barbara hammond: reviews
A visually stunning piece, JUNE WEDDINGS ... was superbly acted with captivating and engaging characters... much of this story is really told between the lines of the characters, and the contrast of having two people seem so emotionally vulnerable while maintaining such a complicated and over-developed outer facade is fascinating to watch.
- DC Shorts Film Festival (Jun 25, 2007)
"Norman and Beatrice" is an uncommon and uncommonly beautiful play: a love story not focused on sprightly passion or sanguine striving but rather on quiet endurance and unwavering loyalty. Barbara Hammond paints a penetrating portrait of extraordinary human connection at a time of life when the deterioration of body and mind pushes all toward disconnection.
Jonathan Kalb (Mar 25, 2007)
"Norman & Beatrice," a new play by Barbara Hammond, is subtitled "A Marriage in Two Acts," and this indeed it is: a slice-of-life portrait of a couple as they become familiar with each other through a half century. The onset of Alzheimer's disease in the husband provides an opportunity for Ms. Hammond to celebrate the love and caring that inhere in a happy, 54-year-young marriage.
...a wistful acknowledgment of little tragedies and challenges in even the most loving relationships.
George Hunka - New York Times (Mar 3, 2006)
... a sweetly heartbreaking look at a marriage that endures for more than half a century. The titular couple's story is told in reverse, with Act I taking place in their kitchen on a snowy Sunday morning in 2001, and ACT II on the same kind of day in 1947, when the pair has been married only three months....here's a story of love that lasts.
Barbara Hammond's elegantly powerful new work spans 50 years as it offers two bittersweet servings from a loving couple's life together. ... moving and heartbreaking...
Yes, this is a fun play: there are moments that are quite funny. And yes, it is a sad play: there are moments of poignancy that will stop your breath. I guess it’s like Life, a life from which the playwright has skillfully drawn.... Kudos to Synapse Productions for bringing Norman & Beatrice to life. I have a feeling this play will not be forgotten.
...It is startling and heartening to see humor brought into a play about dementia. The topic, when addressed at all, is usually handled with a focus on the tragedy of losing ones’ identity, and the heartbreak of having to take care of those who once took care of everyone else......
Ms. Hammond has written a simple, honest, and beautiful account of what Alzheimer’s does, and doesn’t, change.