Justin L. Baldwin
Theatre Artist
reasons to be pretty - New Edgecliff Theatre, Cincinnati Ohio, '12
"According to one LCT panelist 'Baldwin's character is a male sterotype, but he was able to skillfully craft it so Kent did not come off as one-dimensional" another praised Baldwin's 'Raw Emotional Truthfulness."
- Behind the Curtain Cincinnati
Click here for the full Behind The Curtain Article.
"New Edgecliff Theatre, performing in the Columbia Performance Center in the East End, presented Neal LaBute's Reasons to be Pretty ; the misogynistic writer is not one of my favorites, but NET's production featured several strong performances, especially a thoroughly dislikable boor played by Justin Baldwin"
- Rick Pender, CityBeat
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Quake, a closet love story - Cincinnati Fringe Festival '12
" Quake’s premise is terrifying: trapped alive with an ex, watching each other slowly dehydrate and starve to death. Oh, and no bathroom. Actors Lara Miller and Justin Baldwin make the challenging confines of their closet sized set space look easy, climbing over one another, standing on boxes, wrapping around each other for comfort. Baldwin's comedic gifts are evident and give the show a lot of its levity..."
- CityBeat, Cincinnati
The Irish Curse by Martin Casella
"...Under director Justin Baldwin, all performances are on-the-money in a simple in-the-round staging. They enhance the distinct temperament and narrative voice Casella gives each character in his skillfully written text.”
-Windy City Times
“In other hands, the ritual of an evening of church-sponsored therapy would threaten to get tedious, but director Justin Baldwin lets each man dictate his moment at the center of the circle...I assumed that a show focused primarily on small penis size wouldn’t have much to say to me a card-carrying feminist, but Level 11 Theatre’s production of “The Irish Curse” has proven me wrong on all counts. It’s an incredibly funny and crass journey that takes an honest glimpse into the pants and hearts of a group of greatly troubled men.”
- Theatre by Numbers Chicago.
"As the author of THE IRISH CURSE, I was blown away by Justin Baldwin's visceral, pungent production of the show at the Den Theater in Chicago. From its vibrant in-the-round setting, to its rock 'em sock 'em robots staging, to its fluid, Chicago theater-style sensibility, this CURSE grabbed the audience by the throat from the witty opening until the emotional final scene. Mr. Baldwin interjected many nuances and colors into the text that I had never seen before, including raucous, Altmanesque-overlapping dialogue and an intimate, masculine physicality soaked in testosterone. This production just delighted me. I hope Mr. Baldwin will direct another play of mine; I love how he breaks the rules.”
- Martin Casella, Playwright, The Irish Curse
Performance
Directing Reviews and Mentions
SubUrbia, by Eric Bogosian
“..In turn Justin Baldwin’s staging taps the script, igniting the kamikaze risk-taking required by such stunning scenes. It’s the same gonzo, take-no-prisoners intensity that Bogosian dug into in Talk Radio and Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and clearly, it’s contagious.”
– Stage and Cinema Chicago
"I knew roughly that the play was a story of youth, the suburbs and the angst most young adults feel about the world around them. This much I did know, but the power and strength put on by the intimate play was something I had no preparation for ... I didn’t come with any expectations of the play, but by intermission I was rooting for all of the characters. I was emotionally invested in each of their stories. "
- MYChiNews.com
Lion in Winter - Palm Beach DramaWorks '12
...a deliciously oily portrayal by Cliff Burgess, switches sides depending on which way the wind blows. John, played with clumsy brilliance by Justin Baldwin, is too stupid to know if there’s even a wind.
- Palm Beach Daily News
Quake, a love story - NYC International Fringe '13
“Actors Kelly [Quinn] Kilgore and Justin Baldwin don’t miss a step in their portrayal of a couple at the end of their expiration date.”
-Nytheatre.com
“The love/hate chemistry between [Quinn] Kilgore and Baldwin is worth a trip to New York.” - Broadwayworld.com Orlando
"Justin was a collaborative guest artist as part of our academic season at Missouri State University in the fall of '17. The students and faculty loved Justin's contribution as a guest director and we hope that he will return."
- Shawn T. Wahl, Ph.D. Interim Dean, College of Arts and Letters
