By Nia Vardalos
Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed
“Tiny Beautiful Things is must-see…It is a powerful moving show.”
“The direction from Amber McGinnis is masterful here.”
-The Atlanta Journal Constitution
“this production is shocking, honest, refreshing, and raw.”
“McGinnis’s staging displays a keen understanding of when movement is necessary and when it is not, honoring the moments of stillness and energizing the moments where the script would otherwise become stagnant.”
“The rule of threes is strong in Amber McGinnis’s direction, creating both outrageously funny and devastatingly painful moments on stage. Highly immersive staging allows the actors to take their story beyond the outlined playing space and directly into the audience’s hearts.”
By Anna Ziegler
Directed by Amber McGinnis at Theater J
“There’s a saying among actors: ‘There’s no such thing as a perfect show.’ Anyone lucky enough to see Theater J’s production of The Wanderers will have to politely disagree: top to bottom, this is as fine and perfect a piece of theater I’ve seen in many a year.” - DC Theater Scene
“Director Amber McGinnis has staged Anna Ziegler’s thoughtful, compassionate, funny play with grace and crispness. The entire cast is poised and persuasive” - The Washington Post
“Theater J’s production is formidable. The Wanderers will leave audiences with plenty to discuss after the performance…That makes for a great theater experience.” - DC Metro Theater Arts
“The Wanderers is that rare play worth seeing twice, with a plot to ruminate on for a lifetime.” - The Washington City Paper
Written by Paula Vogel
Directed by Amber McGinnis
Produced by Round House Theatre
Washington Post: “McGinnis guides the cast to a tone that effectively toggles between intimate and epic…McGinnis navigates this uneasy ride with taste, and with eyes wide open.”
“…the audience barely breathes during the respectful, unsettling production that director Amber Paige McGinnis has fashioned at the Round House Theatre.”
DC Theatre Scene: “5 Stars!”
“It took a brave playwright to write How I Learned to Drive and it takes a brave company to stage it now, and if you go to see it with an open heart, you are a brave person, too.”
DC Metro Theatre Arts: “Director Amber Paige McGinnis knits these excellent performances together into an effective whole that moves along smartly without pause or drag during the entire one-act drama.”
By Brian Friel
Directed by Amber McGinnis
Produced by Everyman Theatre
DC Metro Theatre Arts: “…already guaranteed to be one of the most magical and memorable productions of Baltimore’s new theater season.”
“Fortunately, under the primal yet precisely choreographed direction of Amber Paige McGinnis, every actor at Everyman lives every moment of this play to the fullest, thereby making their characters’ ultimate failures seem all the more tragic.”
The Beacon: "There’s a feeling, almost electric, among this primarily female cast...the feeling bursts forth as the sisters dance wildly together, excited with the
idea of attending the local harvest dance and recapturing a bit of their youth.
In her Everyman debut, director Amber Paige McGinnis coaxes top flight performances from her actors, who never stray into stereotype, but bring a full range of emotion to their characters, much to the audience’s delight."
The Baltimore Sun: “A sensitive revival”
“Everyman’s production, directed in sure, steady fashion by Amber Paige McGinnis, makes the most of that scene, ensuring an infectious jolt and letting you sense each sister’s innermost nature.”
The Last Night of Ballyhoo
By Alfred Uhry
“It’s both fun and absorbing to hang out with these quirky and sharply etched characters, whose conflicts and power plays nod at serious themes.”–Washington Post
“The cast is stellar and the production top-notch…Theater J’s production is as good as it gets.”–Broadway World
“The production is lushly beautiful; the pacing, impeccable; the music between scenes, splendid; the acting, a delight in every detail…Theater J’s production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo is the best kind of comedy there is: It keeps you laughing and leaves you thinking.”–DC Metro Theater Arts
Hailed by the Washington Post as “a polished and perceptive revival," EQUUS, the 1973 Tony Award-winning play by Peter Shaffer was produced by Constellation Theatre Company in winter 2016 and directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber McGinnis Jackson).
REVIEWS:
WASHINGTON POST: "The doctor's dilemma and that of his suffering young patient play out rivetingly in Constellation's fine staging."
