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"PRESS QUOTES"

DIRECTION:  DENNIS WHITEHEAD DARLING

MUSIC DIRECTION:  DENNIS WHITEHEAD DARLING

BLUE VIOLA
MUSIC BY PETER HILLIARD
LIBRETTO BY MATT BORESI

Dennis Whitehead Darling's work on Blue Viola accomplished the greatest thing a director's work can do for a piece - it made the work more effective than it would have been without him.  His strong hand and clear vision elevated the storytelling and clarified the message without being imposing or distracting, giving the piece a more positive audience reaction than it had ever received previously. His collaborative style is warm and open, and Peter Hilliard and I look forward to future partnerships with this bright new operatic light — Matt Boresi, Librettist

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MR. RICKEY CALLS A MEETING

BY ED SCHMIDT

Hattiloo Theatre is doing one of its best productions ever with Mr. Rickey Calls A Meeting in its black box theatre...The ensemble — every actor nails it — does powerful work, and the one-act show is well directed by Dennis Whitehead Darling — Commercial Appeal

As directed by Dennis Darling, Mr. Rickey is a fantastic example of Hattiloo doing what it does best by providing Memphis theatergoers with a clear alternative — Memphis Flyer

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MARCUS; OR THE SECRET OF SWEET

BY:  TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY

Director Dennis Darling has created a riveting, economical production, and the cast is uniformly excellent — BWW Review

A fine group of actors have come together for the last chapter of Tarrell Alvin McCraney's groundbreaking Brother/Sister trilogy, and with the help of director Dennis Darling, they share many fine moments — Memphis Flyer

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MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS

BY ATHOL FUGARD

Nothing more difficult to do than drama. Walked out having seen a tremendously accomplished piece of theatre — Austin Chronicle

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DREAMGIRLS

MUSIC BY HENRY KRIEGER

BOOK BY TOM EYEN

The Hattiloo is a place where the action often spills off the tiny stage and into the audience.  In this case, it doesn't spill so much as it explodes — Memphis Flyer

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AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'

MUSIC BY FATS WALLER

BOOK BY MURRAY HORWITZ, RICHARD MALTBY, JR.

I doubt that any audience anywhere has ever been made to feel so at home in a theater where they are invited to become a part of the show without ever being asked to get out of their seats.  This easygoing inclusion is the engine that drives director Dennis Whitehead — Memphis Flyer

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FOREVER PLAID

BY STUART MALTBY

[B. Iden Payne Awards]...The most honored show was Sam Bass Community Theatre's Forever Plaid, which received four awards, including nods to Dennis Whitehead for both his direction and musical direction  Austin Chronicle

ASSASSINS

MUSIC BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM

BOOK BY JOHN WEIDMAN

Dennis L. Whitehead's direction and Frank Rendon, Jr.'s choreography sparkle, and are full of crisp movements and snappy moments that are always dynamic — Austin Chronicle

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