"...Niess’ success is in preserving the Absurdist integrity of the play…his work with actors has molded them into an excellent ensemble."
on Waiting for Godot -- Michael P. Howley, KC/ACTF respondent
Current directing references and reviews
Donald Seay, Ph D. former Artistic Director - UCF Conservatory Theatre - Orlando
As Artistic Director and Chair, Dr. Seay mentored Niess' work for three years.
e-mail -- dseay@pegasus.edu
phone -- 603-646-3104
"...Durang’s seriocomedic style demands performances must negotiate between “over-the-top” quirkiness (sometimes bordering on the grotesque) and an internal core of emotional truth. Niess clearly understands this negotiation in the performance, and that understanding shows in the individual performances. He also displays a fine command of the stage space, creating composition and movement patterns that underscored the tensions within the play."
on The Marriage of Bette and Boo -- C. David Frankel, KC/ACTF respondent
"...What really pulls this production into the new millennia is the adaptation - director Niess puts a clever twist on the staging, and with an abundance of young actors ... this ballistic project flies."
