New York Times critic

Rock Out review
by Hy Bender

Rating: ***

Have you ever sat bored in your office, turned on some music, and just started dancing, slowly letting all of your inhibitions go—only to suddenly turn and realize someone's entered the room and seen you?

That true-life incident is the foundation of this wordless 30-minute show. Using cartoonish backdrops to indicate an office, two living rooms, and a subway car, we're shown the tale of a man and a woman who catch each "rocking out" to their favorite tunes. At first lonely and shy, they ultimately let each other enter their respective worlds—and end up dancing to the same beat.

The two leads, Gregory Jones (who's also the writer) and Tiffany Hodges (who's also the choreographer), are delightful as both energetic dancers, and actors who manage to convey pages of emotion with only facial expressions. Melissa Maxwell's thoughtful direction caps this utterly charming love story.

Rock Out is among the shortest and simplest shows of the festival; but it's a small gem.