Select Reviews
"Actor Gus Krieger knows that Richard III must be a vivid, diabolical figure, and he creates an indelible image, with a mane of shoulder-length hair and a prodigious hump, skittering around spiderlike on two crutches..."
-Neal Weaver, LA Weekly
"Krieger exhibits the truest command of the play's language and intent..."
-Dink O'Neal, Backstage West
"The Porters of Hellsgate present Shakespeare's RICHARD III, brought to life by ... the remarkable acting of Gus Krieger ... he wears well the mantle of evil intent, while at the same time, is eminently watchable..."
-Beth Temkin, Toluca Times
“Enter Henry Bollingbrook, (an outstanding Gus Krieger - fully utilized the natural timing of the script) whose sole desire is to be king. Henry is a force to be reckoned with.”
- M. Jarrett Christensen, Tolucan Times
“Bigley and Gus Krieger are as memorable a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as I’ve seen, each a quirky delight, their performances doubtless informed by the fact that Hamlet is being presented in rotating rep with Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead—with the same cast!”
- Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
“As Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Thomas Bigley and Gus Krieger have near-perfect rhythm. … Krieger's charasmatic Guildenstern seems to have picked up some affectations from the Johnny Depp School of Acting, but he's thoroughly entertaining and is certainly an actor to keep an eye out for in the future.”
- Melpomene, Melpomene Blogs Back
"Krieger is convincing as Cassius, a pivotal character owning a sly ability to trick Brutus, who is not easily duped. Krieger's subtle seduction of Leahy's Brutus allows him to set a trap that is so well disguised it is no surprise Brutus walks into it..."
-Amy Lyons, Studio City Sun
"This fast-paced production also features first-rate performances by Gus Krieger as the smart, conniving, evil co-conspirator Caius Cassius..."
-Jim Crogan, Backstage West
“By far, the stand-out performer in this production was the one who seemed to take his character the least seriously: Gus Krieger with his hysterically over-the-top Don Adriano de Armando, a Spanish knight wooing a lovely and less than bright milkmaid. Likewise, the most entertaining scenes were reliably those that featured dialogue between Armando and his put-upon page, Moth (Dan Sykes).”
-Melpomene, Melpomene Blogs Back
“Special mention must be made of Gus Krieger’s deftly silly work as “Mr. I-love-the-sound-of-my-own-voice” himself, Don Armado. Young Mr. Krieger has made the audaciously risky choice of doing Shakespeare with a thick Castilian lisp, coupled with a strangely loose tongue, resulting in a giggle-provoking speech pattern that looks and sounds as if he’s perpetually sampling offerings at a Spanish wine tasting. And yet, Krieger has fully justified that audacity, artfully and solidly landing comedic hits while—miraculously—managing to be more clearly understood with the accent than many of his colleagues who aren’t encumbered by such oral calisthenics. He’s broad, but grounded, and, along with Pasternak, provides one of the highlight characterizations of the evening.”
-Michael Kostroff, playshakespeare.com
“Having just seen The Porters’ production of Hamlet, one of the authentic pleasures of Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead is seeing the same characters (and actors) in an entirely different light. In Hamlet, Thomas Bigley (Rosencrantz) and Gus Krieger (Guildenstern) already give hints of their deliciously quirky work in the Stoppard play. Thus it comes as no surprise that both actors do terrific work here, in the tradition of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and George and Gracie. Neither Bigley nor Krieger misses a beat of Stoppard’s serve-and-volley dialog.”
- Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
“Here, Thomas Bigley (Rosencrantz) and Gus Krieger (Guildenstern) don’t merely face these challenges; they roll up their sleeves and bloody well wade right into the thicket. And they’re a good team, these two. The very different rhythms of their characterizations offset and compliment each other like oil and vinegar: Krieger’s staccato, obsessed machinations buzzing around Bigley’s dimmer more legato, worried musings as both try to solve their maddening puzzle. Krieger, with dazzling dexterity, wraps his mouth and his brain around words and ideas at a pace that challenges the audience to keep up. His frustrated Guildenstern is intensely determined to find some harbor of sanity in an abyss.”
-Michael Kostroff, playshakespeare.com
“The reflective Guildenstern is played expertly by Krieger, whose contemplative look can is exemplified by one line uttered during the coin-flipping episode: “a weaker man might be moved to reexamine his faith, if in nothing else at least in the law of probability.” He expands upon this by illustrating the law of averages hilariously with the example of six monkeys thrown up in the air and landing on either their tails or their other body parts. All this is said without the slightest hint of a smile, which is what makes this performance so charming. Guildenstern also explains the lucky occurrence as 1. he’s willing it, 2. time stopped dead, 3. divine intervention, or 4. the principle of independence, prompting well-timed and appropriately absent-minded responses from his partner Rosencrantz, who quite frequently forgets the question.”
- Ray Luo, Stage Happenings
“In the end, the charming Wooster-and-Jeeves-like interplay between Krieger's beautifully goofy Armando and Sykes' prim Moth - and the hilarious play-within-a-play that makes up the comedy's finale-- effectively upstages the show's less successfully realized "main" subplot and saves the day.”
-Paul Birchall, LA Weekly
“Stealing every scene in which he appears is Gus Krieger as a hilariously … Spanish-accented Don Adriano de Armado, the endearingly foppish suitor of Jaquenetta … Dan Sykes (as Don Adriano’s page) and Krieger have great chemistry in their scenes together…”
-Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
“Henry Bolingbroke (Gus Krieger) has some slick stage business as King Richard's chief frenemy. Mr. Krieger's effortless performance is a joy to watch.”
- Melpomene, Melpomene Blogs Back
“Henry Bolingbroke, played by the eternally centered Gus Krieger, is the polar opposite of everything Richard stands for as king. His intellect and political savvy, as well as his ability to relate and speak with those of the middle and lower classes allow him to take the throne. Krieger is genuine and humble, and it’s this down to earth quality that gets the audience on his side from the moment he is banished till the very end of the play. He shows us through the newly crowned Henry IV, that just because one has power ones does not have abuse his power.”
- Jason Lovett, StageHappenings.com