BROADWAY WORLD: "...an engrossing production that truly showcases the power of theatrical storytelling. With swift direction, a well-rounded and unique script, stellar performances, and top-notch design, EQUUS will make for a most unusual and thought-provoking evening and is one show not to miss this winter season."
BRIGHTEST YOUNG THINGS: "The fabulous production...is full-body entertainment: a delight for the eye, the ear, the mind, and the gut."
DC METRO THEATRE ARTS: "5 stars"
"Amber McGinnis Jackson has crafted a production that not only examines these themes with a searching gaze and a truthful heart, but also creates an atmosphere that is tuned precisely to the uncanny tone of the script. Sexy and scary, gorgeous and disturbing, Equus is a gem of the DC theatre landscape this winter."
*WINNER 2017 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play*
By Stephen Spotswood
Produced by The Welders
Directed by Amber Paige McGinnis
Watch the promo video filmed and edited by Amber Paige McGinnis:
https://vimeo.com/187694711
Reviews:
WASHINGTON POST: "Director Amber Paige McGinnis’s intense and visually striking production"
DC METRO THEATRE ARTS: "a knockout production...McGinnis’s direction is of the order of distinction that other directors will surely esteem...Girl in the Red Corner is a triumph. For Halo. For The Welders. For women who fight the good fight. And for all to whom this matters, more than we may know."
MD Theatre Guide: "...this show is beyond ordinary…a truly captivating story of physical and emotional strength."
Read more about the process of creating Girl in the Red Corner in the Washington City Paper.
Helen Hayes nomination: Outstanding Direction
Produced by Forum Theatre and written by Ruby Rae Spiegel, Dry Land, the heartbreaking story about friendship, high school, and an unplanned pregnancy, was directed by Amber McGinnis.
"The contrast between the two moments points to the wealth of intricately tangled emotion — shame, frustration, aggressiveness, gratitude and more — that Spiegel covers in this heartbreaking and often funny play, artfully directed by Amber Paige McGinnis."
"Director Amber Paige McGinnis does a superb job of putting together this emotionally troubling work. The climax of the piece is terrifying and she follows it perfectly by an almost ballet like moment of silence watching the clean-up aftermath."
Check out the promo for Dry Land, filmed and edited by Amber McGinnis: https://vimeo.com/209625128
Produced in 2017 by Keegan Theatre, Caryl Churchill's TOP GIRLS - the 1982 English drama about what it takes to get to the top - took DC theatre by storm with its powerful all-female cast and themes that feel all too timely.
"The opening act of Caryl Churchill’s 1982 “Top Girls” is still breathtaking as women…gather for a vivacious dinner party hosted by a modern employment agency manager who is celebrating a promotion. The final act of Thatcher-era class warfare knifes into our Trumpian divisions…It’s a masterful work."
"5 STARS!"
"McGinnis and her unflagging ensemble make cracking open the Pandora’s Box of Churchill’s masterwork look easy."
"A look back at the past that contains a look back at the distant past, Top Girls comes across as almost more of a recently-written period play than the 1982 piece that it is. That is a credit to playwright Caryl Churchill’s balanced eye...It also speaks to the deliberate intelligence that illuminates the production under director Amber Paige McGinnis – every element, whether from the 1980s or the 1200s, says something about where women find themselves today."
"The Keegan Theatre triumphantly produces a female driven piece that is both deeply relevant and wonderfully entertaining. In this intimate space with this incredible script, a formidable cast, beautiful sets and costumes, and inspired direction, this show is a must-see."
By Sarah Ruhl, Adapted from the novel by Virginia Woolf
WSC Avant Bard
Directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber Jackson)
REVIEWS:
THE WASHINGTON POST: “With various clever touches, director Jackson and her designers turn the lyricism and comedy into a fetching magic-lantern/music-hall kind of entertainment.”
BRIGHTEST YOUNG THINGS: "The constant transitions in time and place require a parade of characters, and the direction by Amber Jackson as well as the excellent character work by the chorus keep the lyric energy of the piece flowing and the storyline clear—no mean feat. It’s not often that you leave a play thinking, “That’s it. They nailed it. They said it all.”
