DANCING LESSONS by Mark St. Germaine
Kitchen Theatre
March 20- April 3
Geva Theatre
April 16- May 1
Directed by Sara Lampert Hoover
Ithaca.com Peeling the Layers Off... by Ross Haarstad
"One of this actor’s particular gifts (Burttram previously appeared at the Kitchen in Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune) is to be transparent: to convincingly build the mask the character holds up to the world while revealing the raw ache within. It’s a performance of detail and highly focused energy that makes for a delightfully original Senga."
Democrat & Chronicle Geva's DANCING LESSONS Has No Missteps by Marcia Morphy
"Tears may flow, because Dancing Lessons is like therapy for the soul; it silently creeps up on you, eliciting laughs even as it touches the heart. I honestly can’t remember being so overwhelmed with happiness and pride for people who I have no actual relationship in real life. But that’s the power of good theater."
Kitchen Theatre
March 20- April 3
Geva Theatre
April 16- May 1
Directed by Sara Lampert Hoover
Ithaca.com Peeling the Layers Off... by Ross Haarstad
"One of this actor’s particular gifts (Burttram previously appeared at the Kitchen in Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune) is to be transparent: to convincingly build the mask the character holds up to the world while revealing the raw ache within. It’s a performance of detail and highly focused energy that makes for a delightfully original Senga."
Democrat & Chronicle Geva's DANCING LESSONS Has No Missteps by Marcia Morphy
"Tears may flow, because Dancing Lessons is like therapy for the soul; it silently creeps up on you, eliciting laughs even as it touches the heart. I honestly can’t remember being so overwhelmed with happiness and pride for people who I have no actual relationship in real life. But that’s the power of good theater."
The Book of Liz by Amy and David Sedaris
August 16 - August 28, 2016
Theatre Conspiracy
"...But if you need more of an excuse than the mere opportunity to laugh your ass off, then it might be to watch Burttram’s blink-of-an-eye costume changes and the ease and aplomb with which she slips into and out of different accents and dialects." Tom Hall for ArtsSWFL.com Review of The Book of Liz.
August 16 - August 28, 2016
Theatre Conspiracy
"...But if you need more of an excuse than the mere opportunity to laugh your ass off, then it might be to watch Burttram’s blink-of-an-eye costume changes and the ease and aplomb with which she slips into and out of different accents and dialects." Tom Hall for ArtsSWFL.com Review of The Book of Liz.
Chekhov's Fingerprints
Wall Street Journal by TERRY TEACHOUT- January 16, 2009
Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel at Florida Rep
"Much of the quiet beauty of this production arises from the fact that it is performed by what amounts to a near-permanent ensemble of Florida-based actors. They fit together like an oft-assembled jigsaw puzzle, and the unanimity with which they enact Mr. Friel's tragicomedy is profoundly satisfying. Of the five sisters, Ms. Burttram, Michelle Damato, Carrie Lund, Lisa Morgan and Jan Wikstrom, I can say nothing better than that they act just like a real-life family: Each one creates a wholly individual character, yet all give the impression of being cut from the same branch."
"Much of the quiet beauty of this production arises from the fact that it is performed by what amounts to a near-permanent ensemble of Florida-based actors. They fit together like an oft-assembled jigsaw puzzle, and the unanimity with which they enact Mr. Friel's tragicomedy is profoundly satisfying. Of the five sisters, Ms. Burttram, Michelle Damato, Carrie Lund, Lisa Morgan and Jan Wikstrom, I can say nothing better than that they act just like a real-life family: Each one creates a wholly individual character, yet all give the impression of being cut from the same branch."
CLYBOURNE PARK by Bruce Norris at Florida Rep
March - April 2014
“Nothing Short of INCREDIBLE!” "Explosive and Powerful!..It is this season's TRIUMPH!"
--Nancy Stetson, Florida Weekly
Read the Review »
“GENIUS! Talented actors create INTENSE portrayals that smolder like banked fires, then erupt in flames!”
--Chris Silk, Naples Daily News
Read the Review »
"Full of Spot-On Performances!"
