"As we close in on our second week of rehearsal I want to say a few words of thanks and appreciation. I think the work is going very well. I have increasing and renewed respect and admiration for your talent and skill and clear dedication to the creative process. I can see the difference it is making in all of our work.
In the Hindu tradition, as I'm sure you know, there is a concept called 'Dharshan'. In my understanding it has to do with the willingness (and ability) to truly see and honor the other in all their complexity. We don't do that much in our culture. Most of us prefer to select what fits our particular notions-- we (understandably) want to stay within our comfort zone. You don't do that and I am so grateful. It allows me to relax and to REALLY trust-- no easy thing.
I always knew you would make me a better an actor. I didn't know how that would work with the others. I see it in all of us.
I cannot thank you enough. This is truly the best acting experience I've had in years--maybe ever. I am (already) very proud of this show.
- Elizabeth Benedict, Free Range Theatre Company
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"Elixir of Love"
"Berkeley Opera’s sprightly staging of Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’amore at the Julia Morgan Center tells the musical tale with both insouciant zest and quiet sensitivity, firmly on opera’s original ground, a divertissement for all the sensibilities.
But every bit as much, felicity comes from the fine acting of the singers and the exemplary stage direction by Robert Weinapple. Never static, the scenes are filled with a vigorous counterpoint in movement and gesture that’s not just an illustration of the feeling of the music or of the words of the libretto. But the moods are modulated so well that the success of the comedy never blurs the romantic emotions."
- Ken Bullock, the Berkeley Daily Planet
"The Duel"
"Gary Graves' script captures well Chekhov's balance between darker passions and sublime humor, while Robert Weinapple's detailed direction extracts vibrant, well-pitched performances in an alluring atmosphere punctuated by snatches of Romantic music and moody lighting."
- Robert Avila, San Francisco Bay Guardian
"The Duel"
"Introducing a new Chekhov play, Central Works adapts a short story to delightful end. Graves, the actors, and director Robert Weinapple bring out the humor and horror in the material deftly, and the result is a delightful and at times shocking piece of work."
- Sam Hurwitt, East Bay Express
"The Duel"
"Comic, wistful, scathingly ironic and deeply humane, "Duel" – which opened Friday at the Berkeley City Club – is one of the strongest products I've yet seen from Central Works' process of developing scripts from classic texts. Crisply staged, with a musical finesse, by Robert Weinapple, it also features the smoothest ensemble acting I've seen from this company."
- Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle
"The Quick-Change Room"
"Nagle Jackson's 1997 script, now receiving its Bay Area premiere under the direction of Robert Weinapple, is a sly affair – a wistful commentary on Chekhov's 'The Three Sisters' masquerading as a backstage farce. Fortunately, Weinapple understands that the play's title carries the key to its success as a production. Staged with crackling energy, and blessed by sharply etched performances from its ten-member cast, this show's smart, fluid pace mirrors the bewildering change faced by the hapless ensemble of the Kuzlov Theatre....the wit and intelligence shine through in this biting but heartfelt exploration of the life force in artists."
- From East Bay Express
"Pardon My English"
"42nd Street Moon Production is staging the Encores! version of Pardon My English with a talented cast of actor/singers and dancers. Director Bobby Weinapple keeps the pacing tight and the jokes coming fast and furious."
- Richard Connema, Talkin' Broadway
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