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A Comedy about Suicide
"Pollak flings herself around the tiny stage, eyes gleaming, hair flying. She creates each character totally"
“No Traveler is probably one of the best produced one-woman-shows I have ever seen; the music by Mike Milazzo wove its way throughout this piece and created almost another character which Ms. Pollak could interact with and lean against.” "Penny Pollak earns major points for her creativity in her dark and fascinating No Traveler. In this one-woman show, Pollak plays a woman who commits suicide, and trapped between Heaven and Hell, is sent to witness and perhaps save others who are in the act of taking their own lives. Through Pollak we experience both the last moments of these desperate people and her frantic attempts to save them. It's this conceit that allows Pollak to really shine as she plays a number of characters, all of whom are at the worst moments of their lives. In addition to performing these monologues, there are times when we see both sides of the conversation - first from one character's point of view, then the other's. This is a fascinating technique, and Pollak handles it very well. It is particularly moving when Pollak's final suicide is talked out of it by her character in Purgatory. The audience never knows just what the Purgatory character says to convince this final person that life is worth living, and while I would love to know the secret, it makes much better theatre this way."
"Dark and a little creepy, with a streak of gallows humor, No Traveler is an odd little play. But in the skilled hands of Penny Pollak and director Samantha Jones, it is a pleasure to watch." - By Byrne Harrison "A real pleasure to watch, she flits and flings herself around the stage, an anarchic rock chick with intense focus, wild eyes and a wide emotional range. There'd be worse ways to spend eternity than watching this charismatic, confident performer"- Three Weeks in Review Edinburgh Fringe
A one woman play by Emily Conbere
“As with any one woman show, a lot is asked of Penny Pollak and she delivers remarkably well, twisting her way through scenarios, characters, accents, emotions, and props.”
“Pollak is best at playing the core metaphor, a wounded human who, animalistic in nature, is her psychiatrist and best friend. Pollak’s shadowy voice is creepy enough to feign tales of sorrow, often spooky with her brooding eyes and dark locks…”
“Charles was played by Penny Pollak. She did exceedingly well, and given that it was a difficult role to play this was no mean feat.” “A memorably intense performance.” “On the whole, Yabbok was a brave attempt to do something experimental and forward looking, visually impressive and in it’s own way surprisingly powerful.”
For Penny, Nurturing Performers is a Passion: by Kristina Vega
“Spoken-word artists, musicians and other creative folks are invited to share their talents at this weekly gathering hosted by Penny Pollak.”Four time Books and Poetry Critics Pick!- Time Out New York- “Head on down to Penny’s Open Mic for a supportive crowd to urge you on to greater vocal heights. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”24/7 Things to do in NYC-The New York Press- “Penny’s Open Mic Night at Under St.Marks Theater… Readers are chosen by lottery pre-show, and those lucky few get 7 minutes of open-mic. Sessions interspersed with raffle prizes, special guests, fancy beer, and a musical hootenanny!”-The L Magazine
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