Directing Reviews
"...the university's Bat Boy is an inspired blend of creepy and camp..."
- Christians, 77 Square, 11/19/11
"...it's a fun exercise in campy horror...Bat Boy is very solidly produced and well worth audiences' time."
- Smith, Isthmus, 11/19/11
"This playful, surrealistic retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is visually and aurally inventive, which helps the audience suspend disbelief and enter this strange world... Eurydice is an intriguing brew of tones, styles, language, and images...it's also daring, light on its feet and terrifically absurd. It's a fine choice for UT and well worth seeing."
- Smith , Isthmus, 4/2/11
"...I was genuinely impressed with this production [of The Wild Party] directed by Molly Richards..."
- Reiser, Isthmus, 6/4/10
"Music Theatre of Madison [The Wild Party] puts on a sizzling show with tabletop song and dance numbers, dramatic lighting and shadows, an energetic ensemble and several peeks above thigh-high stocking hems...The actors use the musical's jazzy numbers not as mere showstoppers but as narrative tools to convey the story, develop characters and heighten emotion."
- Archwamety, 77 Square, 6/4/10
- Christians, 77 Square, 11/19/11
"...it's a fun exercise in campy horror...Bat Boy is very solidly produced and well worth audiences' time."
- Smith, Isthmus, 11/19/11
"This playful, surrealistic retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is visually and aurally inventive, which helps the audience suspend disbelief and enter this strange world... Eurydice is an intriguing brew of tones, styles, language, and images...it's also daring, light on its feet and terrifically absurd. It's a fine choice for UT and well worth seeing."
- Smith , Isthmus, 4/2/11
"...I was genuinely impressed with this production [of The Wild Party] directed by Molly Richards..."
- Reiser, Isthmus, 6/4/10
"Music Theatre of Madison [The Wild Party] puts on a sizzling show with tabletop song and dance numbers, dramatic lighting and shadows, an energetic ensemble and several peeks above thigh-high stocking hems...The actors use the musical's jazzy numbers not as mere showstoppers but as narrative tools to convey the story, develop characters and heighten emotion."
- Archwamety, 77 Square, 6/4/10
Acting Reviews
"Molly Richards is absolutely delightful as Gertrude McFuzz. Her The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz is a show stopper."
- Seussical the Musical, Berko, 8/19/2007
"I was particularly fascinated by the uniform excellence of characterization and physicality across the cast...Molly Richards (Linda) warmly embodied her range from a 7 year old git to a loving woman ultimately up to her neck in tragedy and pathos."
- Blood Brothers review, NEOPAL, 2008
"...terrific Molly Richards as Linda, Mickey's life long love. She fully inhabits the role."
- Blood Brothers review, Larsen, Parma Sun Post
"Excelling in the kind of sass that went out with Debbie Reynolds, Molly Richards brings back the comic soubrette with a vengeance."
- Babes in Arms (Dolores Reynolds), Joseph, Free Times, 6/21/2006
"Marc Landers and Molly Richards were smashing as the romantic leads, and Richards in particular was in fine voice...It's almost embarrassing to have enjoyed it so much. Almost."
- Where's Charley (Kitty Verdun), Mackler, OOBr, Awarded Best Musical of the Year 2004
- Seussical the Musical, Berko, 8/19/2007
"I was particularly fascinated by the uniform excellence of characterization and physicality across the cast...Molly Richards (Linda) warmly embodied her range from a 7 year old git to a loving woman ultimately up to her neck in tragedy and pathos."
- Blood Brothers review, NEOPAL, 2008
"...terrific Molly Richards as Linda, Mickey's life long love. She fully inhabits the role."
- Blood Brothers review, Larsen, Parma Sun Post
"Excelling in the kind of sass that went out with Debbie Reynolds, Molly Richards brings back the comic soubrette with a vengeance."
- Babes in Arms (Dolores Reynolds), Joseph, Free Times, 6/21/2006
"Marc Landers and Molly Richards were smashing as the romantic leads, and Richards in particular was in fine voice...It's almost embarrassing to have enjoyed it so much. Almost."
- Where's Charley (Kitty Verdun), Mackler, OOBr, Awarded Best Musical of the Year 2004
Recommendations
"Molly has a deep understanding of storytelling with a keen eye for detail and specificity. She is a gentle soul with warmth that she shares with her collaborators and her actors. Her enthusiasm infuses everything she does and engenders a special commitment from her collaborators. As a natural actors’ director, Molly can work efficiently and effectively with actors of various levels of experience helping them to fully engage in the director’s concept and to bring out strong and creatively exciting performances. She is astute at problem solving and brave in choosing the most exciting solutions."
-Saldivar, Professor of Theatre, Directing
"I have been in this business for over ten years and have never met a director who challenged and encouraged me as much as her. She
is certainly an actor's director, helping each of us in the cast on our journey to discovering the heart of our characters and the courage to be present and truthful in every scene."
-Parris, AEA Actor
"I’ve developed a healthy admiration for Molly’s attention to detail in every aspect of producing a play. There seems to be no element,
performance or technical, in which she does not have some level of experience and interest. She is a fierce advocate of group process and team playing."
-Kauffman, Playwright/Actor/Former TSI General Manager
"I think generally playwrights want their plays to be performed many times. This was a different experience for me. I was so happy
with the performance that I left New York feeling that if this play never received any additional performances, that would be all right. I’d had enough of the actors’ and director’s magic to last me a lifetime. The highest compliment a playwright can give a director
is to invite him/her back. I will have another play produced off Broadway this spring. I immediately contacted Molly and keep my fingers crossed that she will direct my play."
