reviews
Reviews from 2021’s "BAKERSFIELD MIST" at Coachella Valley Repertory
“Erb and Hanket give a flawless performance, allowing their individual character defects to seep through the cracks in all of their ugly glory….Maude is performed by the very down to earth and authentic Stephanie Erb (as an) unrefined, headstrong woman…”
-Dee Jae Cox, Coachella Valley Weekly
“Erb and Hanket are exceptional…. Erb expertly conveys Maude’s earthiness, wit, vulnerability and determination…(she is) instantly likable…. Watching these two onstage is like watching a master class in acting.”
-Bonnie Gilgallon, CV Independent
“It’s a joy to watch these two pros strut their uncommon skills and talent…”
-We Go Viral, Jack Lyons
REVIEWS FROM 2018’s “THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE,” The Road Theatre
A pleasant surprise is the character of Shirley (Stephanie Erb), who visits the family
along with her husband, the pastor. She has an unnamed psychiatric disorder, and
while she might seem like an offbeat comic relief at first, Shirley gradually comes out
of her shell as a woman in pain, sick of being patronized and isolated by her
silencing husband. Erb's performance in the role fills it with color, and her transition
from goofy housewife to a multi-faceted survivor feels both smooth and liberating.
-Sam Cavalcanti, USC Annenberg Media
Just when you thought the tension could not get any worse, enters Bill (Chet
Grissom) a pompous, self righteous pastor … He brings along his wife, the highly
medicated Shirley (the hysterically funny Stephanie Erb.) Stephanie’s pitch perfect
comic timing practically steals the play.
-Joan Alperin, Los Angeles Beat
So well performed…. (and as) medication-addled (pastor’s) wife, Erb milks ample
humor from her ditsy, downtrodden pastor’s wife – the worm about to turn.
-F Kathleen Foley, Los Angeles Times.
(Through the Eye) does have a couple of exceptionally good players. Chet Grissom as
Pastor Bill is consistently smarmy and obnoxiously smug in his “piety” and
Stephanie Erb as his wife Shirley is as uncertain in her clumsy walking as she is in
her Stepford Wife persona. They are both superb.
-Cynthia Citron, Santa Monica Daily Press
The Bellflower Sessions, Whitefire Theatre
BACKSTAGE, Jennie Webb "So we finally meet Dr. Wendy Bellflower (Stephanie Erb) and get to the titular therapy sessions. Played with superb ballsiness, Erb’s oh-so-unconventional psychiatrist is a hoot; she and Nagle are a joy to watch navigating some outrageous material."
LOS ANGELES TIMES, David C. Nichols "Thanks to (the valiant) Nagle and (the assured) Erb, the doctor/patient scenes suggest a stage variant on Lisa Kudrow’s 'Web Therapy' Internet series."
TOPANGA MESSENGER, Annemarie Donkin "So, Jack seeks help from his best friend, Grant... and begins therapy sessions with the beautiful and mysterious Dr. Wendy Bellflower (in a magnificent performance by the gorgeous and luminous Stephanie Erb)... It is a real pleasure to see these fine actors play off of each other as the story races to its tragic outcome that appears inevitable but shocking nevertheless."
LA EXAMINER, Andrea Kittelson "Stephanie Erb, as his less-than-orthodox therapist, is also super duper... Erb plays a scrumptious, cleavage-donning, Luger-toting tart of a psychologist. If only she were real. I would love to go to her! So would a lot of people. Especially in LA.”
STAGE AND CINEMA, Jesse Corti "Stephanie Erb as Dr. Bellflower is funny, fearless, and adroit at handling the demands of being seductive, abrasive, intelligent, persuasive, and abnormal all at once; her wordless, introductory bit involving a Zen sand garden was guffaw-worthy."
NOHOARTSDISTRICT.COM, Cathy Wayne "Enter Dr. Wendy Bellflower, performed by the talented Stephanie Erb. She manipulates her clients convincing them of their incompetence and pushing them toward their inevitable demise. She is not your standard therapist, or is she? Hopefully, none of us ever have to go to someone like Dr. Bellflower for help. She is the ultimate nut-case."
TOLUCAN TIMES, Pat Taylor "A powerfully focused Rob Nagle begins sessions with Dr. Wendy Bellflower. Not what he expected to be sure … she is a gorgeous, volatile, sexual, and offbeat bundle of dynamite (an award worthy performance here, by Stephanie Erb)"
FLAVORPILL.COM, Birgitta Baker "A standout performance by Stephanie Erb as the psychiatrist”
Twentieth Century, Sierra Madre Playhouse
STAGESCENELA.COM "The Scenie-winning director is aided and abetted by a couldn’t-be-better cast, headed by real-life spouses Hanket and Erb, who... nail the heightened speech and screwball flair so essential when reviving a ‘30s or ‘40s classic... Erb is simply fabulous as the equally self-centered (but considerably more glamorous) Lily, giving the Broadway-Hollywood goddess just the right amount of tongue in cheek."
