Social Media Buzz for THE TOMKAT PROJECT (updated 5.11.15)

(Even if the initials are the same, each quote is from a different patron...)



"Just saw TomKat Project at Stray Cat tonight - WOW - hysterical - AMAZING ensemble. I just love Stray Cat for doing shows I consistently love to see - new, edgy, funny, irreverent pieces that stay with you. This show had me doubled over for two solid hours - clever, hilarious, brilliantly performed. It's more a parody about belief, grasping at straws - from both sides - Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise - trying to attain the unattainable....'clear' and 'fame'. It was one of those powerful parodies of real life in terms of 'be careful what you wish for.' Lots of those in theatre, but few of them actually use what the person actually said verbatim to illustrate it. I found it powerful and HILARIOUS. Another true Stray Cat hit." - DS



"Wow! Tomkat Project at Stray Cat Theatre...I'm dying and belly laughing!" - BR



"Had to leave before telling you all in person: The show was so amazing, I'm pretty sure I would have laughed just as hard without the three glasses of wine I had before curtain!" - BB



"Just wanted to tell you how much I loved TomKat. Phenomenal cast all doing what they do best, making me pee my pants. Keep fighting the good fight at Stray Cat. I hope the theater community realizes how lucky they are to have you guys. The valley would not be the same without you!" - PF



"So funny!" - RC



"TomKat at Stray Cat was a whirlwind microburst of talent with great direction! Go see it, k?" - PS



"TomKat at Stray Cat was irreverent and hilarious." - AH



"The Tom Kat Project: Hilariously irreverent, brilliantly directed with an outstanding cast that fits together seamlessly like pieces of a puzzle. I love you.....you complete me." - JW



"Awesomely funny show. All the actors were great with the multiple roles they played. Had me laughing hard." - goldstar review



"Had the privilege of going to see the preview of TomKat Project at Stray Cat Theatre tonight. It was a scathing, hilarious commentary on the public's obsession with celebrity and the media that surrounds them. Anchored by a talented cast including an at times maniacal and exuberant Chris Mascarelli. Go see it and laugh your face off before it closes!" - WWR



"Saw The Tom Kat Project at Stray Cat Theatre last night. A Hilarious look from beginning to present of the relationship of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. All the actors were outstanding and the dance between J-lo and Tom Cruise was gut busting funny. Oprah even made a couple crazy and funny appearances. Great job again Stray Cat crew! No wonder it's been selling out." - DF



"So I saw THE TOMKAT PROJECT last night at Stray Cat Theatre. I have to tell you that I couldn't stop laughing. Sssssooooo funny!!!!!! There were a couple (being modest) of sections of the show that I couldn't contain my laughter. I tried but I cackled very very loudly and when I tried to stifle the laugh...I snorted loudly. So I apologize to the patrons who had to endure that but I couldn't help it. Congrats on a great show! Loved it!!!! So I wholeheartedly endorse this show and think you should get your cackle on at THE TOMKAT PROJECT at Stray Cat Theatre." - MT



"It's a funny, funny, funny show. You should see it. I hear laughter can help you get rid of some of those body thetans. (If that's true, I can think of several people who'll be Clear once the show ends.)" - JG



"Last night, I attended The TomKat Project at Stray Cat Theatre. The show is a satirical deconstruction of the highly publicized marriage and subsequent divorce of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, seen through the lens of media conjecture about TomKat, Suri, and the weirdness of Scientology.

Tom, Katie, and the playwright are each played by single actors, Chris Mascarelli, Brandi Bigley, and Brady Weber, respectively. It's clear that each of them are having a good time inhabiting their celebrity roles. Chris in particular does a great job of shifting his emotional states with startling alacrity, jumping on couches, kneeling before his Scientology superiors, and delivering focused-and-uncompromising lines that make everyone uncomfortable.

Everyone else in the show -- from Oprah to Josh Hartnett to Steven Spielberg to Suri -- is played by the four-person ensemble, Kellie Dunlap, Chanel Bragg, Tim Shawver, and David Chorley. The four actors zip around the stage like acrobats, changing costume pieces and characters every couple of minutes, making each persona memorable and distinct ... and hilarious. Kellie and Tim make an adorable pair as Katie Holmes's parents, Chanel's take on Oprah is bold, brassy, and full of side-eye, and David's portrayal of David Miscavige (who the show portrays as the evil mastermind of Scientology) has an accent reminiscent of Stewie from Family Guy and an obvious/creepy crush on Tom, making all of his dialogue roll-in-the-aisles funny.

The standouts for me in this show were Kellie (her creepy Scientology-lady-voice, her blink-and-you'll-miss-it airplane hostess joke), Chanel (her cameo as Penelope Cruz, her tearful and moving monologue as Nicole Kidman), and David (seriously, every time he was David Miscavige I was riveted).

All of these crazy moving pieces come together into the kind of shockingly funny tableau that Stray Cat does best. With Louis Farber directing, I knew this show was going to be funny, but I still found myself surprised at HOW funny. My abs and face are still a little sore from all the laughing I did.

If you're in the mood for a little celebrity dish at Scientology's expense, you won't want to miss this." - ET



"A jolly, well-acted romp that reminded us of an interesting "People Magazine" article...it is worth seeing and as usual hats off to Ron May, the litter box's organizing dynamo." - KW



"Good sweet Mary I laughed. Oh did I ever laugh. Plan on me blowing up your feed extolling you to come to this." - BC



"When I read The TomKat Project last year, I thought it was a very funny script. What Louis Farber and his cast do with the subtle background gags and unscripted bits take the show to another level! Come on down to Stray Cat Theatre and check it out." - TS



"Curiously funny and eerie at the same time. Go see." - GE



"I didn't even realize that this was about Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes, it is an old story now, but Stray Cat acting puts lots of energy into that story, even presenting both sides. I love the physicality of their plays, by the end they were bouncing all over the stage. a great romp!" - goldstar review



"TomKat is a face-paced, hilarious show about the union between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. It also explores our insatiable fascination with celebrities, and the way media shapes "reality." Great cast, great direction. Go see it!" - SK



"I stomped my foot, snapped my fingers, and laughed my ass off last night at The TomKat Project!" - EB



"Thank You Thank You Cast and crew of TOMKAT. The only thing I am hiding from you all is my shame that I did not purchase tickets for every weekend of the run." - DC



"THE TOMKAT PROJECT = HILARIOUS!!! Thanks for all the laughs last night, Chris Mascarelli, Tim Shawver, and the entire cast of crazies with Louis at the helm! Don't miss it!" - MA



"Saw TomKat at Stray Cat. My face hurts. Congrats all on a really funny endeavor." - KM



"So just FYI, I laughed harder at The TomKat Project than I have in some time." - KC



"I had a blast at Stray Cat tonight. ‪#‎tomkat‬ made me giggle like a crazy person. I'm totally ‪#‎teamKatie‬." - YL



"We saw this last Sunday 26th April - it was FAB - a MUST SEE!" - EP



"So very funny! So much talent!" - AW



"...had me crying laughing last night. It was great all around!" - NB