--Charles Runnells, The News-Press
Read the Review »
March - April 2014
“Nothing Short of INCREDIBLE!” "Explosive and Powerful!..It is this season's TRIUMPH!"
--Nancy Stetson, Florida Weekly
Read the Review »
“GENIUS! Talented actors create INTENSE portrayals that smolder like banked fires, then erupt in flames!”
--Chris Silk, Naples Daily News
Read the Review »
"Full of Spot-On Performances!"
--Charles Runnells, The News-Press
Read the Review »
GOD OF CARNAGE by Yasmina Reza at Riverside Theatre
Jan - Feb 2014
directed by Chris Clavelli
Check out the reviews: Click here
"...wonderfully acted by pros with solid credits from Broadway to well respected regional theaters..."Florida Today 2.07.2014
Jan - Feb 2014
directed by Chris Clavelli
Check out the reviews: Click here
"...wonderfully acted by pros with solid credits from Broadway to well respected regional theaters..."Florida Today 2.07.2014
Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz, March - April 2013
Nancy Stetson (Florida Weekly)
"While this is an ensemble piece, it is Ms. Burttram's character who sets the plot in motion and disturbs the family's equilibrium. She is a sheer delight to watch on stage, as her emotions seem so pure and genuine, whether she is anxious, upset, determined or joyous..."
"While this is an ensemble piece, it is Ms. Burttram's character who sets the plot in motion and disturbs the family's equilibrium. She is a sheer delight to watch on stage, as her emotions seem so pure and genuine, whether she is anxious, upset, determined or joyous..."
Miracle on South Division Street by Tom Dudzick, Jan - March 2013
Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Florida Rep whips up a Miracle on South Division Street
"Rachel Burttram adds a fluttering, nervous energy as would-be actress Ruth. Her plan to divulge a long-held secret of the statue's true identity unspools throughout the play, leading to a shocking revelation and then a farther series of bombshells. Burttram makes the halting, hesitating, anxious Ruth look both believable and charming...Burttram's wonderful comic timing make the "surprises" more and more thrilling with each reveal. Delighted giggles and surprised gasps echoed around me on opening night."
Florida Rep whips up a Miracle on South Division Street
"Rachel Burttram adds a fluttering, nervous energy as would-be actress Ruth. Her plan to divulge a long-held secret of the statue's true identity unspools throughout the play, leading to a shocking revelation and then a farther series of bombshells. Burttram makes the halting, hesitating, anxious Ruth look both believable and charming...Burttram's wonderful comic timing make the "surprises" more and more thrilling with each reveal. Delighted giggles and surprised gasps echoed around me on opening night."
Tally's Folly by Lanford Wilson, Nov - Dec 2012
Nancy Stetson (Florida Weekly)
You'll fall in love with romantic, comedic 'Talley's Folly'
"Ms. Burttram is a chameleon onstage. Initially, she’s brusque and businesslike, trying to convince Matt to leave. But then, there are times that she allows a smile, and it’s as if the sun’s suddenly shining through the clouds. We see her as Matt sees her. Her character goes through a variety of emotions, from anger to indifference to fear to compassion. Ms. Burttram is especially talented at expressing one emotion while trying to mask another that she doesn’t want to reveal."
Justin Cowan (Broadway World)
"Talley's Folly" bring romance to Florida Rep
"Rachel Burttram turns in a true tour-de-force performance as Sally Talley, the lonely unmarried nurse’s aid from a wealthy family. What Burttram does so well is to create a character full of mystery and intrigue. A character that you instantly know has a troubled past, but is oh so good at hiding it and keeping others at bay. As the play unfolds and the walls of Sally’s defense begin to crumble, Burttram is electric. Watching Burttram’s Sally unravel before your eyes only to be reborn as a newly free woman is revelatory. From the slightest of glances to the biggest of fits Burttram has unleashed such an utterly believable and complex character that we can instantly identify Sally as not only broken, but authentically human."
Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Florida Rep offers great performances in charming 'Talley's Folly'
"Burttram gets the more difficult part, forced to craft a character solely from wounded looks, pouting glances and exasperated interjections. The actress lifts the Sally character. Her facial expressions delight, such as the furtive looks as she sneaks gin from a hiding spot or the way she one-ups Matt by suggesting snakes nest beneath the gazebo. A wrinkled brow, crinkled eyes and clasped hands add dimensions to her performance. Sally gets one major monologue, near the tail end of the play; Burttram seizes the moment with fury. Sally, her defenses finally broken, reveals her secret. In a wash of tears and a wail of despair, Burttram flees the boathouse for a tiny scull docked at the front of the stage. She allows the audience to feel Sally's pain, shame and sorrow - and later her hope at a new, brighter future."
You'll fall in love with romantic, comedic 'Talley's Folly'
"Ms. Burttram is a chameleon onstage. Initially, she’s brusque and businesslike, trying to convince Matt to leave. But then, there are times that she allows a smile, and it’s as if the sun’s suddenly shining through the clouds. We see her as Matt sees her. Her character goes through a variety of emotions, from anger to indifference to fear to compassion. Ms. Burttram is especially talented at expressing one emotion while trying to mask another that she doesn’t want to reveal."
Justin Cowan (Broadway World)
"Talley's Folly" bring romance to Florida Rep
"Rachel Burttram turns in a true tour-de-force performance as Sally Talley, the lonely unmarried nurse’s aid from a wealthy family. What Burttram does so well is to create a character full of mystery and intrigue. A character that you instantly know has a troubled past, but is oh so good at hiding it and keeping others at bay. As the play unfolds and the walls of Sally’s defense begin to crumble, Burttram is electric. Watching Burttram’s Sally unravel before your eyes only to be reborn as a newly free woman is revelatory. From the slightest of glances to the biggest of fits Burttram has unleashed such an utterly believable and complex character that we can instantly identify Sally as not only broken, but authentically human."
Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Florida Rep offers great performances in charming 'Talley's Folly'
"Burttram gets the more difficult part, forced to craft a character solely from wounded looks, pouting glances and exasperated interjections. The actress lifts the Sally character. Her facial expressions delight, such as the furtive looks as she sneaks gin from a hiding spot or the way she one-ups Matt by suggesting snakes nest beneath the gazebo. A wrinkled brow, crinkled eyes and clasped hands add dimensions to her performance. Sally gets one major monologue, near the tail end of the play; Burttram seizes the moment with fury. Sally, her defenses finally broken, reveals her secret. In a wash of tears and a wail of despair, Burttram flees the boathouse for a tiny scull docked at the front of the stage. She allows the audience to feel Sally's pain, shame and sorrow - and later her hope at a new, brighter future."
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune by Terrence McNally
at Kitchen Theatre
"Burttram excels beyond the Kitchen’s consistently high standard of acting..." Lucy Walker The Ithacan
"The level of commitment from these actors is astonishing: Both give complex, nuanced performances breathtaking in their authenticity..." Barbara Adams The Ithaca Journal
"Kitchen Theatre’s production is a joy for anyone who treasures nuanced acting..." Ross Haarstad Tompkins Weekly
"The level of commitment from these actors is astonishing: Both give complex, nuanced performances breathtaking in their authenticity..." Barbara Adams The Ithaca Journal
"Kitchen Theatre’s production is a joy for anyone who treasures nuanced acting..." Ross Haarstad Tompkins Weekly
'August' most exciting play in Fort Myers in yearsNews-Press by Drew SterwaldMarch 17, 2011
August Osage County by Tracey Letts at Florida Rep
"...The other sisters are vividly brought to life by Stacey Scotte and Rachel Burttram. The latter has an especially impressive turn at the beginning of the second act in which she breathlessly rattles on and on about herself for endless moments without allowing a word in edgewise...."
