raves
Reviews from the August 2009 New York International Fringe Festival and a three-week sold out smash hit run at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, MA
**** [FOUR STARS] De Cari is animated onstage, and inhabits no fewer than 30 roles with gusto. She bounds from moments of depression to those of elation and triumph, each rendered on an empty stage that hints at the countless stories similar to hers but untold.
— TimeOut New York
Funny and insightful one-woman show . . . replete with hilarious characters . . . The story is riveting . . . she can make a reading of her math thesis compelling! Kudos to Gioia, and go see this show!
— Curtain Up
De Cari is an earnest performer and a snappy writer … sincere and entertaining … quick and passionate … she’s an ace at taking on the story’s 30-odd characters.
— Boston Herald
Hilarious one-woman show … De Cari nails not only accents and postures but the presence of each of her impersonations … opts for the refreshing delights of humor, even compassion, and creates a rich and wry reductio ad absurdum.
— EDGE Boston
Every bit as funny and serious and entertaining as I hoped … sharp and funny … like the best monologists, De Cari balances the deeper story arc with a steady stream of funny bits.
— HubArts.com
De Cari is an appealing and nimble-witted performer, showcasing her versatility … chronicling her own journey toward self-knowledge as a kind of wide-eyed Alice-in-Numberland.”
— Boston Globe
This wonderful show . . . intimate, challenging, and playful . . . is full of humor, sadness, anger, intellectual stultification, and intellectual ecstasy. She charmingly morphs from individual-to-individual and gender-to-gender with seamless grace and ease. She shocks with her big and beautiful voice when it’s least expected and crawls, capers, and strides about the stage with force
and meaningful élan.
— Open Media Boston
If you see only one play this year about reflexive nonbinary relations, make it this one.
— Los Angeles Times
Audience raves
“Truth Values” is a timely and fascinating story about a brilliant young woman pursuing an advanced degree in mathematics at M.I.T., and the sexism, latent and blatant, that she encounters. Though there is much to laugh about here, there is also much to enrage anyone who is not a closet chauvinist.
Gioia’s performance would be satisfying in any circumstances, but the fact that “Truth Values” is autobiographical adds wonder and zest to the experience. Mathematics lost a brilliant mind when she decided to become an actor, but theatre folk may well rejoice!
— Marvin Kaye, Artistic Director, The Open Book
Gioia De Cari’s one-woman show, “Truth Values,” is a courageous memoir — funny and moving and beautifully paced. Her zig-zagging through many different characters is virtuosic. It’s memorable.
— David Leisner, guitarist/composer, Department Chair, Manhattan School of Music
What a fantastic night at the theatre. It’s really quite an incredible tale, and as you can tell from the feedback, all of us were utterly captivated by your romp through M.I.T. As the women sitting next to me simply said, Thank you for creating this piece and sharing your story.
— Janice H., actress and life coach
Utterly delightful! Gioia’s creative mind playfully takes her body through over an hour of revelations. She casts a spell as well as being a cast of characters herself. Enlightening, amazing and fun to watch. Truth value indeed!
— G. H., Ph.D.
Related reviews
Gioia De Cari is a master of body language. — San Jose Mercury News
De Cari commanded the stage with energy, poise and range. — The Off Off Broadway Review
Touchingly funny . . . — The Peninsula Times
A delight . . . — Bay Area Reporter
The evening belonged to the captivating Gioia De Cari, who was radiant and very funny. — The Off Off Broadway Review
Effective, seductive, warm and human . . . — The Tech
Dazzling performance . . . — The Off Off Broadway Review
Sensual and alluring . . . — The Off Off Broadway Review
Funny as the vampish woman with the dog . . . — The Off Off Broadway Review
Does the best job in her meaty role as Bananas . . . genuine. — San Jose Mercury News
Memorable performance . . . — Palo Alto Weekly