Press
Rigoletto
Minnesota Opera
“'Rigoletto' offers [a] scorching take on politics, patriarchy and power . . . refreshed and relevant in today's world . . . boldly re-imagined by director Regan . . . Regan’s handling of the all-male chorus was particularly incisive . . . This “Rigoletto” is one to make you think, and it powerfully scotches the notion that old operas have nothing of relevance to say about the problems we face in the 21st-century"
— Terry Blain, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Director Austin Regan balances the concept with the classical essence of Verdi to beautifully unified effect.”
— John Townsend, Lavender Magazine
“Powerful and intimate . . . a deft example of the versatility of this Verdi masterwork.”
— John Garland, The Growler
“Twisted Rigoletto is riveting drama at the Ordway,” Post Bulletin
“Does full justice to the splendor of Verdi's music,” Talkin Broadway
“Marvelous," Pioneer Press
“A timely, thought-provoking new production,” Bugaboo Musings
Discount Ghost Stories
Local Theater Co
"Befitting the setting, the songs impart their rough-hewn wisdom with twang and melancholy . . . the show itself stands as an example of the potent pleasures found in the in-between . . . In this world premiere outing -- directed by Austin Regan -- the music's played and sung with force and grace . . . [Jenna Moll] Reyes earns our sympathy . . . [Erik] Fellenstein beguiles . . . equal parts lovely and spooky . . . The tales in 'Discount Ghost Stories' speak of ugliness. They also resonate un-comfortably with some of our current moment's most bleak headlines. Yet, without dismissing the wounds of history -- far from it -- the show ends with a measure of open-hearted hope. And -- God bless the rock show -- an encore!"
— Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post
"Hauntingly beautiful production . . . a stellar musical score . . . deliver[s] intrigue, drama, and plenty of historical significance . . . The backyard patio of the iconic Pearl Street bookstore and coffee shop [is] transformed into an enclave that transcends time and space . . . The stories prove just as engaging as the music.”
— Kalene McCort, Boulder Daily Camera
"A virtuosic homage to Colorado's unsung heroes . . . spectacular . . . Every actor is a virtuoso."
— Haley Gray, 5280: The Denver Magazine
". . . a magical setting . . . [Discount Ghost Stories] brought history alive with passion. More of this kind of theater, please."
— Carol Taylor, Boulder Daily Camera
"The evening is graced with meaningful songs that reflect on the difficulty of each journey through life, while simultaneously being riddled with humor . . . a delightful half inside/half outside musical evening off the beaten path . . . seek out this unique performance and enjoy it yourself."
— Beki Pineda, Boulder Magazine
Don Giovanni
FM Opera
"Director Austin Regan . . . shines [in] his mainstage FM Opera debut . . . Regan shows great skill and vision and an impressive willingness to try something new with a classic . . . the overall production is superb.
The production has [an] impressive cast of relatively young performers . . . With artists as talented and diverse as this and directors like Regan, creative adaptations make problematic classics enjoyable for new audiences.
— John Lamb, Fargo Forum
Loose, Wet, Perforated
Guerilla Opera
"A striking and vivid new production of the opera . . . Eerie, dark, and thoughtful . . . an experience unlike any other. . . . the new production by Austin Regan . . . made the opera's philosophical themes clear and palpable . . . Loose, Wet, Perforated unfolded seamlessly . . . illustrating that a good story can be told through the simplest means . . . With a shoestring budget, the company produces works that pack the same emotional punch and quality singing one can find in many larger companies. Let's hope this envelope-pushing ensemble remains on the scene for many years to come.”
"A multimedia opera ripe with intimate oddity . . . dystopian in theme and beautiful . . . an unexpected laugh riot . . . a timely production ready to push buttons."
Left and Right
National Sawdust
"[I]nnovative . . . The creative team’s conscientiousness is evident in the piece’s many layers of accessibility . . . droning, complex compositions, poetic commentary, and additional theatrical elements . . . confront our own personal perceptions of disability . . . As I watched, I realized we, as an audience, still have everything to learn about physical impairment."
