Critics' Quotes:

Misfits, love, grace guide Bus Stop play
Four out of four stars

"At the Purple Rose is Bus Stop, a 50-year-old play that could come off as a museum piece in less careful hands. Nothing is timeworn, though, about Guy Sanville’s staging, which brings a freshness and vitality to William Inge’s script... You can’t have something as good as this Bus Stop without inspired collaboration. Here it seems to occur as naturally as the snowstorm that’s blowing offstage... Artfully juggling Inge’s several storylines, Sanville and his cast present a balance of fits and misfits who function at different intensities... the performance of the evening is John Lepard’s as the dissolute academic. It’s delivered with a precisely calibrated physicality that appears effortless. You would expect nothing less at a place called Grace’s."

Martin F. Kohn
Detroit Free Press

Bus Stop takes inviting detour

"Director Guy Sanville takes his time mining the rich material – and his patience yields excellent results. The play looks at love in various forms, from the innocent to the more abusive variety. Each of the eight characters is desperately looking for someone to love – at any cost...These are subtle lessons, delivered with simple grace. Sanville, in preserving Inge’s script, proves you don’t need a lot of action for big things to happen."

Judith Cookis-Rubens
Oakland Press

Rose takes visitors to an unforgettable Bus Stop
Note-perfect cast makes a classic shine

"Bus Stop is one of director Guy Sanville’s favorite plays, and indeed, the production has the feel of a labor of love; you can sense the patient attention that’s invested in each gesture, movement and vocal inflection. Little did I know, though, that this affection is contagious; for I found myself, during the course of the evening, falling hopelessly in love with the show, too. Much of this is due to the extraordinarily talented cast – one of the strongest ensembles I’ve seen."

Jenn McKee
The Ann Arbor News

“ (John) Lepard gives a weaving and staggering perfection of a performance as someone getting slowly and increasingly drunk, a one-time academic enthralled by the wonderfully goofy enthusiasm of Elma. This is a tender, sort of, almost, love story and (Molly) Thomas gets it just right... Director Guy Sanville must have the moves and chutzpah of a high school football coach. One can only imagine what he says to his actors to get this high-pitched fervor of acting... The sense of this being a real roadside diner (set designed by Dan Walker) is so strong one can almost smell the exhaust of the bus just outside the door. And on the counter? The scent of sweet potato pie.”

Tom Helma
Lansing City Pulse

That Old Black Magic works its spell at the Purple Rose
The Bottom Line: A season of excellence motors along with Bus Stop

"...of all the productions of Bus Stop I’ve seen over the past decades, never have I experienced one that so richly explores these characters’ depths... in the expert hands of director Guy Sanville and his excellent performers [the characters] truly come to life... Unlike many other productions of Bus Stop, each of (Guy) Sanville’s actors plumbs their character to discover what makes them tick. These are ordinary people, to be sure, but they become living, breathing unique individuals in the hands of these talented actors... Paul Hopper’s Virgil Blessing is yet another first-rate performance in a season jam-packed with them. Amongst a sea of talent, however, John Lepard especially shines as Dr. Gerald Lyman... a remarkable interpretation from start to finish... Guy Sanville’s skillful direction keeps the audience focused at all times; his transitions between scenes are impeccably choreographed. And, as always, all technical aspects of the production are top-notch."

Donald V. Calamia
Between The Lines

"Brian Letscher’s larger-than-life and brash Bo drives the action forward, with John Lepard’s mellifluous and melancholic speeches providing a stirring counterpoint that adds dimension and interest. This is a brilliant pairing that highlights the considerable talents of both actors. Letscher manages to negotiate a tricky hero’s journey while staying true to the character. Lepard is a wonder to behold as he quietly drinks himself into oblivion. (Grant R.) Krause, in the role as antagonist sheriff Masters, is unyielding yet human, and lends a striking undercurrent of threat... The entire cast works together flawlessly. Director Guy Sanville has used his professional talents, and the talents of his cast, to create a beautifully rendered interpretation of the playwright’s script...This is classic theatre at its best."

Steve Daut
Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce