Horse Trade presents

"(Hanna Cheek) is an actor of rare gifts, and someday Hollywood will steal her, so you have to snatch at every chance to see her onstage."
Helen Shaw, Time Out New York (CRITICS PICK)

"...a new generation of theater artists reared on a diet of vampires, zombies and charming serial killers. Call this movement the Theater of Blood, after the Vincent Price movie about a Shakespearean actor who kills critics, after torturing them with a hammy monologue. (It still gives me chills.) At the forefront is Clay McLeod Chapman, whose “Pumpkin Pie Show” (running at Under St. Marks) channels the spirit of H. P. Lovecraft."
Jason Zinoman, "A Creepy Threesome," NY Times 

“Brace yourself for a sobering show with viscous silences that are uncomfortable and thought-provoking. This is an all-ages production and will appeal to teens as much as parents, so take your children, even if they sulk. The message matters, and Cheek, as the messenger, delivers it beautifully.”
Edmonton Journal (Five Stars)

“Another a cocktail of powerful emotion. Cheek’s powerful, gripping performance... will leaving you wringing your hands in helpless empathy for each woman’s pain.”
SEE Magazine

“Cheek nails every word and gesture with a grand intensity, fulfilling a script vulnerable enough to otherwise be mishandled in somebody else's hands.”
Vue Weekly

“Sharply written, the women depicted in Commencement break from the stereotypes the mass media too often proffers up during such tragedies and each one’s story resonates thanks to Cheek’s gifted and powerful performance. Weighty, thought provoking and no frills, this is a can’t-miss show.”
Metro News

"Mr. Chapman uses the macabre to explore the humanity of his characters and reveal an almost spiritual side to the horrific... in these stories, set in a banal, melancholy, lonely landscape, the unknown can also seem sublime."
– The New York Times (2008)

“Like a collection of David Sedaris short stories, these are imaginative, slightly surreal tales that will stay with you for years.”
– Canadian Broadcasting Center (FOUR STARS) (2008)

“Chapman... has crafted his language with care and wit, and it's an uncomfortable pleasure to witness his characters come to life.”
– Edmonton Journal (FOUR STARS) (2008)

“Clay McLeod Chapman and Hanna Cheek make kicking your theatrical ass seem easy...”
– Fringe Famous (2008)

“The energy in this show is so intense, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or worry that Chapman would leap into the crowd and start throwing chairs.”
– See Magazine (FOUR STARS) (2008)

“Cheek plays the audience like a familiar violin -- she emanates seductive and destructive vibes, confronting spectators with an enthralling, dangerous gaze.”
-Greenwich Village Gazette (2003)

“Chapman [is] the literary descendent of Edgar Allen Poe...”
– Time Out New York (2003)