Holly Down in Heaven
by Kara Lee Corthron

"Kara Lee Corthron’s new dark comedy Holly Down in Heaven is fabulous! Not only does it spur the imagination and rouse the intellect, but it also does what theatre is meant to do: it speaks directly to the world in which we live, and it does so in a refreshingly marvelous way. This show exemplifies why we should all encourage theatres to produce new works every chance they get […] Kara Lee Corthron’s Holly Down in Heaven is a magnificent journey into the psychological landscape of a teenage girl, done with insight and humor - a rare combination these days of spectacle and gratuitousness."

— Maryland Theatre Guide

"In Corthron’s tight script, laughter and pathos shift capriciously […] the play is refreshing and original. The dialogue is unapologetically sharp, and the characters come out recognizable and resonant on a very human level. Uncannily, the army of talking puppets only enhances the show’s nuanced humanity."

— DC Theatre Scene

"Holly is an engaging contemporary valentine to childhood companions, however brutal, messed up, and borderline schizophrenic those companions may be."

— Washingtonian

"Holly Down in Heaven is an entertaining night of theater and an honest look at adolescence and growing up […] [It talks] about important issues in the world - like religion and responsibility and just how much you can blame your parents for your life."

— DC Metro Theater Arts

"Saint Simeon spent years living atop a pillar, the story goes. Saint Anthony of Egypt withdrew to the desert. Could they have chosen those routes to holiness because they lived prior to the Barbie franchise’s Dolls of the World collection? The protagonist of Holly Down in Heaven, Kara Lee Corthron’s bold, funny new play, might say so."

— The Washington Post