— Grace Bydalek, New York Sun
"In both the video and the live show, the team crafted layered, interlocking, and often simultaneously presented points of access . . . Joining together . . . has opened new possibilities for their work."
— Jennifer Gersten, An Aesthetics of Access
Three Decembers
FM Opera
"Remarkable . . . [Thrasher] leaves the audience wanting more . . . a heartbreaker . . . director Austin Regan makes smart use of limited space . . . he does a lot with limited resources."
— John Lamb, Fargo Forum
Top 5 Operas To See This Weekend in North America
— David Salazar, OperaWire
Spring Awakening
The Boston Conservatory
"Regan's production will reimagine Spring Awakening by transforming the space. A new performing area in the middle of the house in The Boston Conservatory Theater has been created by placing the audience on the "stage," as well as in the existing house seats- giving the production an immediacy and engagement that is sometimes lost in proscenium productions.
Inspired by the whispering of dreams and phantasms that flow through this story, Regan has created a ghostly ensemble of actors and dancers...Emerging from the group, these bodies express the winds of desire, longing, danger, passion, and dreaming that are constantly flowing through this world."
Mad Libs Live!
New World Stages
"A sparkly, courageous and fun interactive musical inspired by the classic word game Mad Libs...a hilarious whirlwind of silly, bizarre, ridiculously laugh-out-loud songs...I recommend this fun, goofy, interactive musical for the whole family."
"It’s very funny and it’s all new every show . . . I’d say it’s for little kids, big kids, and the even bigger adult size people that hide a little kid inside . . . Seriously, this is tons of fun for the whole family, so bring your kids if you have them, and if you don’t and you just want to laugh for 55 minutes, then bring yourself before it closes."
The Trojan Women
The Hangar Theatre
"Under Regan’s direction, the actors were orchestrated in an almost dance-like fashion, hitting visionary marks to create gorgeous stage pictures amid the red-hot lights and swirling sirens. It is hard to imagine anyone other than the brilliant mastermind Austin Regan turning such a difficult piece with horrific subject matter into something from which we could not bear to turn away. The depth with which Regan plunged us into the content left the audience both enamored and disgusted by the story onstage in absolutely the best way possible."
"High-intensity hour-long theater . . . the surrounding woods insert a mystical depth to the already enchanting performances . . . a night guaranteed to leave you feeling invigorated."
Spring Awakening
UIUC/Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
"Stellar . . . High voltage . . . Under the masterful direction of Austin Regan, the gifted ensemble members share their individual turmoil through song, expressing the volatile emotional realities of adolescence including confusion, fear, sexual identity, longing and loss . . . an impressive evening of theater."
— The Champaign-Urbana News Gazette
"Energetic, emotional, and ultimately extremely enjoyable . . . director Austin Regan has a strong cast and uses them wisely . . . the entire cast shines . . . Extremely, extremely impressive…a visual and aural treat for the eyes and ears. The set design, the visual arts, the costumes, and the live band all come together, and they not only look and sound great, but they help tell the story."
#MormonInChief
Kraine Theater
"#MormonInChief is a play for this country’s present moment. For those with an interest in the relationship between politics and religion, and between the people behind political and religious facades, this play does not disappoint."
"Director Austin Regan propells Greene's dialogue swiftly along, keeping the play moving at a pace that rivals the speed of electronic media. . . . An exciting and topical play about political values in an age where the internet leaves nothing private."
Celia Mei Rubin
at 54 below and the Green Room
"Celia Mei Rubin is fabulous. . . . she laughed and reveled in another year gone by with an enraptured audience . . . romantic . . . wonderful."
The Who's Tommy
The Boston Conservatory
"Tommy did a great job . . . incredibly interesting to watch . . . I loved the choreography . . . I like that parts of the choreography are wild . . . it captures the spirit of the show in that way, youth and freedom and all that . . . I’m blown away by the quality of the voices . . . very well done—magical, even."