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Named CRITIC'S PICK by Andy Propst from BACKSTAGE.COM, Swimming to Spalding is "a riveting piece of theater" with "some of the most powerful indictments of contemporary warfare that have been on stage in recent memory... Under Richard Schechner's direction, the performer brings these [characters] to life ably. With the support of Lucian Ban's continually impressive soundscape and Melissa Mizell's gently atmospheric lighting design, Amaris delivers a terrific companion piece to Gray's original."

As reviewed by Jason Zinoman from The New York Times, Amaris is "an appealing performer who sets out to retrace the steps of 'Swimming to Cambodia'... She ably dramatizes herself and comments on the human effects of war...The tricky part of paying homage to Gray is that since he fixated on himself with an intense commitment, the idea of making a show that's not all about him but employs his style seems almost a paradox. Ms. Amaris solves this problem by smartly using Gray as a starting point... Carrying herself with beaming enthusiasm and a mischievous sense of humor, she has a flirtatious manner... and more of an interest than her model in the world outside the performer's head."

Molly Marinik for theatreiseasy.com states that Amaris "and director Richard Schnechner (a frequent collaborator with Gray) take the audience on the journey with illustrative descriptions that are both magnetic in the moment and nearly transport the audience to Thailand themselves. Amaris speaks directly to the audience and invites them in; her offer is enticing and hard to resist since she is incredibly intriguing to watch... Amaris pays tribute to Gray and proves her own performance abilities at the same time. She's a killer storyteller; it's a treat to hear her tale."

print

  • TDR: The Drama Review. "What To Do When Your Role Model Jumps Ship: Lian Amaris' Swimming to Spalding" by Theresa Smalec. Summer, 2011.
  • The Jewish Week. “Black and Jewish, Searching for Home” by Edward Merwin. February 15, 2011.
  • The Valley Advocate. “Swimming the Undercurrents” by Chris Rohmann. January 29, 2011.
  • The Daily Hampshire Gazette. “Strokes of Genius” by Chelsea Faria. January 25, 2011.
  • The New York Times. “As Good as Having an Uncle in the Business” by Felicia R. Lee. December 18, 2009.
  • The New York Times. “Spalding Gray Continues on as Inspiration” by Jason Zinoman. December 9, 2009.
  • The Denver Post. “Artist shows woman’s predate ritual in a most public way” by Kyle MacMillan. May 1, 2009.
  • The Colorado Springs Independent. “Slow Motion” by Stephanie Ives. April 2, 2009.
  • Allure Magazine. “Life of the Party” by Cara Litke. December, 2007.
  • The Denver Westword. “Body Art” by Amy Haimerl. July 19, 2007.
  • The New York Times. “Time Runs Out on Date Night” by Campbell Robertson. July 11, 2007.
  • The New York Post. “Date Does Big Screen Preen” by Marianne Garvey. July 10, 2007.
  • The New York Times. “She’s Got a Date and Only 72 Hours to Prepare” by Campbell Robertson. July 09, 2007.

online (excluding articles also appearing in print)

  • TheaterIsEasy.com. “Swimming to Spalding Review: An Engaging Story.” December 12, 2009.
  • Backstage.com. “Swimming to Spalding Review: Critic’s Pick.” December 7, 2009.
  • The New York Times Urban Eye: The Best of New York Today. “Time is Relative.” November 25, 2008.
  • Panasonic.com. “72-Hour Happening will be presented as 72-Minute Film.” August 23, 2007.
  • The New York Times Homepage. July 08–09, 2007.
  • The Gothamist. “We Hope She Didn’t Get Stood Up.” July 09, 2007.
  • Cititour.com. “Street Theater.” July 09, 2007.
  • Style.com. “America’s Dress Address.” July 09, 2007.