“Grounded,” which runs for a taut 85 minutes, is a showcase of Cage’s theatrical skills?She has full command of her character’s emotions, and she gives us a frank woman who is powerful in all aspects of her life, from her workplace to the bedroom. Director Wendy Knox efficaciously uses movement to delineate not just space and time in this production “we get to focus on the [performer] who [is], blessedly, at the height of [her] craft.” –StarTribune
?Knox’s restraint and trust — in the material, in performer Sha Cage and in her audiences to go along with the story — is an act of bravery. Cage’s performance is equally brave. A diminutive physical presence, she fills out her flightsuit with an outsized swagger and certainty of purpose. ?Cage shows us what happens when a body (and a mind) used to continual motion is forced to a stop?.it’s a worthwhile flight.? ?PioneerPress
“(Sh?) Cage is one of the best talents in the Twin Cities.. this role certainly
fits with [her] past work with the iconoclastic Frank…Much of the?production…sharp direction and an effective, minimal set — is already?in place… Grounded should be ready to truly fly.” ?City Pages
?Sh? Cage ..is an excellent choice for this role.. strong enough to command the stage and play this strong woman, but also convey her vulnerable side…Her [fully realized and emotional] performance is allowed to shine in the simplicity of the design; the stage is bare except for a chair and bench, with only subtle changes in lighting to set the tone (set by Joseph Stanley, lighting by Mike Kittel).? ?cherryandspoon.com
“Sh? Cage is beautiful in this one woman performance..[she] never lets go?of the Pilot?s passion and yearning…Director Wendy Knox pulls an excellent performance out of Cage. As always with Knox, Grounded exhibits intelligence and play-driving focus. Her designers ? Joseph Stanley (sets), Michael Kittel (lights), Kathy Kohl (costumes) and Michael Croswell (sound), do terrific work … Their production is clean and focused….the story is terrific. Anything Frank?Theatre does is worth a look.” —howwastheshow.com
?Ultimately, the main strength of Grounded is not what it says or might say about drones, ? but rather its dramatization of the birth of empathy, a process that comes to a head in a heartbreaking climactic scene that Cage carries off masterfully. Cage is riveting throughout?The rhythms of her speech, the choreography of her movements, and the nuances of her facial expressions add up to a virtuoso performance.? –BadEntertainment blog
