REVIEWS:

“‘Wipeout’ is set entirely in the water, but at Studio we see the action unfold in the kitchen and living room of a meticulously realized beachside bungalow, complete with wicker furniture, china cabinets and TV sets (which relay some ocean imagery). The gimmick allows for varied movement and stage business while avoiding any need to mimic flotation: Rather than milling around awkwardly with surfboards, the characters appear to indulge in at-home activities such as drinking martinis and eating grapes. There is some ingenious use of faucets and the like to evoke maritime brine (the melting contents of an ice bucket conjure a current), and a coffee table is an adequate stand-in for a surfboard . . . forcing us to imagine the Pacific when we’re looking at what could be a spread from Elle Decor.” — Celia Wren, Washington Post

“The script has not been altered to reference or fit this House Beautiful setting. The characters banter, bicker, and pretend at surfing as if afloat at sea all the while indoors (a circular table centerstage platforms the most performative moves). Within minutes, we catch this aesthetic’s drift, becoming captivated by these three golden girls’ athletic antics, unsisterly sniping, and wrenching revelations. Gambini’s theatrical gamble pays off, creating a comedic mise-en-scène through uncanny collective suspension of disbelief . . . immersed in Aurora Real de Asua’s entertainingly evocative surfing metaphor, brilliantly reimagined by Danilo Gambini, we are reminded that though we are always this close to going under, we can nevertheless be having the exhilarating ride of our lives.” — John Stoltenberg, DC Theater Arts