-Sween, Playwright
"Observing Molly Richards in the direction process taught me how to become a better director, has stretched my capabilities as an actress, and therefore increased my confidence as a performer. She will be an asset to any production company."
-Christians, Actor/Producer
"She is a positive force that you enjoy being around and want on your team. I know I am glad that she was a part of mine."
-Mango, Artistic Director
"Her work is imaginative while strongly retaining respect for the text. She works well as a collaborator and is mature in problem solving and dealing with conflicts."
-Boyette, Professor of Theatre, Acting
-Saldivar, Professor of Theatre, Directing
"I have been in this business for over ten years and have never met a director who challenged and encouraged me as much as her. She
is certainly an actor's director, helping each of us in the cast on our journey to discovering the heart of our characters and the courage to be present and truthful in every scene."
-Parris, AEA Actor
"I’ve developed a healthy admiration for Molly’s attention to detail in every aspect of producing a play. There seems to be no element,
performance or technical, in which she does not have some level of experience and interest. She is a fierce advocate of group process and team playing."
-Kauffman, Playwright/Actor/Former TSI General Manager
"I think generally playwrights want their plays to be performed many times. This was a different experience for me. I was so happy
with the performance that I left New York feeling that if this play never received any additional performances, that would be all right. I’d had enough of the actors’ and director’s magic to last me a lifetime. The highest compliment a playwright can give a director
is to invite him/her back. I will have another play produced off Broadway this spring. I immediately contacted Molly and keep my fingers crossed that she will direct my play."
-Sween, Playwright
"Observing Molly Richards in the direction process taught me how to become a better director, has stretched my capabilities as an actress, and therefore increased my confidence as a performer. She will be an asset to any production company."
-Christians, Actor/Producer
"She is a positive force that you enjoy being around and want on your team. I know I am glad that she was a part of mine."
-Mango, Artistic Director
"Her work is imaginative while strongly retaining respect for the text. She works well as a collaborator and is mature in problem solving and dealing with conflicts."
-Boyette, Professor of Theatre, Acting
Student Reviews
"Molly Richards is awesome. I wouldn’t change a thing. Great class. I would recommend it to everyone."
"I really came to grasp the details of theatre. I am a complete theatre nerd and this confirmed that this is something I love. Honestly, I think this class was great. Molly created a great environment, and I couldn’t be happier."
"Molly was very open to consultations with students and took great passion in trying to correctly explain course content to class.”
"I truly learned a lot from this class... I also gained a lot of confidence from this class... I feel like taking a risk isn't as scary anymore... This class was by far the best experience I have had in school, and I know several other students said so as well."
"...this class was an excellent theater boot-camp of sorts... It was also a huge confidence booster... Every assignment in class seemed like a huge mountain that we would never be able to climb, but we took it one step at a time and in the end we reached the top for every assignment. I am so glad I took this class, and I recommend it to anyone."
"This class overall taught me important aspects of public speaking that I could not have learned from a class on just public speaking... I learned teamwork above anything else in this class.”
"This class has been one of my favorites through all of college. I actually can say it was one of the few that I truly looked forward to going to...Molly really has a knack for getting people to open up, and to truly experience what it's like to dive into a character and to truly act as they would. Thank you.”
"I'm going to be honest, I only took this class because I needed to drop second semester physics...In the beginning, I thought there was no way in hell I'd be able to get through a monologue without a script, or manage to learn a scene and perform it with a partner without feeling like a total idiot. I have no delusions about being any good at acting, but completely regardless of the quality of my acting, I still did all that stuff. Just managing to do it is the accomplishment for me, the victory. I'll probably never do any acting again in my life but still this class taught me more about myself than any class other than my first botany class as a freshman. It taught me I can handle a lot more than I give myself credit for, that I shouldn't be so quick to write myself off. I'd say that's pretty damn impressive, for a class that I took out of lazy desperation."
"I really came to grasp the details of theatre. I am a complete theatre nerd and this confirmed that this is something I love. Honestly, I think this class was great. Molly created a great environment, and I couldn’t be happier."
"Molly was very open to consultations with students and took great passion in trying to correctly explain course content to class.”
"I truly learned a lot from this class... I also gained a lot of confidence from this class... I feel like taking a risk isn't as scary anymore... This class was by far the best experience I have had in school, and I know several other students said so as well."
"...this class was an excellent theater boot-camp of sorts... It was also a huge confidence booster... Every assignment in class seemed like a huge mountain that we would never be able to climb, but we took it one step at a time and in the end we reached the top for every assignment. I am so glad I took this class, and I recommend it to anyone."
"This class overall taught me important aspects of public speaking that I could not have learned from a class on just public speaking... I learned teamwork above anything else in this class.”
"This class has been one of my favorites through all of college. I actually can say it was one of the few that I truly looked forward to going to...Molly really has a knack for getting people to open up, and to truly experience what it's like to dive into a character and to truly act as they would. Thank you.”
"I'm going to be honest, I only took this class because I needed to drop second semester physics...In the beginning, I thought there was no way in hell I'd be able to get through a monologue without a script, or manage to learn a scene and perform it with a partner without feeling like a total idiot. I have no delusions about being any good at acting, but completely regardless of the quality of my acting, I still did all that stuff. Just managing to do it is the accomplishment for me, the victory. I'll probably never do any acting again in my life but still this class taught me more about myself than any class other than my first botany class as a freshman. It taught me I can handle a lot more than I give myself credit for, that I shouldn't be so quick to write myself off. I'd say that's pretty damn impressive, for a class that I took out of lazy desperation."
