"The beauty of Jason’s worldly travels is the influence his experiences has on the stories that he is writing for the stage. His characters are rounded, interesting, and complex because he can bring so many of his experiences into their personalities, and I do mean their personalities. A Jason Lasky play has his voice throughout the piece, and his characters are all uniquely individual. Jason works so that neither his latest characters nor the most recent play as a whole ever sound the same from piece to piece....
All in all, what I am trying to say is that Jason is a gifted playwright with a lot of stories to tell....
I feel my collaborator’s point-of-view is one that should continue to be shared through this artistic medium, and I will continue to do my best to see this newest voice of the theater come to light."
- Brandon Stock, Resident Director, The Flea Theater, New York City [Click both names for links.]
"Jason is a very talented dramatic writer and actor who possesses great willingness to let go and experiment. He is also conscientious and will spend as much time as necessary to do his homework, always bringing something new to the table."
- Michael Ouyang, Creative Director Endemol Asia, 5th Wall Theater Artistic Director [Click both names for links.]
Actor
The Zoo Story
"Lasky shines in this performance. His goofy smile and lop-sided hoodie suggests a good nature, but this is undermined as hints of a wildness emerge as the drama progresses."
- Anna Leach, TimeOut Magazine, 2011
"Of particular note were Lasky’s characterizations of Jerry’s bibulous landlord and her ill-tempered dog, morphing into these roles with such gusto that the audience tittered with excitement. At the play’s climax, where Jerry grew steadily more menacing and Peter’s stoicism finally began to unravel, the tension between Lasky and Collins crescendoed perfectly until the play’s sudden and tragic ending."
- Tom Mangione, Talk Magazine, 2011 [Click name for links.]
Masquerade: The Black Cat
"For me, the standout story was “The Black Cat,” a tale of an animal lover who is haunted by what he does during a drunken rage. Actor Jason Lasky is both engaging and slightly threatening as the main character and storyteller. ...It’s a disturbing, menacing story that’s well told."
- Meredith Cox, EnjoyShanghai, 2013
"Plaudits must go to... Jason Lasky’s riveting portrayal of a man’s sad descent into loathing madness."
- Dom Bangay-Wilding, Shanghai 24/7, 2013
Playwright
Sons of Liberty: A Staged Reading
"So well attended and received. … I've been to several readings in NYC and the West coast…[t]he bottom line is that your writing shows depth perception into human life and our world. "
- Robert Applegate, personal email
Director
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridge)[revised]
"The entire production is held together by the impressive understanding each actor has for the other’s role, a rapidly rotating triumvirate which whirls easily and confidently across the crowded stage... The jokes come thick and fast and...are met with hoots of laughter. ...This play relies upon fast back-and-forth to deliver the comedy and what was ostensibly clear was the genuine enjoyment the actors derived from working with one another.... The final part of the play is often cut from many productions since it requires extensive practice and a death or glory attitude to get right. Admirably and quite rightly, this performance embraces the challenge and emerges triumphant. ...Fun, fast and frantic, Urban Aphrodite’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) is a wonderful example of ...meticulous directing."
- Dom Bangay-Wilding, Shanghai 24/7, 2013
"A gifted and hard-working director, Jason is very generous with his time, challenging me to think and move in new and novel ways. Together we created a very successful piece of theatre, 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.' "
- Alex Gomar, International President at The Intercultural Performance Studio
All in all, what I am trying to say is that Jason is a gifted playwright with a lot of stories to tell....
I feel my collaborator’s point-of-view is one that should continue to be shared through this artistic medium, and I will continue to do my best to see this newest voice of the theater come to light."
- Brandon Stock, Resident Director, The Flea Theater, New York City [Click both names for links.]
"Jason is a very talented dramatic writer and actor who possesses great willingness to let go and experiment. He is also conscientious and will spend as much time as necessary to do his homework, always bringing something new to the table."
- Michael Ouyang, Creative Director Endemol Asia, 5th Wall Theater Artistic Director [Click both names for links.]
Actor
The Zoo Story
"Lasky shines in this performance. His goofy smile and lop-sided hoodie suggests a good nature, but this is undermined as hints of a wildness emerge as the drama progresses."
- Anna Leach, TimeOut Magazine, 2011
"Of particular note were Lasky’s characterizations of Jerry’s bibulous landlord and her ill-tempered dog, morphing into these roles with such gusto that the audience tittered with excitement. At the play’s climax, where Jerry grew steadily more menacing and Peter’s stoicism finally began to unravel, the tension between Lasky and Collins crescendoed perfectly until the play’s sudden and tragic ending."
- Tom Mangione, Talk Magazine, 2011 [Click name for links.]
Masquerade: The Black Cat
"For me, the standout story was “The Black Cat,” a tale of an animal lover who is haunted by what he does during a drunken rage. Actor Jason Lasky is both engaging and slightly threatening as the main character and storyteller. ...It’s a disturbing, menacing story that’s well told."
- Meredith Cox, EnjoyShanghai, 2013
"Plaudits must go to... Jason Lasky’s riveting portrayal of a man’s sad descent into loathing madness."
- Dom Bangay-Wilding, Shanghai 24/7, 2013
Playwright
Sons of Liberty: A Staged Reading
"So well attended and received. … I've been to several readings in NYC and the West coast…[t]he bottom line is that your writing shows depth perception into human life and our world. "
- Robert Applegate, personal email
Director
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridge)[revised]
"The entire production is held together by the impressive understanding each actor has for the other’s role, a rapidly rotating triumvirate which whirls easily and confidently across the crowded stage... The jokes come thick and fast and...are met with hoots of laughter. ...This play relies upon fast back-and-forth to deliver the comedy and what was ostensibly clear was the genuine enjoyment the actors derived from working with one another.... The final part of the play is often cut from many productions since it requires extensive practice and a death or glory attitude to get right. Admirably and quite rightly, this performance embraces the challenge and emerges triumphant. ...Fun, fast and frantic, Urban Aphrodite’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) is a wonderful example of ...meticulous directing."
- Dom Bangay-Wilding, Shanghai 24/7, 2013
"A gifted and hard-working director, Jason is very generous with his time, challenging me to think and move in new and novel ways. Together we created a very successful piece of theatre, 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.' "
- Alex Gomar, International President at The Intercultural Performance Studio