"Shepard casts the play as a stage version of a film noir. Although directors Randall Wise and John Doyle nicely catch the genre's dark, ominous atmosphere, the play would be a more effective piece had Shepard stayed with the noir model more faithfully.
Norton plays the relatively minor character of Cecelia, poorly used by both Vinnie and Carter but who emerges uncorrupted. She makes the character's goodness and naivete believable, even though Shepard lays both of them on thick.
There is a forcefulness to Ray Saraceni's grungy, deranged Vinnie that propels every scene he is in.
As Rosie, Carol Graham gives a strong portrayal of a bitter, selfish woman....
T.J. DeLuca's exceptionally well-played scene with Norton, in which Cecelia resists both Simms' mild attempt at seduction and the temptation to run off with a pile of cash, is the production's most memorable."
Doug Keating
Philadelphia Inquirer

"Co-directors Randy Wise and John Doyle, assisted by a typically extraordinary cast of Iron Age veterans, reveal subtle accents that might have simply been muted elsewhere, and that alone makes this one of the most important stagings every to hit the Montgomery County Cultural Center- one that respect Shepard's Promethean reach in this strange nether world where high life meets lowlife and reveals the anguished power of his language.
Brilliantly evoking both filmnoir detective story - complete with an evocative soundtrack by Philadelphia based Pop.3 that is worthy of a David Lynch epic - and the tortured malaise of Ibsen, the play tugs mercilessly at the thin line between loyalty and revenge."
Gary Puleo
The Times Herald

"Directors Randy Wise and John Doyle make the most of the thematic shifts, with an able cast and a sharp set design that makes the limitations of the Montgomery County Cultural Center stage into an asset.
Ray Saraceni plays Vinnie; his diction suggests a once-refined man in rough circumstances. Anthony Giampetro's Carter seems the opposite he's well-off, thanks to a creative fix at the track, but it's ruthlessness more than intelligence that got him there. Both actors ratchet the tension in their scenes together they see each other as enemies,and their animosity drives the play.
DeLuca and Norton have a twisted and tender chemistry in their one scene together. It's the play's best scene: a confrontation that leaves them both unexpectedly transformed.
Simpatico is further distinguished by the music of Pop. 3, a Philadelphia-area band who worked with Wise and Doyle to score the play. The music - played by Amy Pickard, Chris Zimmerman and constume designer Beth Case - is atmospheric female vocal harmonies with a hint of country twang. It's certainly not the smoky jazz you'd associate with this play, and plays against expectations well.
There are no sure things, but Iron Age's production of this inventive play is close enough for horse races."
Rob Staeger
Arcade

The play Simpatico is a very fast moving, exciting play, well directed with the superb performance of a tremendous cast.
Charles L. Moles
Moles Real Estate Newsletter