Raves and Standing O’s for Bo-Nita in Portland

Kate Eastwood Norris in Bo-Nita by Elizabeth Heffron at Portland Center Stage

Kate Eastwood Norris in Bo-Nita by Elizabeth Heffron at Portland Center Stage

Bon-Nita is nearing the end of its run at Ellyn Bye Studio at Portland Center Stage (February 1 – March 16).  Directed by Gretchen Corbett. Kate Eastwood Norris plays Bo-Nita and multiple characters.  Read the cast and creative team bios. View the playbill.  Bo-Nita was developed at the JAW Playwrights Festival in Portland, July, 2012.

Kate Eastwood Norris got standing ovations at PCS. Several performances were sold out. Bo-Nita is completing a triumphant Northwest premiere, between Seattle and Portland. Sample reviews:

Dennis Sparks | Dennis Sparks Reviews [18 Feb 2014]

“And, to put it simply and bluntly, Norris is extraordinary!  Not only is she able to portray at least a half dozen other characters, with only minimal changes in her voice or posture, but we never lose track of the story.  She is so good, I simply can not imagine anyone else doing the role.  In over 40 years in the business myself, I have rarely seen a performance to equal this!  In other words, even though the story might be off-putting to some, trust that Kate (and Elizabeth and Gretchen) will lead you through it with such a deft hand, you will feel transported by the experience.”

To say the least, I highly recommend this show.  If you do go, please tell them Dennis sent you.” Read the full article here.

Aaron Scott | Portland Monthly [20 Feb 2014]

PCS’s Bo-Nita Is a One-Woman Cavalcade of Gumption

“There’s nothing remotely tepid about Bo-Nita and the tale she tells. Instead, our precocious 13-year-old protagonist gets herself into scalding milk that she then whips, in a mere 85 minutes, into a Dairy Queen Blizzard of black comic delight, coated in a sweet chocolate shell of, if not redemption, at least hope.”

“Norris soars in her characterizations, never once muddying the colorful personalities as she bounces back and forth in rapid succession. But perhaps even more exceptionally, her skilled acting combines with Heffron’s script to imbue a humanity that elevates each from a caricature to a character, in the eccentric sense of the word, deserving of our empathy.”
Read the full article here.

Kaitie Todd | Willamette Week [17 Feb 2014]

A review of Elizabeth Heffron’s one-woman show, starring Kate Eastwood Norris

“Kate Eastwood Norris deftly embodies six characters, one moment loose and gangly and awkward as Bo-Nita, and seconds later adopting the stern intonation of a mother not to be questioned. She nails the timing throughout, capturing a wordless, argumentative staring contest between lovers, or an uncomfortable car-ride conversation between mother and daughter.” See the full review here.

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One Response to Raves and Standing O’s for Bo-Nita in Portland

  1. Pingback: Bo-Nita Closes Out Pacific Northwest Run | Elizabeth Heffron

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