LA THEATER EXAMINER, Candyce Columbus "Director Michael Lorre has a good feel for the 1930s time period of the piece and the essence of that era’s screwball comedy. As a result he has elicited performances from his fine ensemble of actors that reflect funny and apropos 30s sensibilities. Chief among these are splendid turns by Stephanie Erb as theater actor turned movie star Lily Garland and Arthur Hanket as Oscar Jaffe..."
PASADENA STAR, Frances Baum Nicholson "Arthur Hanket has a fabulous time chewing the scenery as the over-the-top Jaffe. He plays this farcical craziness completely straight – absolutely essential if the comedy is to work – and yet with the kind of extraordinary energy this crazed artist requires. Stephaine Erb’s equally hyperdramatic Lily matches Hanket’s portrayal in style and overwrought drama."
Stage Door, Open Fist Theatre Company
BACKSTAGE "...most eye-catching is the performance of Stephanie Erb, faithfully expressing the liveliness of that era's films, the great wit of Kaufman and Ferber, and the bounding energy of a houseful of aspiring actors."
STAGESCENELA.COM "...wise-cracking Judith Canfield (Stephanie Erb), a tough cookie with a tender filling... Erb pays loving (and hilarious) tribute to those sardonic female sidekicks that made stars of Eve Arden and Vivian Vance."
BROADWAYWORLD.COM "...Stephanie Erb (is) a delight as wisecracking Judith."
MOW Childhood Sweetheart? with Melissa Gilbert and Ronny Cox
DAILY VARIETY "Stephanie Erb's a pleasure..."
Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Festival/LA
DAILY VARIETY "Erb's Beatrice and Lower's Benedick burrow into each other's psyches
with perfectly timed, mischievous repartee..."
LOS ANGELES TIMES "...tart-tongued, cigar-wielding Stephanie Erb as Beatrice lead(s) a
strong cast whose every word can be cleanly understood."
BACKSTAGE WEST "... the man-hating Beatrice, played with jaw-jutting, riveting stridency
by Stephanie Erb, fire(s) off salvos in this showdown of the sexes.."
LA WEEKLY PICK OF THE WEEK "Lower and Erb take great advantage of Beatrice
and Benedick's customary show-stealing scenes.."
Blithe Spirit and Macbeth, Utah Shakespearean Festival
THE UTAH SPECTRUM "Erb exudes an immensely breezy radiance in her portrayal as the
feisty, teasing manifestation that only Charles can see."
DESERT MORNING NEWS "Patrons will experience some spirited chemistry between
Arthur Hanket and Stephanie Erb, who plays the ghost of his late wife, Elvira."
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNES "Hanket, Healey, and Erb create an intriguing and funny
love triangle."
THE UTAH SPECTRUM "Erb displays a warm gentleness as Lady Macduff..."
Prelude to a Kiss, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
LOS ANGELES TIMES, Sylvie Drake "Erb's lovely, impulsive Rita turns cold on a dime when that moment happens over which she has no control. (She) delivers her tentative uncertain character with an assurance that belies her confusion and doubt."
DRAMALOGUE, Jim Volz "Erb's delightful character choices and personal nuances help clarify the supernatural transitions that take place in the course of the play."
DAILY VARIETY Christopher Meeks "Particularly effective, Erb makes her changes with subtlety, not tipping off she's the old man. Her character, after all, wants to hide the truth and enjoy his young new body."
Two Gentlemen of Verona National Tour, The Acting Company, with Jesse L. Martin and Rainn Wilson
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Mel Gussow "Stephanie Erb's Silvia is a glamourous golden girl
of the West..."
THE NEW YORK POST, Clive Barnes "Stephanie Erb provides a dizzily sensual Silvia..."
THE VILLAGE VOICE, Robert Massa "Stephanie Erb's Silvia is nicely dry."
THE BUFFALO NEWS "Silvia is played by Stephanie Erb, a gifted and utterly beautiful
young actress..."
THE ST. LOUIS DISPATCH "Erb made for a winning Silvia... a blond and perky Silvia
became (in Romeo and Juliet) the regal Lady Montague."
WDCU-FM , WASHINGTON, DC "Stephanie Erb comes off the best of the women players
as she demands her true love."
PRINCE GEORGE'S POST "Stephanie Erb as Silvia is more of a straightman but makes it
easy to see how these two swains could fall for her. She's gorgeous, for one thing, and gets to show a lot of cleavage, but also carries herself like you'd expect one of Shakespeare's heroines to do."
THE WASHINGTON POST "(One of) twentysomething eager but sophisticated performers
to appear to take a genuine delight in every word, sigh and pratfall... out comes Silvia, the
alluring lady whose first action is to rein in and then punch out her offstage horse a la Blazing Saddles."
