Incognito The Play | Critical Response

Interview w/ Michael on NPR - WBEZ "848" with host Steve Edwards, 10/30/01

What the Critics are saying about "Incognito"

Chosen by Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune as one of the top theatrical events of the 2001 season.

"When we go to the theater, we enter a world of storytellers, of people who make us believe in the time and place and characters that they are able to bring to life. Michael Fosberg is one such storyteller, and the extraordinary tale he has to tell us in his one-man drama "Incognito" is all the more compelling because it is true and it is his own."

"It's an engrossing and deeply moving trip, for both the audience and the performer."

"…if you listen carefully, it will shake you to your own roots."

"His story, simply but tellingly told… will almost certainly change your attitude in the way you look at yourself, at your society, at the vicissitudes of your life and at the people who fill your days."


	—Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune

Michael Sidney Fosberg's "Incognito" is among the most unique examples of a one-man show that theatergoers are likely to encounter"

"In less talented hands, such an undertaking could have come off as narcissism at its most self-indulgent. But Fosberg's gifts as a writer and actor place his story on a higher plane, offering us a rich account of his own life-altering journey while prompting reflections on this country's complex social history."

"This play has a lot of heart. It's a small show full of big ideas."


	—Robert Trussell, Kansas City Star

"Fosberg inhabits the personal epiphany that is "INCOGNITO" in a tour-de-force performance that is so low key and natural, we never know he's grabbed us till we weep."

-Kity Montgomery, The Daily Freeman

"A fascinating and gripping story!"

-LeeAnn Trotter, NBC News Chicago

"Fosberg's justly acclaimed show is one of those rare solo pieces that manages to combine a sense of personal revelation with a palpable universal appeal. As in the best of such pieces, Fosberg is enough of an eccentric personality to command the stage for a two-hour show about his own life, yet he's also an everyman figure able to spark empathy as he negotiates a life full of extraordinary people and events."


	—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"One-person autobiographical shows have been done to death. As far as I'm concerned, a handful of terrific performers in the ‘80's and early ‘90's (Spalding Gray, Laurie Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Claudia Shear, Heather Woodbury) exhausted the form. And most performers today are just repeating what these giants did 15 to 20 years ago. But there are exceptions, of course, and actor, writer, director Michael Fosberg is one of them. His solo show, "Incognito," is at once an intensely personal journey and an entertaining/enlightening evening of theater."
"Fosberg has clearly thought a lot about American life and his piece is full of insights about how we construct our personal identities and how, in an instant, one's sense of self can be altered forever. The fact that it is also, at times, hilarious, is just gravy."


	—Jack Helbig, Daily Herald

"What a great story! You have to go out and see INCOGNITO!!"

-Janet Davies, ABC News Chicago

"Fosberg takes us on a fascinating journey of self-discovery…a profoundly American story…an engrossing one-man show."


	—Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

"Michael Fosberg is a writer and performer who regales us with a fascinating, humorous, touching, and ultimately very universal story about the search for one's roots…a sincere and talented storyteller, with something meaningful to say. A must-see."


	—Rick Reed, Windy City Times

"His journey becomes our journey…"


	—Mary Shen Barnidge, Chicago Reader

"…his story and winning personality capture and hold our attention."


	--Dan Zeff, The News Sun

"…the story grabs hold and won't let go."


	—Virginia Gerst, Pioneer Press

“”Incognito” will last longer than most new plays because America remains acutely sensitive to the tension that remains between its black and white citizens. The play deals with that tension with insight and without anger.”

- Emerson Lynn, The Iola Register

“I can't think of a better example of the magic of live theatre.” -Dan Born, Kansas City Infozine

"Fosberg has a dynamic presence onstage and writes beautifully. He employs a wide variety of accents, dialects, and body movement to bring his characters to vivid life before our eyes, changing back to himself in an instant."

-Rebecca Daniels, The Woodstock Times

"Watching this exceptional actor arrive at the point of discovery and then soaring with him on his subsequent journey is an extraordinary and unforgetable experience."

-Myra Eder, Star Newspapers

"While Fosberg's story is in itself fascinating and engrossing, the key to the power of this work is his performance. With his natural authenticity and simple honesty, Fosberg connects at such an emotional level with the audience that you can't help but like and empathize with him. "Incognito" is one of the best works I've seen at The Illinois Theatre Center and a wonderful way for the Park Forest theater company to start the new year."

-Betty Mohr, Daily Southtown

"There's a lot to think about here. My recommendation - DON"T MISS THIS SHOW!"

-Carol Moore, NW Indiana Times

"A marvelous piece of work!"

-Richard Steele, WBEZ, NPR Chicago