Leaving Prince Charming

Lara Repko is a gifted performer and storyteller. I loved the framing device of having her fairy godmother narrate for us – a refreshing new take on a solo show. I related to the many voices living in her head and the journey through her darkness as her Prince turns on her is gut-wrenching. Ms. Repko has immense vocal talent – she has more than just a series of funny character voices. Her voice changes in inflection, modulation, timbre and accent – and she executes this nearly flawlessly.
This show rightfully comes with a trigger warning – it is intense, and for anyone who has endured physical or psychological abuse, I say proceed with caution.

A brave and powerful performance from the most delightful of performers. This is a heartbreaking story delivered with such charm and sensitivity, you’ll leave inspired by this remarkable woman. Well written and performed by a talented actress, it’s a show that should be required watching in high schools everywhere.

The dynamic Lara strategically woos you in with her sweet/coy allure a la Tinkerbell style in the beginning. It starts off with girl next door, middle class Christian foundation. You know, most of us bought into the princess in waiting Disney package... Then she rips the "holy veil" off in her exploration of young adulthood. Lara is a superb actress with an extremely important message that must be heard. I highly recommend bringing your teenage girls to this, to hear "the cool older cousin" school them on what a healthy romantic relationship is and isn't (without being preachy). Stop reading this now and cop her Encore tix!

Lara Repko finds tremendous positivity and humor in this fantastic show about how she got herself into and out of a terrible situation. Her ability to keep it light even as things in her life go dark is amazing to watch. She’s a gifted performer, ranging from silly to intense to sublime with a moment’s grace. One doesn’t think of sweet and strong when describing a performer, but it fits Lara perfectly.

Go see it.

Lara is a dynamic and charismatic performer with a clear grasp of this art form. It was funny, touching and insightful. Having recently seen a dear friend extract herself from a verbally abusive relationship made this hit close for me. And seeing Lara bring her liberation to live was very moving. This is a courageous performance by a brave, and talented young woman. She lights up the stage and makes you fall in love with her, and then she drags you down into the depths of an abusive relationship, then lights it up again with her story of liberation, all while giving important information and support to anyone who may be going through such an ordeal in their own lives. Just wonderful.

Lara’s show is a must see! She has managed to weave together a powerful story and an important subject matter into a high energy, no holds barred show.
She tells the story of falling in love, the awkwardness of that first time and ultimately realizing that maybe what she thought was love, wasn’t; in the most unhealthy of ways, even dangerous. Lara’s character work is amazing! Her accents and physicmlizations of different parts of herself are fantastic and very well crafted. In fact, the entire play is well crafted and Lara is a very strong performer. She makes you fall in love with her. This play NEEDS to go on tour to high schools and colleges!

It was honest, vulnerable and certainly funny along the way. A true accomplishment! Thank you, Lara, for a brave, honest and self-exposing story of courage and clarity. And CHEERS to you for not only telling your story, but for SAVING yourself to share this amazing art with us!

Lara charmed the audience with her sincere look at a very challenging time in her life and treated us to a show full of interesting and evocative characters as well as fearless physical comedy. Telling her individual story she touched on much bigger issues that anyone can relate to.

Lara Repko delivers a masterpiece of solo theater with another in a long line of unfortunate stories about domestic violence. Unlike so many others, she is not bitter about it, although her emotions came through loud and clear. She tells the story in a humorous way that kept the audience at ease while she hit us with one startling revelation after another.

Thank you, Lara, for a brave, honest and self-exposing story of courage and clarity. And CHEERS to you for not only telling your story, but for SAVING yourself to share this amazing art with us! It was honest, vulnerable and certainly funny along the way. A true accomplishment!

I'm often skeptical of autobiographical solo shows, so trust me on this when I say you've got to see this.

Lara is an absolutely riveting performer, casting her acting over the audience like a spell. Which is apropos, given that the conceit of the show is Lara playing a fairy godmother.

There are several moments during the show where I scrunched up real tight and squeaked over how uncomfortable things were. There are several lines that will cut to the bone and make you go - "no... no one would never actually say that to another person... would they?"

So that's good.

And oh, this show GOES THERE. It is not afraid to wallow around in discomfort for a second or two. Or fifteen.

The discomfort is balanced out by how funny Lara is. Her reenactment of... well, no spoilers, but of a PARTICULAR LIFE EVENT WE ALL EXPERIENCE is beyond hysterical.

The piece is very #relatable in the best ways. You will see yourself reflected in the young girl Lara once was, because whether you have ever been a girl or not, we have all been fed some very strange concepts about love. You will nod in recognition, you will laugh, you will cringe, maybe even cry.

You never think abuse will happen to you.

The way Lara decided to end the show is impressive, but also not to my preferences. Which is a hundred percent fine - it's purely a matter of taste.

I doubt most people will mind.

Lara is an incredibly skilled performer and seeing her physical acting chops is worth the price of entry alone. Fortunately, she has a compelling and painful story to go along with it.

Wow! Well, I could have saved a lifetime of heart ache if I had scene this show when I was in my early twenties! Lara is absolutely charming, adorable, sincere, brave, bold, and just downright impressive as all her selves coming to her own rescue. Empowering to say the least, Lara’s Leaving Prince Charming is one big lesson in self esteem and a powerhouse of a solo performance that will leave you begging for more! Spoiler alert... thank god she left him... for us!!!
Lara’s characterizations are so on point, her delivery polished and absolutely entertaining! Well written, clever, comical and impressively educational Lara takes a look at herself as well as social constructs which keep us repeating patterns of behavior that don’t usually end well for anyone. Her wonderful multimedia presentation helps bring all the points home. Unconventional yes, and so relatable and refreshing. More please!
One is almost struck with disbelief... can all this talent really be emanating from one person?!

This one-woman show is a success on many artistic levels but most importantly in teaching. Lara involves the audience in her pain and joy brilliantly. Lara Repko is the one to watch for future brilliance and I, for one, will be tracking her future successes!