The Good Counselor Play At 1st Stage - Press Review

“This small cast packs an enormous emotional punch. Bueka Uwemedimo as Ray Heffernon, Vincent’s wayward brother, is playful with an edge. His sudden flashes of aggressiveness are scary in their unpredictability, but balanced out by Uwemedimo’s ability to consistently convey Ray’s underlying vulnerability, you continue to root for him.”

— http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2015/06/09/the-good-counselor-at-1st-stage/

“But key to the story as well, is the complicated charisma of Vincent’s older brother, Ray, an intractable drug addict, unable to overcome the neglect in his past, but still adored by his younger brother. Played by the powerful and talented Bueka Uwemedimo, the scenes between Ray and Vincent were illuminating and touching. There is wonderful chemistry between the two actors, which is important to the storytelling.”

— http://www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/article/bww-reviews-1st-stages-the-good-counselor-is-more-than-just-good-20150623

“The brother’s relationship was nicely explored, and when onstage together, Kumasi and Uwemedimo provided exceptional moments. As the addict slowly remembering his past failings, he shows great emotion range, always on the edge, a hair-trigger away from failing. A burly man, his sense of weakness when confronted with the demons of his addiction was striking. The scene played on the second level of the set (effectively set up by Kathryn Kawecki, with construction by Howard Forman) of a train trestle and the brothers wrestling, a hair-trigger from death, riveted the theatre. ”

— http://mdtheatreguide.com/2015/06/theatre-guide-the-good-counselor-at-1st-stage/

“In scenes between the brothers, Kumasi and Uwemedimo interact with a mischievousness that fully envelops the world of adult sibling relationships through which we see them as children. It’s a balance Kumasi and Uwemedimo find with extraordinary skill.”

— http://dctheatrescene.com/2015/06/16/the-good-counselor-at-1st-stage-review/

“During a recent rainstorm, 1st Stage’s riveting production of The Good Counselor, by Kathryn Grant, had to be stopped. On stage, Manu Kumasi, as Vicent, a small-town public defender, Deidra LaWan Starnes, as his mother Rita, and Bueka Uwemedimo, as the troubled son, Ray—gamely battled their way to the end of a compelling scene. Up to that point the acting had been first rate. As rain thundered down on the roof, it was heroic. To everyone’s credit, the audience was on the edge of their seats, straining to hear. Every word mattered. We were spellbound. ”

— http://howlround.com/1st-stage-s-the-good-counselor-good-rain-or-shine