“Erb and Hanket give a flawless performance, allowing their individual character defects to seep through the cracks in all of their ugly glory….Maude is performed by the very down to earth and authentic Stephanie Erb (as an) unrefined, headstrong woman…”
-Dee Jae Cox, Coachella Valley Weekly
“Erb and Hanket are exceptional…. Erb expertly conveys Maude’s earthiness, wit, vulnerability and determination…(she is) instantly likable…. Watching these two onstage is like watching a master class in acting.”
-Bonnie Gilgallon, CV Independent
“It’s a joy to watch these two pros strut their uncommon skills and talent…”
-We Go Viral, Jack Lyons
REVIEWS FROM 2018’s “THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE,” The Road Theatre
A pleasant surprise is the character of Shirley (Stephanie Erb), who visits the family
along with her husband, the pastor. She has an unnamed psychiatric disorder, and
while she might seem like an offbeat comic relief at first, Shirley gradually comes out
of her shell as a woman in pain, sick of being patronized and isolated by her
silencing husband. Erb's performance in the role fills it with color, and her transition
from goofy housewife to a multi-faceted survivor feels both smooth and liberating.
-Sam Cavalcanti, USC Annenberg Media
Just when you thought the tension could not get any worse, enters Bill (Chet
Grissom) a pompous, self righteous pastor … He brings along his wife, the highly
medicated Shirley (the hysterically funny Stephanie Erb.) Stephanie’s pitch perfect
comic timing practically steals the play.
-Joan Alperin, Los Angeles Beat
So well performed…. (and as) medication-addled (pastor’s) wife, Erb milks ample
humor from her ditsy, downtrodden pastor’s wife – the worm about to turn.
-F Kathleen Foley, Los Angeles Times.
(Through the Eye) does have a couple of exceptionally good players. Chet Grissom as
Pastor Bill is consistently smarmy and obnoxiously smug in his “piety” and
Stephanie Erb as his wife Shirley is as uncertain in her clumsy walking as she is in
her Stepford Wife persona. They are both superb.
-Cynthia Citron, Santa Monica Daily Press
The Bellflower Sessions, Whitefire Theatre
BACKSTAGE, Jennie Webb "So we finally meet Dr. Wendy Bellflower (Stephanie Erb) and get to the titular therapy sessions. Played with superb ballsiness, Erb’s oh-so-unconventional psychiatrist is a hoot; she and Nagle are a joy to watch navigating some outrageous material."
LOS ANGELES TIMES, David C. Nichols "Thanks to (the valiant) Nagle and (the assured) Erb, the doctor/patient scenes suggest a stage variant on Lisa Kudrow’s 'Web Therapy' Internet series."
TOPANGA MESSENGER, Annemarie Donkin "So, Jack seeks help from his best friend, Grant... and begins therapy sessions with the beautiful and mysterious Dr. Wendy Bellflower (in a magnificent performance by the gorgeous and luminous Stephanie Erb)... It is a real pleasure to see these fine actors play off of each other as the story races to its tragic outcome that appears inevitable but shocking nevertheless."
LA EXAMINER, Andrea Kittelson "Stephanie Erb, as his less-than-orthodox therapist, is also super duper... Erb plays a scrumptious, cleavage-donning, Luger-toting tart of a psychologist. If only she were real. I would love to go to her! So would a lot of people. Especially in LA.”
STAGE AND CINEMA, Jesse Corti "Stephanie Erb as Dr. Bellflower is funny, fearless, and adroit at handling the demands of being seductive, abrasive, intelligent, persuasive, and abnormal all at once; her wordless, introductory bit involving a Zen sand garden was guffaw-worthy."
NOHOARTSDISTRICT.COM, Cathy Wayne "Enter Dr. Wendy Bellflower, performed by the talented Stephanie Erb. She manipulates her clients convincing them of their incompetence and pushing them toward their inevitable demise. She is not your standard therapist, or is she? Hopefully, none of us ever have to go to someone like Dr. Bellflower for help. She is the ultimate nut-case."
TOLUCAN TIMES, Pat Taylor "A powerfully focused Rob Nagle begins sessions with Dr. Wendy Bellflower. Not what he expected to be sure … she is a gorgeous, volatile, sexual, and offbeat bundle of dynamite (an award worthy performance here, by Stephanie Erb)"
FLAVORPILL.COM, Birgitta Baker "A standout performance by Stephanie Erb as the psychiatrist”
Twentieth Century, Sierra Madre Playhouse
STAGESCENELA.COM "The Scenie-winning director is aided and abetted by a couldn’t-be-better cast, headed by real-life spouses Hanket and Erb, who... nail the heightened speech and screwball flair so essential when reviving a ‘30s or ‘40s classic... Erb is simply fabulous as the equally self-centered (but considerably more glamorous) Lily, giving the Broadway-Hollywood goddess just the right amount of tongue in cheek."