Burttram, Howard 'Trying,' succeed to create a thing of joy and beauty
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HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE GOOD? THE DILEMMA OF THOSE IN THE PERFORMING ARTS
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Review: Florida Rep delivers thrills, chills with 'Gaslight'
Naples Daily News by CHRIS SILK
December 5, 2010
Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton at Florida Rep
"Florida Repertory Theatre turns up the gas - the gas lights that is - in Victorian thriller "Gaslight," a cracking psychological romp through the cluttered, moody drawing rooms of 1880s London anchored by a bravura performance from Rachel Burttram....Burttram creates a riveting portrait of disintegrating womanhood. She flits from hysterical to hyperventilating to headstrong and back again. Effortless shifts to comedy..."Gaslight" serves up a buffet of spine-tingling thrills wrapped inside a digestible noir package and decorated with great performances from Rachel Burttram and Tony Cormier. "
Review: Delicate, Graceful production chooses truth over histrionics
Naples Daily News by TIFFANY YATES
January 12, 2007
Rabbit Hole by David LIndsey-Abaire at Florida Rep
"As Becca and Howie, Rachel Burttram and Christopher Swan never fall into the trap of either trumped-up tears and meaningfully gripped hands, or bland emotionlessness. Fire seethes just under their placid surfaces, leaping up past their defenses to ignite moments that almost, but never quite, connect them. The couple is handling their pain privately, separately, keeping the volcano of emotions they are both feeling carefully sealed under a desperately maintained veneer of stone-faced stoicism. They rarely touch. Eye contact is made only sporadically. Their exchanges are painfully polite, as if the merest moment of real connection between them will crumble the battlements that are allowing the two to function. And yet the silences between the gifted actors are as riveting — sometimes more so — as Lindsay-Abaire’s crisp, utterly real dialogue. Love pulses between them — Howie’s botched attempt to set up a romantic evening with Becca shows both his naked need and the awkwardness that has sprung up between them."
Naples Daily News by TIFFANY YATES
January 12, 2007
Rabbit Hole by David LIndsey-Abaire at Florida Rep
"As Becca and Howie, Rachel Burttram and Christopher Swan never fall into the trap of either trumped-up tears and meaningfully gripped hands, or bland emotionlessness. Fire seethes just under their placid surfaces, leaping up past their defenses to ignite moments that almost, but never quite, connect them. The couple is handling their pain privately, separately, keeping the volcano of emotions they are both feeling carefully sealed under a desperately maintained veneer of stone-faced stoicism. They rarely touch. Eye contact is made only sporadically. Their exchanges are painfully polite, as if the merest moment of real connection between them will crumble the battlements that are allowing the two to function. And yet the silences between the gifted actors are as riveting — sometimes more so — as Lindsay-Abaire’s crisp, utterly real dialogue. Love pulses between them — Howie’s botched attempt to set up a romantic evening with Becca shows both his naked need and the awkwardness that has sprung up between them."
Vital Signs New Works Falling
Talking Broadway Off-Broadway by Lindsay Wilson
"My initial emotions towards the opening of Falling were that of watching prisoners clawing with destructive madness at their confinement. Realizing that the frantic and terrifying first seconds were reliving the horrible moments when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers caused me to stop breathing for a moment... During that ten second leap, Reina (Rachel Burttram) and Zaki (Amir Darvish) connect on a level that surpasses race, religion, love, and beliefs. "
Talking Broadway Off-Broadway by Lindsay Wilson
"My initial emotions towards the opening of Falling were that of watching prisoners clawing with destructive madness at their confinement. Realizing that the frantic and terrifying first seconds were reliving the horrible moments when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers caused me to stop breathing for a moment... During that ten second leap, Reina (Rachel Burttram) and Zaki (Amir Darvish) connect on a level that surpasses race, religion, love, and beliefs. "
Young! Sexy! (and talented?) by Rich Cavan at New York International Fringe Festival
Backstage by Elias Stimac
September 10 2004
"in the end, the one singled out in the show is also the one who deserves the most attention outside of the play—actress Rachel Burttram. In the central role of the abused and neglected Sharon, Burttram was able to evoke audience empathy and turn things around with a sensitive, straightforward performance."
