Selected Reviews
"The Wolves" The New York Times, Ben Brantley - September 11, 2016
...some of the most exciting and affecting ensemble work on a New York stage.
And she never, ever betrays the distinctive selves of her characters, nor do the actresses playing them. I deliberately haven’t singled any one out, for fear of possibly slighting the others. (Check the cast box, and note the names; every one of these young women warrants watching in the future.)
"The Wolves" Variety, Frank Rizzo - December 10, 2016
In this heady rush of adolescent energy, ideas and emotion, the ensemble work is astonishing. The performers in this Playwrights Realm production have been sharpening their rhythms since early fall in this extended run, and the result is acting teamwork of the highest order. Particularly memorable [is]...Lauren Patten as the team captain who deals with responsibility and guilt...
"Fun Home" West End Frame, Andrew Tomlins - April 18, 2016
Lauren Patten excelled as Medium Alison; Patten aced the funniest song of the evening, "Changing My Major," which comes when Alison falls madly in love with her friend Joan. Patten's rendition went down a storm.
"The Girls in White" Theater Pizzazz, Monica Charline Brown - April 25, 2016
Lauren Patten's strong presence and soulful, commanding voice stood out in "We'll Do A Little Singin'," a song where she calls her fellow inmates to action with her personality and power alto.
"Spring Awakening" Stage and Cinema, Tony Frankel - September 26, 2014
Surrounded by a bevy of impeccable thespians, the distinctive Lauren Patten nonetheless stands out as Ilse. In one scene, Patten embodies an array of emotions: frustration, love, neediness, desperation, joy, loneliness, and selflessness.
"Spring Awakening" Stage Scene LA, Steven Stanley - September 18, 2014
As for Lauren Patten...I have never seen a more extraordinarily powerful Ilse, no mere teen runaway this time round but a deeply troubled sexual abuse victim just barely holding it together, and Patten’s deep, powerful pipes give Adele a run for her money.
"Theatre Review - Spring Awakening" Noho Arts, Radomir Vojtech Luza - September 25, 2014
Stand-outs include Lauren Patten (Ilse) whose compassionate, tender and fierce portrayal breaks hearts on stage and off, and makes us, the audience, feel the true casualties and triumphs of love.
"Deaf West and Michael Arden Discover a New 'Spring Awakening'" Broadway World, Ellen Dostal - September 17, 2014
Lauren Patten makes bold choices in a strong characterization of the wayward Ilse, accompanied by a dusky, warm singing voice that, once again, comes as a wonderful surprise, given her willowy frame.
"'The Burnt Part Boys' set off on a mission L.A. Times, David C. Nichols - September 19, 2013
All four boys are appealing of voice and person, with Dingeman a scene-stealing find. So is Lauren Patten as Frances, the feisty tomboy who becomes Pete and Dusty’s mountain guide...
"The Burnt Part Boys" Stage Scene LA, Steven Stanley - September 15, 2013
Following a string of teen starring roles at the Rubicon, Patten gives another rave-worthy performance, vanishing inside Frances’s tough girl shell yet revealing the wounded child within.
"Our Town at the Rubicon" Santa Barbara Independent, Tom Jacobs - March 20, 2013
Thanks in large part to a strong performance by Lauren Patten as Emily Webb, the conclusion is enormously moving. It’s Patten who gets to say the famous line, “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it — every, every minute?” and her tone is perfect: pleading, confused, yearning...The final act, which she dominates, makes this production very much worth seeing...
"Theatre Review: Rubicon's 'Our Town' packs powerful message" Ventura County Star, Rita Moran - March 13, 2013
The cast is solid throughout, but Lauren Patten’s luminous performance as Emily Webb is crucial to the central skein of the tale. An inner glow radiates through her as much as it did when she played the title role in Rubicon’s “The Diary of Anne Frank.” While her Emily is young and a tad capricious when she first appears, she grows in self-awareness and understanding throughout.
“Hundred Dresses Fits Company to a T" Chicago Sun Times, Hedy Weiss - October 6, 2009
The story introduces us to five elementary school students and the new girl with the foreign accent and unfashionable outfit, Wanda Petronski (played with great delicacy and self-possession by Lauren Patten), who joins them for one semester.
"Hundred Dresses Tales of Bullies and Bystanders Best Yet by Chicago Children’s Theatre" Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones - October 5, 2009
It’s the story of Wanda Petronski, a Polish immigrant girl struggling for acceptance in her small-town schoolhouse…Lauren Patten taps into Wanda’s emotional pain with striking rapidity.
"Fiddler on the Roof" Los Angeles Times, David Ng - April 1, 2009
Even better are the younger ensemble members who bring dewy innocence and good looks to their parts. …. Equally effective is Lauren Patten, who makes the most of her limited stage time as the most headstrong of the daughters.
"Rubicon Scores with New Fiddler" The Santa Barbara Independent, Tom Jacobs - April 1, 2009
Lauren Patten is the standout of the supporting cast, embodying the intelligence and passion of Tevye’s rebellious daughter Chava.
"Ten Cent Night" Centerstage Review, Zach Freeman - September 29, 2008
Director Richard Shavzin has coaxed daring performances from his entire cast, particularly sixteen year old Lauren Patten as the young and confused Sadie…this world premiere of “Ten Cent Night” is a reminder of what live theatre can be when done right.
“Anne Frank lives anew; A 14-year-old actress makes the most of her pivotal role in `The Diary of Anne Frank” Los Angeles Times, Phillip Brandes - March 15, 2007
The poignant and preternaturally insightful [Anne Frank] is both the play's pivotal role and its greatest casting challenge. Rather than the typical recourse to an older actress, director James O'Neil cast a wide net, and he hit pay dirt in 14-year-old Chicago native Lauren Patten. Patten, at exactly the right age and looking uncannily like photos of the real Anne, displays the accomplished stage savvy and emotional maturity to convey the full meaning and effect of every line. Particularly impressive is her assured handling of Anne's emerging sexual awareness in passages omitted from the initial published diary and incorporated by adapter Wendy Kesselman for the 1997 Broadway revival.
“Rubicon Gives Life to Anne Frank” Broadwayworld.com, James Sims - March 21, 2007
Bruce Weitz’s (Death of a Salesman with George C. Scott and TV's "Hill Street Blues") heartfelt and somber portrayal of Otto Frank along with the superbly talented Lauren Patten as Anne Frank creates the pivotal roles of this production. Patten, at only 14, is a talent to watch, as she is full of potential, much of which is on display at the Rubicon. Her precocious take on Anne shows a side of the character that is eager to learn life's lessons beyond her years, establishing the bitter reality of her never living long enough to realize such aspirations.