LA THEATER EXAMINER, Candyce Columbus "Director Michael Lorre has a good feel for the 1930s time period of the piece and the essence of that era’s screwball comedy. As a result he has elicited performances from his fine ensemble of actors that reflect funny and apropos 30s sensibilities. Chief among these are splendid turns by Stephanie Erb as theater actor turned movie star Lily Garland and Arthur Hanket as Oscar Jaffe..."
PASADENA STAR, Frances Baum Nicholson "Arthur Hanket has a fabulous time chewing the scenery as the over-the-top Jaffe. He plays this farcical craziness completely straight – absolutely essential if the comedy is to work – and yet with the kind of extraordinary energy this crazed artist requires. Stephaine Erb’s equally hyperdramatic Lily matches Hanket’s portrayal in style and overwrought drama."
Stage Door, Open Fist Theatre Company
BACKSTAGE "...most eye-catching is the performance of Stephanie Erb, faithfully expressing the liveliness of that era's films, the great wit of Kaufman and Ferber, and the bounding energy of a houseful of aspiring actors."
STAGESCENELA.COM "...wise-cracking Judith Canfield (Stephanie Erb), a tough cookie with a tender filling... Erb pays loving (and hilarious) tribute to those sardonic female sidekicks that made stars of Eve Arden and Vivian Vance."
BROADWAYWORLD.COM "...Stephanie Erb (is) a delight as wisecracking Judith."
MOW Childhood Sweetheart? with Melissa Gilbert and Ronny Cox
DAILY VARIETY "Stephanie Erb's a pleasure..."
Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare Festival/LA
DAILY VARIETY "Erb's Beatrice and Lower's Benedick burrow into each other's psyches
with perfectly timed, mischievous repartee..."
LOS ANGELES TIMES "...tart-tongued, cigar-wielding Stephanie Erb as Beatrice lead(s) a
strong cast whose every word can be cleanly understood."
BACKSTAGE WEST "... the man-hating Beatrice, played with jaw-jutting, riveting stridency
by Stephanie Erb, fire(s) off salvos in this showdown of the sexes.."
LA WEEKLY PICK OF THE WEEK "Lower and Erb take great advantage of Beatrice
and Benedick's customary show-stealing scenes.."
Blithe Spirit and Macbeth, Utah Shakespearean Festival
THE UTAH SPECTRUM "Erb exudes an immensely breezy radiance in her portrayal as the
feisty, teasing manifestation that only Charles can see."
DESERT MORNING NEWS "Patrons will experience some spirited chemistry between
Arthur Hanket and Stephanie Erb, who plays the ghost of his late wife, Elvira."
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNES "Hanket, Healey, and Erb create an intriguing and funny
love triangle."
THE UTAH SPECTRUM "Erb displays a warm gentleness as Lady Macduff..."
Prelude to a Kiss, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
LOS ANGELES TIMES, Sylvie Drake "Erb's lovely, impulsive Rita turns cold on a dime when that moment happens over which she has no control. (She) delivers her tentative uncertain character with an assurance that belies her confusion and doubt."
DRAMALOGUE, Jim Volz "Erb's delightful character choices and personal nuances help clarify the supernatural transitions that take place in the course of the play."
DAILY VARIETY Christopher Meeks "Particularly effective, Erb makes her changes with subtlety, not tipping off she's the old man. Her character, after all, wants to hide the truth and enjoy his young new body."
Two Gentlemen of Verona National Tour, The Acting Company, with Jesse L. Martin and Rainn Wilson
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Mel Gussow "Stephanie Erb's Silvia is a glamourous golden girl
of the West..."
THE NEW YORK POST, Clive Barnes "Stephanie Erb provides a dizzily sensual Silvia..."
THE VILLAGE VOICE, Robert Massa "Stephanie Erb's Silvia is nicely dry."
THE BUFFALO NEWS "Silvia is played by Stephanie Erb, a gifted and utterly beautiful
young actress..."
THE ST. LOUIS DISPATCH "Erb made for a winning Silvia... a blond and perky Silvia
became (in Romeo and Juliet) the regal Lady Montague."
WDCU-FM , WASHINGTON, DC "Stephanie Erb comes off the best of the women players
as she demands her true love."
PRINCE GEORGE'S POST "Stephanie Erb as Silvia is more of a straightman but makes it
easy to see how these two swains could fall for her. She's gorgeous, for one thing, and gets to show a lot of cleavage, but also carries herself like you'd expect one of Shakespeare's heroines to do."
THE WASHINGTON POST "(One of) twentysomething eager but sophisticated performers
to appear to take a genuine delight in every word, sigh and pratfall... out comes Silvia, the
alluring lady whose first action is to rein in and then punch out her offstage horse a la Blazing Saddles."
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