Reviews - The Ding Dongs by Brenda Withers

Tom Patrick Stephens, Brenda Withers and Marshall York in The Ding Dongs or What Is the Penalty in Portugal

Photo: Jeff Zinn

It’s difficult to describe Brenda Withers’ new play The Ding Dongs or What is the Penalty in Portugal?

Absurdist? Yes. Funny? Yes. Horrifying? Absolutely.

- Provincetown Magazine

Boston Globe - A shrewd visit to suburbia - with a twist of terror

"Brenda Withers is out to mess with your head and knock you off balance. She succeeds. As a cat-and-mouse game steadily unfolds between a bewildered homeowner and two uninvited visitors, the mood of unease escalates into something like terror. By the end of The Ding Dongs, you feel almost as dazed and dislocated as the hapless homeowner.

You've also developed considerable admiration for Withers's skills as a playwright who can toy so expertly with the line between possession and dispossession, between everyday suburban life and surreal nightmare, while adroitly dissolving that line in her own performance as one of the visitors." (full review)

Chatham Chronicle - "A Witty, Disturbing Rumination"

"As always, Withers' dynamic facial expressions are superb as she slowly unveils her character's mental instability. She and Stephens have a wonderful chemistry playing off each other's energy, with Stephens mostly playing the dim-witted "good cop" while Withers shows more of a sinister side. York's slow transformation from confident host to psychologically stressed victim is realistically portrayed, evoking a heartfelt response... The moving and disturbing comedy keeps the audience engaged and laughing, as the fast-paced twists and turns of the psychological game playing between the characters is artfully revealed." (full review)

Barnstable Patriot - "Tight writing, vital acting, thought-provoking"

"This show is a wonderful testament to young talent and to a theater committed to growing that talent. The play itself is multifaceted, fast-paced and interesting; the acting and directing are amazing; and you will leave thinking about what may be on the other side of the door the next time you hear, "Ding Dong." If you haven't made it to Wellfleet this summer to see a show, this is WHAT it's all about down there." (full review)

Provincetown Magazine -

"The Ding Dongs or What Is the Penalty in Portugal? is a play that demands a lot of its audience, but it does so in a sharply funny manner, achieving a combination of entertainment and sociopolitical provocation that is rare in contemporary writing. It is an absolutely perfect end to the season at the always exciting Harbor Stage." (full review)

Read Boston Globe article featuring Brenda and Jeffrey Withers!