Directing Press
The Barber of Seville by Pierre de Beaumarchais
“However, as ridiculously good as this cast is from top to bottom, the real star of this production is translator/director John Johnston. The obvious delight Johnston had in translating and linguistically updating the dialogue jumps out at us throughout the show. With every great line thrown at us, we can hear him chuckling to himself and we laugh along right with him. Whether it's his cheekily woke and sassy acknowledgement of the line that describes the whiteness of Rosine's hand (Bush is an African American actress) or his mischievous insertion of a repetition of a quickly spoken ‘Figaro, Figaro, Figaro’ as a nod to the opera, Johnston wastes not one humorous opportunity.” - Houston Press
“The actors feel it too. There is no missing the fun they're having on stage and the care Johnston has taken as a director to make sure that while this production is challenging work, it's also rewarding play for his cast. The result is infectious, taking us along on a high energy hysterical ride that builds upon itself like a deliciously droll layer cake. And just when the whole thing threatens to go one iota over the top, Johnston treats us to perhaps the best line (and directorial philosophy) of the show. As the antics heat up near the close of the show, the Count, with a grimace, poo poos a potential narrative turn by declaring, ‘That would be the stuff of farce like the old masters used to write.’ Hear, hear, we say!” - Houston Press
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Shylock, the Jew of Venice by William Shakespeare
“John Johnston (also the director) revisits the Shylock question: Is he a horrid stereotype or a critique of Christian bias? The results are an extraordinary production, one of the best of Shakespeare anywhere in Houston over the last decade.”- Houston Press
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The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre de Beaumarchais
“Directed by Johnston, this production is a PG-13 romp. Entertaining and amusing. Enjoyable and lighthearted. It's a humorous show that takes itself as seriously as the material demands while allowing the actors to indulge in the farcical elements of the script. Who knew a story about two servants, Figaro (Calvin Hudson) and Suzanne (Elissa Cuellar), trying to get married could become so needlessly complicated yet thoroughly delightful?” - Houston Press
“They chew the scenery but this is a play that demands it, and Johnston conducts the tone and pacing of this show with skilled direction.” - Houston Press
“The Marriage of Figaro, though written in 1778, feels refreshingly contemporary without sacrificing its early late 18th century nature due to an adept and thoughtful translation by Johnston. His decision to keep the sexism and nod to the racism of that era without sacrificing the charms of story show the narrative and aesthetic merits of producing this show even though there are outdated ideas in the text. Johnston doesn't ignore the problematic elements of the original French text, he lets the problematic elements act as sources for comedy, and it works. It's difficult to translate comedy, but the idioms, word plays, and double entendres that he finds do well to update the text for a contemporary audience without sacrificing the integrity of the story.”- Houston Press
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Hamlet by William Shakespeare
“Executive Artistic Director John Johnston and his resident company take a traditional approach to their sixth season-opener, and it serves them well.” - Play Shakespeare
“It was obvious from the company’s most recent performance that Johnston knows his Hamlet. As director, he displays a thoughtful command of the play’s myriad tensions and layers of irony. This understanding becomes most evident through his novel approach to set pieces that often sink under the weight of an audience’s yearning for something original.” - Play Shakespeare
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A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
“Amid the imaginative touches, Johnston does not shortchange the compelling story and complex relationships. All the play’s essentials are handled with intensity and conviction. But bearing out the promise suggested by Schlief’s design, Johnston’s production circumvents the potential pitfall of a familiar classic by assembling a ‘Doll’s House’ unlike any other we’ve seen. With this approach, he also sidesteps the predictably stately (even stodgy) trappings that can sometimes muffle the potent human drama at the heart of Ibsen’s great plays.” - Houston Chronicle
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The Bear & The Proposal by Anton Chekhov
“John Johnston continues to masterfully tell classical stories to modern day audiences.” - Broadway World
“Johnston along with the cast at Classical Theatre Company succeed once again in bringing the work of Anton Chekhov to life. With wonderful performances and highly entertaining stories, you will be sure to have a fun evening at the theater with this one.” - Broadway World
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The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
“Under Classical’s artistic director, John Johnston, the comedy has a lively flow, a real heartbeat. We’re enrapt by the ensemble. All are magnificent.” - Houston Press
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The Bear & The Proposal by Anton Chekhov
“What a refreshing production. Seeing ‘The Bear & The Proposal’ onstage through Oct. 23, is like having a childhood recollection rush back at you. Even if it was a long time ago, you feel it viscerally, in the present moment - old made new by way of a memory. Director John Johnston has revived two lesser-known Anton Chekhov plays, both one-act comedies, and turned them into a show that feels not modern but present-minded.” - Houston Chronicle
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Tartuffe by Molière
“This is a big show, with lots of complications including a script with dialogue written in rhyming verse. But Johnston and his cast manage to pull it off and keep the audience laughing at the hypocrites dressed up in religion.” - Houston Press
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Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen
“Classical's production handles these tonal schisms with a deft comic touch. Directors John Johnston and Kalob Martinez overlay Peer with a Punch-and-Judy approach, much like the troupe's sprightly Fair Maid of the West from last season. There's lightness to it, a buoyant playfulness. We feel the joy. When it doesn't work as smoothly as it should, blame Ibsen. But at its best, the moments of sheer visual pleasure allow us to wallow in the wondrous magic-making that is theater.” - Houston Press
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Medea by Euripides
“In the end that is what Classical Theatre Company’s Medea achieves, a pairing of two worlds colliding into a well-crafted stage production. We hear more than we see thankfully of the horrific acts, and the cast makes sure to tell the tale well. It always feels like a play, and for that reason we can read a little more into Medea. We can see how women today are perceived when they operate better strategically than men, or when they are simply more attuned than their male counterparts to forces and destiny. This is not played for storm and stress, but for conversation and perception. And that is what makes it work.” - Broadway World
Read the full review here.