of the play. Clark allows us to feel Adam's pain with a restrained performance which remains understated almost all the way through. 

Talkin' Broadway, Bob Rendell  

Avery Clark beautifully travels the distance from a nervous young man who's constantly rubbing his hands to a walking tall, self-actualized person.  He handles his last scene, a most emotional one, quite wonderfully.

Star-Ledger, Perter Filichia  

Clark's Adam is a lovable guy, above-above average but conventional...you can feel, through Clark's portrayal, all of Adam's emotional crossroads.

Home New Tribune, Bill Zapcic  

Avery Clark's English major, Adam, is adorably and sympathetically geeky.

localsource.com, Ruth Ross  

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD  

Avery Clark making his Rosencrantz into a likeable man-child of sorts. 

NYTheatre, Charles Battersby  

Rosencrantz (Avery Clark) is boyish and playful but with a pensive, melancholy streak; he hides his heartbreak over the inevitability of time passing with games and action…it's a testament to this production that when the third act begins to wane and it begins to dawn on the characters (and the audience) that death is how things will end for these two, the effect is heartbreaking…the audience can shed a tear for two innocent souls who followed their paths to unhappy ends.

Offoffonline, Jennifer Ernst  

JOURNEY’S END

When mud-splattered Second Lieutenant Hibbert (Avery Clark) stumbles into the bunker, he's physically sick and mentally unbalanced by the war's terrors above, and pleads to be sent to hospital…Clark's Hibbert displays a panic that's absolutely understandable. 

Houston Press, D.L. Groover   

...the human face of fatigue and fear and the interior distintegration of a man who has been too long in the field.  It is the fear that we see in the malingering young 2nd Lieutenant Hibbert (Avery Clark).

Houston Press, Mary Koenig  

Avery Clark shows Hibbert's pitiable weakness.

Houston Chronicle, Everett Evans  

CORONADO

Father and son (both played well with dark menace by Gerry Lehane and Avery Clark) are also in the bar, celebrating the younger man's recent release from prison. 

Backstage, Andy Propst  

Where Coronado gets going is the final piece in the triptych: the story of Bobby (Avery Clark) and his father (Gerry Lehane). These two actors have a real grasp for the ugly history between them, and go head-first into what appears to be a violent stalemate. …two well-versed actors: they have a capacity to make Lehane’s script crackle with the deserved tension and to highlight the clever malapropisms, half-jokes, memory-laced metaphors and sharp anecdotes...

New Theater Corps, Aaron Riccio  

When players Gerry Lehane and Avery Clark take the stage they command your attention. Their hatred is peeled away one layer at a time until all that is left is a climax both inevitable and heartbreaking.

Central Crime Zone  

In the role of Bobby, whose character is the nexus around which all the intertwining stories convene, Avery Clark turns in a particularly powerful, articulate performance, resisting the melodrama that is never far from the story.

Gothamist, Mallory Jensen    

SCARECROW

Avery Clark and Melissa Miller, both new to the company, make as appealing a pair of leads as one could hope for: Clark in particular is quite a find, beautifully negotiating Jack's tender journey from a newborn (but fully grown) man adjusting to his suddenly human legs and arms, to a mature individual learning responsibility and morality as he adjusts to the pain that comes with a human heart. 

NYTheatre, Martin Denton   

ARCADIA

David Ian Lee and Avery Clark carry the cast in the scenes set in the present…Clark conveyed a cool demeanor that made Coverly a balancing force between warring Nightingale and Hannah Jarvis.  

Gay City News, Tyler Pray  

Avery Clark is an amazingly intense Valentine (I love it when an actor commands the stage so well that I can't take my eyes off him even when he's not talking).

Theater Diary  

I have to give special mention to Avery Clark - I have never seen anyone so relaxed on stage - I felt I was trespassing in his living room and any moment he might offer me a sandwich - he really disarmed me.

Laura Morand Bailey, screenwriter  

Avery Clark shines as the pensive Valentine.

NYTheatre, Martin Denton  

31 BOND

Zagler (Clark) in particular is quite effective playing a young charmer haunted by the ghost of Burdell’s mother. 

Time Out, Jason Zinoman  

Young empassioned Mr. Morris Zagler played with great zeal by Avery Clark.

Brooklyn On Line, Brett Wynkoop  

LION IN WINTER

They contrasted nicely with Clark's Philip of France, who played the role of a precocious young king to the hilt, and then some. This is a young actor -- arrived in New York barely in time to audition for this role -- who  should be able to go places…stole the show. 

Off-Off-Broadway Review, John Chatterton  

Avery Clark, meanwhile, is wonderful as Philip, King of France, a master of the miniscule gesture.

S. I. Advance, Joshua Carp