SOMETHING’S AFOOT

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

“…but best of all is the fact that the Foothills production carries the show along with a terrific sense of style and flair. Director Thomas Ouellette has cast the show extremely well…” – Telegram & Gazette

“…murder mystery as high shtick…the whole ensemble serves up this fare deftly: they sing well and they’re funny.” – Worcester Magazine

“Something’s Afoot is a directed with great skill by Thomas Ouellette. Everyone who worked on it — the designers, the choreographer, and the entire cast — has evidently approached the production as if asked to contribute individually chosen gifts to a bazaar. …The show is unusually well cast…” – The Worcester Phoenix

“A lot of credit for the success of this production should go to Director Thomas Ouellette. According to the bios of the actors, many came to this production so that they might work with him.” – The Daily Item

“Poison darts, gaseous phones, electrocution and strangulation. Funny stuff? You bet. It’s obvious that Ouellette has bred his cast upon the waters of inspired spoofery.” – The News

THE FOREIGNER

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

Named BEST PLAY – The Worcester Phoenix

“Director Thomas Ouellette has restaged this deliriously funny show, and he also heads a remarkable cast. He has little difficulty putting on the director’s hat and then tossing it aside to demonstrate his prowess as a comedic actor. He excels at both…This is a must-see production.” – The Middlesex News

“…if the rest of the theatre’s slate measures up to this one, Foothills will have one blockbuster of a year. But this Foreigner, to Ouellette’s credit, is more than a mirth-fest; there are serious undercurrents wending their way insidiously through this production: prejudice, hatred, intolerance…” – Worcester Magazine

“Larry Shue’s The Foreigner is a sweet, modest comedy that’s commercial in the best sense. And Foothills assured new production of the play, cleanly staged by Thomas Ouellette, underscores its virtues. The comedy soars… Smith and Ouellette play off each other with the kind of joy that sends an audience out of the theatre feeling slaphappy. It’s a very satisfying show.” – The Worcester Phoenix

“Only two kinds of people are likely to enjoy the Foothills Theatre Company’s restaging of The Foreigner: those who’ve seen it before, and those who haven’t.” – The News

SHEAR MADNESS

Charles Playhouse, Boston
Mason Street Theatre, San Francisco
JFK Center for the Performing Arts, DC

Named BEST PLAY – The Boston Phoenix

Named BEST PLAY – The Boston Globe

The longest consecutively running non-musical in American theatre history – The Guinness Book of World Records

“…one of the best-kept secrets successes in show business!” – TIME Magazine

“The show has become something resembling a modern folk legend.” – USA Today

“It’s a hilarious, over-the-top delight. Not only does it test your taste; it also challenges your powers of observation. An absolute crowd-pleaser.” – Worcester Magazine

LAURA

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

“Each of the individual three acts is well-paced by director Thomas Ouellette, and he and the behind-the-scenes crew have provided a production that looks very impressive indeed.” – Telegram & Gazette

“The director has assembled an ensemble of fine acting talent and skillful technical designers. The meticulous attention to detail keeps the play from relying on cliché and gives Laura a sharp edge. Thomas Ouellette has done a meticulous job in using elements of the murder-mystery film genre to elicit the mood and sensibilities of the period. With skillful designers re-creating every detail from costumes to sound, Ouellette has reconstructed the atmosphere of the ‘40s.” – Worcester Magazine

“Laura draws much of its chilling suspense from seemingly cold and calculating suspects. It draws the rest of its appeal from the direction of Thomas Ouellette, who employs moody underscoring and especially effective lighting effects.” – The News

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

“…impeccably paced direction by Thomas Ouellette and uniformly strong performances by the cast…” – Telegram & Gazette

“Brighton Beach Memoirs features a stellar cast of seven in a memorable production that provides both humor and insight. Under the direction of Thomas Ouellette not a false note is played here, not a word of dialogue is stilted or outdated–or anything less than powerful and poignant.” – The News

MY THREE ANGELS

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

“Thomas Ouellette’s staging brings out every possible bit of comedy, without turning good comedy into silly antics. Ouellette makes the most of every nook and cranny of Edwin Chapin’s accomplished set. The show is exquisitely staged, and chock full of fine performances, including one tour-de-force turn by Derek Campbell that leaves me at a loss for accolades.” – The Jewish Weekly News

“…crisp-paced and thoroughly entertaining…probably the best so far for Foothills. There are numerous clever touches…the ongoing presentation of the action and humor is sharp and totally assured.” – Telegram & Gazette

“This 1953 comedy ran 344 performances on Broadway and might run just as long in Worcester, given the high quality of the performances and the handsomeness of the physical production…But the one who must have had the most fun was director Thomas Ouellette. He has assembled a top-notch cast that keeps this airy bubble afloat and he gives free rein to their endlessly inventive imaginations. …My Three Angels is a charming production, cleverly acted, ingeniously directed, strikingly mounted.” – Worcester Magazine

MASS APPEAL

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

“…alternately funny, tense, touching and thoughtful. The Foothills production achieves the above qualities through a combination of wonderful acting and solid direction; Mass Appeal is a show that should not be missed. Ouellette has directed a show that creates small, intimate scenes for the two men…he has paced the show so that the plot evolves and opens smoothly – the moves from comedy to drama are seamless.” – The Jewish Weekly News

“…a gem of a play, which Director Thomas Ouellette has turned into a finely cut jewel.” – Greater Media Cable

“This production is tight as a drum, with not a wasted word or gesture in two acts that seem to fly by. Thomas Ouellette, one of the most talented actors in recent years on Worcester area stages (in both comedic and dramatic roles), has distinguished himself again as an insightful director. He has given us a production about faith and courage and love. He has done so, not without obvious and exemplary efforts from others, of course, but with clarity, compassion and a vital sense of humor.” – The News

“The show is directed by Thomas Ouellette, a member of Foothills’ resident acting company. He brings the same pacing to this show that he brings to his own performances. The show is wonderful.” – The Daily Item

“Director Thomas Ouellette has sensitively and sympathetically mounted this “two-hander,” as Variety likes to dub two-character plays. The laughs are there and the tears.” – Worcester Magazine

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

Worcester Foothills Theatre, MA

“…of everything they’ve ever done at Foothills, this may well be the very best of all. There isn’t a false note or unconvincing element to this memorable production. Ironically, it is Thomas Ouellette, Foothills new resident funnyman (a hit onstage, especially in last year’s The Foreigner and this year’s Noises Off), in his directorial debut, who tackles this most serious of subjects with the virtuosity of a seasoned veteran…Foothills’ Anne Frank is great drama, important history and unforgettable art. It’s a moving and magnificent experience.” – The News

“…a deeply moving work…an intelligent and skillfully rendered Foothills production which also admirably draws out the humor of the play and the way the human spirit is able to survive. Thomas Ouellette, in a distinguished directorial debut, has drawn some fine performances from his cast.” – Telegram & Gazette

“Few theatregoers could remain untouched by the glowing production at Foothills under the direction of Thomas Ouellette. As an actor’s director (Ouellette teaches acting at the Foothills Conservatory), he seems to have pulled out rounded, sympathetic performances from the cast.” – Worcester Magazine

“…moving and vibrant…an impressive endeavor, marking Tom Ouellette’s Foothill’s debut. He has created a cohesive ensemble with uniformly strong performances, and a couple which are simply outstanding.” – The Sun