press

GROUNDED by George Brant

“Directed with insight, moral authority and precision by Larissa Lury, Cahill’s brilliantly impressive performance is brave on many levels...80 taught minutes of action”
-Bruce Burgun, The Advocate

“On a bare stage, a metal frame symbolizes both a plane and a doorway, leaving the pilot alone to confront her actions. She begins to fuse her targets in the desert with her loved ones in the Nevada suburb… Directed by Larissa Lury, Grounded is a compelling, important and uncomfortable work that leaves the audience searching for answers.”
-Mary Rickard, Gambit

“Cahill gives a tour de force performance under the discerning directions of Lury...

Primarily cocky, she at times becomes quite unlikeable, though when the cracks begin to widen, her vulnerability seeps out and we cannot help but want to reach out to this tormented soul. And she does it all by herself without a shred of glitz and theater glitter.

The show is raw and evocative as we watch the pilot slip into a deluded reality. Just as she watches, we the audience watch her in turn, and we are left to ponder the reality of many who protect us.” –Tara Bennett, Broadway World

IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES by Caridad Svich, based on the novel by Julia Alvarez

“Lury has gifted actors and creators for this show, and has the vision and talent to use them to great effect…There is a harmony among these actors that makes it difficult to point to one or the other and say, ‘There is the center’ or ‘that is the most compelling performance in the show.’ The women never let the energy drop. Each of them holds it like a delicate butterfly, and they share it as sisters and soulmates.”
–Mike Cook, Las Cruces Bulletin

“Director Larissa Lury has done a beautiful job of portraying this work. The set is designed in such a unique way that it not only provides a setting on stage for the actors, but illustrates the story as if the audience was a part of it.”
–Sante Guajardo, NMSU Roundup

MY FAIR LADY by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe

“Wouldn’t it be loverly? It is! The New Mexico State University Theatre Department’s current production of My Fair Lady is, in a word, brilliant…NMSU theatre professor Larissa Lury deserves immeasurable credit for her direction of this show.”
– Mike Cook, Las Cruces Bulletin

THE SOAP MYTH by Jeff Cohen

“…director Larissa Lury delivers a polished production, and Cohen raises challenging questions about the nature of history and who owns it.”
–David Sheward, Backstage

“The Soap Myth is helmed by Larissa Lury with passion and directness.”
–Martin Denton, nytheatre.com

SMALL PROPHECIES by David Myers

“David Myers’ Small Prophecies is an insightful, fiercely smart and terrifying window into what it means to grow up in 21st century America.”
–Pat Launer, San Diego Metro

SOMETHING FINE by Olivia Dufault

"’Something Fine’ is the most thematically ambitious of all the pieces, and suffers mixed, but occasionally powerful results. Involving a child custody battle and discussions among inanimate objects, it's a heady and challenging brew for a 20-minute play. Director Larissa Lury holds it together with equal parts tragedy and surreal humor.” —William Coyle, Curtain Up

“Something Fine was quirkily entertaining, going from hilarious to almost poignant.” —Molly Matera, Molly’s Musings

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa FastHorse

“Director Larissa Lury makes it seem like it’s all happening now, with actors who heighten their character’s idiosyncrasies without taking them over the top...it provides welcome comic relief and gets you thinking.”
–Jay Handelman, Herald-Tribune

“Both playwright FastHorse and director Larissa Lury seem to know this type of well-meaning, overthinking type of theatrical collaboration well, and the cast plays it with just the right air of comic sincerity and intensity.”
–Kay Kipling, Sarasota Magazine

“Although each of the four actors is excellent in his or her part, it is as an ensemble that they shoot sparks…Clearly, director Larissa Lury is a major plus, not only does she get fine individual and ensemble performances from her cast, but also sets the pace well, so the piece doesn't become overly frantic in its zaniest moments.”
–William S. Oser, Talkin’ Broadway

“Larissa Lury directs FastHorse’s send-up with the snappy rhythm of “Portlandia” or “Parks and Recreation.” The result is biting comedy that’s never bitter.”
–Marty Fugate, YourObserver.com

TRUTH/DARE by Tori Keenan-Zelt

“Each of these beautiful young women brought a unique depth and heart to her character in ways that will challenge those who play the parts in future productions. But they also joined together to create something more, something greater than you will find in the pages of the script. Bravo to all four and to Lury.” —Mike Cook, Las Cruces Bulletin

TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare

“Think you know everything there is to know about William Shakespeare? Have you already made up your mind that something written more than 400 years ago can't possibly have anything of worth to say to the modern world? Or are you an expert who has seen it all and don't believe any staged performance could teach you anything more about the Bard of Avon?

If any of the above is true, friends, prepare to have your worldview shaken. The American Southwest Theatre Company's production of Twelfth Night, one of the playwright's most convoluted comedies and, thus, one ripe for interpretation, will have you reevaluating everything you ever thought you knew about Shakespeare. It will engage, enthrall and best of all entertain, with nary a misstep to distract you. What begins with the actors sailing unprepared into the adventure of a lifetime, literally — dressed completely in white, tentative, frightened and buffeted by uncertainty — slowly evolves into a thoroughly enjoyable study in transformation.

…Clearly everybody associated with this production studied their Bard, because there is not one sour note, not a single misstep, not one flat performance. The exuberance displayed by every member of the cast — and so obviously evident in the care that went into creating the world occupied by their characters – serves to transport the viewer into a magical realm, where anything is possible and a sense of wonder is needed to navigate the pitfalls of growing up.

I cannot remember having a more enjoyable evening in the company of the Bard. Here is William Shakespeare's work as it was intended to be experienced, filled with elements of mirth, joy, tragedy and forgiveness — all the entanglements that make life an adventure in truth. The stuff youthful dreams are made of.”

–David Salcido, Las Cruces Sun News

“The performance was absolutely cohesive. All of the elements — lights, set, costumes, choreography and acting skill — met a high and equal level of skill, no jagged highs and lows, just an immersive, liquid talent flooding the theatre...The disparate elements of the creative arts come together for a cohesive whole in a must-see event.” –Marissa Bond, Las Cruces Bulletin