Elizabeth Vincentelli wrote in The
New York Times "Best of Theatre 2019": "The Lighting Thief harbors a hilarious gem — or rather many, all courtesy of Ryan Knowles. Perched on long, angular legs, Knowles handles several parts in grand Looney Tunes style. What's most striking is his vocal versatility: He can go down to chthonic depths when playing a centaur, for instance, yet for Hades, he models his grandiosely arch line readings after Paul Lynde's." The
New Yorker writes: "The rubber-limbed, vocally dexterous Ryan Knowles, in multiple roles, [is] a scene-stealer of the highest order." Théoden Janes wrote in the
Charlotte Observer: "Knowles is a chameleonic standout who threatens to steal the show!" Em Skow wrote in DC Metro: "[A] scene stealer every time he stepped, wheeled, or galloped on stage. His remarkable range of intricately-layered personas were fascinating to watch unfold and were always perfectly balanced on the edge of ridiculous and delightful, for adults and kids alike." Dan Aucoin wrote in the
Boston Globe: "Ryan Knowles delivers a standout performance. Dan Bacalzo wrote on TheatreMania.com, "Knowles takes control of the stage...[he] has a dynamic presence and an appropriately seedy charisma. He also has a deep baritone which he utilizes to good effect." Mark Roberson writes on NYTheatre.com, "Ryan Knowles is perfect. Made up as a Jagger-Hedwig hybrid, Knowles moves between his songs and speeches with ease, hitting all the right moments. We are enthralled..with him, and always interested." Jason Clark writes in Slant Magazine, "Playing the titular self-created deity with a cheeky, pervy, party-boy hauteur, not unlike
Cabaret's furtive Emcee, the brave, highly attention-catching Ryan Knowles lords over a most unruly evening." Lauren Wissot writes on TheatreOnline.com, "The
Mick Jagger-resembling Ryan Knowles [is] a charismatic performer who has both played villains and done time as a Nickelodeon TV show host...[He] is one big, punk rock smackdown answer to sissy hippie '
Hair.'" Mark Blankenship wrote in
Variety: "For sheer solo star power, however, no one tops Ryan Knowles as Bottom. The dexterity in his voice is astonishing, gliding from a twitter to wall-shattering thunder. His body contorts into countless postures of clownish arrogance without signs of effort. His fluidity and precision make him captivating to watch, suggesting he has a major career in the making."
The New Yorker proclaimed: "Ryan Knowles steals the show with his braying, rubber-limbed portrayal of the vainglorious Bottom. His thundering voice, relentless moue-making, and mammoth charisma are a cartoony cocktail of Jim Carrey and Snagglepuss, with a little speed thrown in." Barbara and
Scott Siegel wrote Theatermania.com: "Ryan Knowles is simply a dynamo of talent as Bottom; a combination of a young Peter O'Toole and Jim Carrey, he can seemingly do anything with his voice and his body...[A performer] so electric that you know you are catching [a] future star early in [his] career." Mark Dundas Wood wrote in
Backstage: "You'll have to stop to applaud the gifted Ryan Knowles, perhaps the lankiest actor ever to play the role of Bottom. Knowles has a voice that fairly booms and a face that stretches like Dubble Bubble. He seems to have stepped out of lost footage from cartoonist Tex Avery." ==References==