​Shoulder to the Wheel​

"...The show’s very best moments are, indeed, arresting. In one scene, a quartet of actors deliver perspectives on wartime. One woman (Emily Tipton) talks about what she sends in care packages to the troops; a young service man (Matthew Andersen) talks about what he misses and longs for back home; an old veteran (Andy Orscheln) takes a circuitous route down memory lane, courtesy of Werther’s Originals; and a man currently serving (Lorenzo Toia), whose divorce is being finalized, talks about why he stays in combat.​ The scene’s well-written, but it’s also well-staged by Michalik... and well-acted. Toia, in particular, provides one of the evening’s finest moments as the scene’s emotional anchor, explaining one soldier’s view of the world with clear-eyed, no-fuss candor. Another highlight is Jamie Weeder’s powerful rendering of a monologue that examines the regret a woman feels at not doing more to help the people of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Plus, a darkly comedic piece about a homicidal pizza delivery man is absurdly strange but transfixing; soldier figurines delightfully, stiffly come to life as part of a woman’s rant about war; Brian Carbine’s choreography (and the actors’ execution of it) for “It’s Raining Men” can’t help but make you smile; and hearing from the couple featured in the painting “American Gothic” is both a whimsical and a quietly heart-wrenching experience."

Jenn McKee, AnnArbor.com

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​Simone (An Evening in Chapter Titles)

"Simone (An Evening in Chapter Titles), adapted for the stage by Lyndsay Michalik and Anna Prushinskaya, is the most unique thing to grace a Detroit-area stage in recent memory – a heady single-act, non-linear play. For those who like to step off the beaten theatrical path, the production offers an interesting blend of poetry, music and movement... Though the production has a cast of five, it is really a showcase for just two people: actor Lee Stille and Michalik, who also earns credit as the show's director. Stille gives a solid performance, transforming into an Uzbekistani immigrant with true poise. But it's Michalik whose hand is most evident in the work. She's given it an extensive pantomime and a thoughtful sound design to accentuate the work's poetic text. In essence, she serves as much as choreographer as she does stage director... Simone is the type of production that leaves one wondering what they just saw, and what it meant. For the more existential thinkers among us, and those who enjoy performance as an art form unto itself, the work may be a gem."​

D. A. Blackburn, Encore Michigan
 

Dodging the Bullet

"BoxFest 2008 winner Lyndsay Michalik returns to direct a fun and inspired work by Andy Orscheln. Dodging the Bullet is a clever account of a fictitious story based around Harry Houdini. The work is dominated by male characters (Michalik plays the only female), but all roles are performed by women. And it's this aspect that makes the production work above all else: Michalik has created great caricatures of men out of good actresses. Moreover, she's also given the work a sharp look with well-planned costumes, smooth choreography (including some fun pantomime, a hallmark of Michalik's direction) and a nice integration of sound design and movement. Her direction... [is] very well executed, and coupled with this fun script and fine performers, it's excellent. Dodging the Bullet is a solid reminder of why Michalik won last year's scholarship, and is of a caliber that just might win her another."

Donald V. Calamia & D. A. Blackburn, Encore Michigan

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