BROADWAY WORLD: “Director Amber Jackson has created a free-wheeling atmosphere for the ages of Orlando, in which anything and everything is possible. With Barker as the anchor, Jackson has let loose the incredible improvisational talents of her three-member Chorus…Their comic timing and kinetic energy drive the action and complement Barker’s work perfectly.”
DC METRO THEATRE ARTS: “5 Stars! ...Director Amber Jackson displays a creativity, imagination, and sparkle that belong to the very best comedic artists. She is well served by the universally outstanding cast, and the entire production, from lighting to scenery to music to costumes, has the taste of champagne on a moonlit night when the stars are out and dreams seem not just possible but very, very real.”
By Johnna Adams
Forum Theatre
Directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber McGinnis Jackson)
REVIEWS:
DC THEATRE SCENE: “5 Stars!”
“…some of the highest class acting and directing work to be found right now on DC stages.”
“World Builders will draw you in closer than an embrace if you let it, and it gave me a moving insight, not into a mental disorder, but into people who fall in love despite their disorder. Forum Theatre and director Amber Jackson have built a fantastic and intensely personal world…See it, and see a world masterfully built.”
BROADWAY WORLD: “Director Amber McGinnis Jackson steers her remarkable cast through a story of opposite forces and stark contrasts. She brings the play’s worlds alive through purposeful staging and fills the audience with such energy that it is left twirling in Whitney’s mania and sinking in Max’s oppressive guilt. Without Jackson’s sharp pacing and punctuation, much of Adam’s fantastically quick dialogue and subtle themes would surely have been lost.”
WASHINGTON POST: “…intense and confident Forum Theatre production, directed by Amber McGinnis Jackson…Harris and Corey deftly expose their characters’ tics and vulnerabilities to considerable poignant effect.”
By Kira Obolensky
Flying V Theatre
Directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber Jackson)
REVIEWS:
DC THEATRE SCENE: "Highly recommended!"
"Lobster Alice is a spectacular production of a very funny absurdist play."
BROADWAY WORLD: “Director Amber Jackson has assembled a brilliant cast, creating an anarchic and, yes, surreal atmosphere in which anything and everything can happen.”
DC METRO THEATRE ARTS: "5 stars!"
"Amber Jackson created an intricate network of support beams using actors and techies that allowed a supple and powerful show the room it needed to grow without allowing it to become an amorphous mess. Her skill is without question."
MD THEATRE GUIDE: "…inspired directorship, artistic vision and design that made this play an otherworldly, wonderous experience.”
By Stephen Spotswood
Pinky Swear Productions (world premiere)
Directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber Jackson)
DC THEATRE SCENE: “5 stars!”
“…splendidly-realized by director Amber Jackson, who has created a production that feels in a league of its own at Capital Fringe… Jackson’s production is confidently staged and squarely surefooted, with an eclectic and well-equipped cast as varied as the characters they portray. It’s a professional-grade show under any circumstances, but to run it during a festival under such unforgiving technical requirements is a feat. It’s a production not to be missed.”
WASHINGTON CITY PAPER: “Playwright Stephen Spotswood and director Amber Jackson, keep finding ingenious ways to let us have our risqué-sideshow cake and eat it, too.”
“At once a eulogy and a love affair, The Last Burlesque is everything a Fringe show should be, and more.”
DC METRO THEATRE ARTS: “The play, written by Pinky Swear Company Member Stephen Spotswood, comes to raunchy and hilarious life under Amber Jackson’s direction.”
By Bekah Brunstetter
Flying V Productions
Directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber Jackson)
REVIEWS:
WASHINGTON POST: "This is frisky writing, and director Amber Jackson’s modest production is at ease with tones that shift from punch-line funny to cripplingly depressing.”
“…an appropriately playful, thoughtful show.”
DC METRO THEATRE ARTS: “This is yet another great production by Flying V… a surprisingly thought-provoking piece, and an exciting start for the Women’s Voices Theater Festival. If you are a fan of the eponymous video game, if you want to be surprised, touched and thoroughly entertained all with a soundtrack of 90s angst, I highly recommend Flying V’s The Oregon Trail.”
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater, Music by Dunkan Sheik
American University
Directed by Amber McGinnis (credited as Amber Jackson)
An intense learning experience for students of the American University theatre program, our goal was to give them a professional-level experience and quality production.
