REVIEWS

52nd Annual Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Conference
Tampa, Florida
November 6th, 2007

"The experience we all enjoyed tonight was truly outstanding. As General Chair and on behalf of the whole steering Committee of the 52nd Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Conference, I would like to congratulate you on a great show and on an outstanding performance. We had great attendance tonight and I can truthfully say that the show was a great success. Congratulations to Frank Tabbita and his crew!

-- Dieter Welles (General Chair, MMM 2007)
Dr. Tesla

I very much enjoyed your performance at the MMM conference in Tampa. After a day of meetings presenting our ideas on magnetism to our colleagues, we could well relate to the passion and struggles of Tesla. Many of us, of course, knew about the inventions and odd ideas of Tesla. However it was interesting to learn of his enigmatic character and personal life. It was amazing how you, in a one-man show, were able to portray the tensions and altercations between Tesla and his backers, Edison and Westinghouse. A wonderful treat for engineers and lay audience alike!

-- Albrecht Jander

LINCOLN THEATRE
Mt. Vernon, WA
November 6th, 2007

"Frank Tabbita's portrayal of Nickola Tesla is so believable you feel you are in the presence of the great Tesla himself. I was touched by Tesla's gentle character, peculiarities and extreme dedication to his work. I felt sympathy for his struggle to achieve the recognition he deserved during his lifetime and even today. He has changed our world and the way we live forever."

-- Linda Coyne, Bellingham, Wa

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LEOPOLD CRYSTAL BALLROOM
Bellingham, WA
February 2nd & 3rd, 2007

"Bravo! The show succeeds on three levels: drama, history and explanation of complicated science."

-- Emily Weiner

Mr. Tabbita's commanding performance of Telsa is a wonder. Besides being educational and appreciative of one of the giants of the age of invention, the performance is a thrill for anyone who is a fan of theater and the dramatic arts. One does not need to know anything of Telsa's life to enjoy the show. Those who are already knowledgeable of Tesla's life and times will appreciate the historic portrayal of the man who invented the 21st century.

-- Frank Ordway, Executive Director
American Museum of Radio and Electricity

My wife Megan and I were privileged to see Frank Tabbita's performance of TESLA at the Leopold Crystal Ballroom in Bellingham Washington. Frank's performance was stunning and captivating. Nikola Tesla's life was captured in its pain and triumph and in all its complexity. Tesla's achievements are largely unrecognized. The historic dimension of the play is entertaining in itself! Such a gem.

-- Jim Douma

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VANCOUVER SERBIAN CENTER PRODUCTION
Vancouver, British Columbia
December 8, 2006

"Watching you on the stage I felt as if the spirit of Nikola Tesla descended from his heights to walk among us mere mortals.... Everyone who saw your performance last night will remember it for many years."

-- Ana Ristic

"You presented his huge imagination and sparkling vision previously seen, maybe, in rare world-reknowned geniuses such as Mozart and Michelangelo. Your honest approach, great passion and startling, fluent memory left the auditorium stunned, amazed, fascinated.

-- Dr. Djordje (George) Kljajic

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OCTAGON THEATER PRODUCTION
Perth, Australia
July 6th, 2006

"It was a privilege to view it. All credit to Frank Tabbita for an excellent performance and to Jeff Amaral for setting up the stage and lighting. Fascinating, thought-provoking, surprising; it was a totally enjoyable experience. All the more of a surprise because it was completely unknown to most of the people who filled the Octagon Theatre here in Perth. I hope that we will see this production again in Australia. Many thanks!"

-- Branislav Grbovic
Tesla Forum Chairman, Perth

"I saw the play at the Octagon Theatre in Perth Western Australia last week and can't get the images out of my mind. Frank Tabbita really brought Tesla alive. It was a sensitive and riveting performance. I really hope there is support out there to bring Frank and Tesla Play back for an extended tour of Australia. Everyone I know who went to the play loved it."

-- Beverley Marshall

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JEAN & JOHN KNOX CENTER PRODUCTION
San Pablo, CA
April 7-8, 2005

"Last Friday night's show, April 8, 2005, on the life, amazing personality and opulent work of the Genius of the Twentieth Century and Master of Lightning, as named by some, Serb Nikola Tesla, performed by another genius but of a different art, actor Frank Tabbita, at the The Jean and John Knox Center for the Performing Arts in San Pablo , held the thrilled audience breathless and in the silence of a midnight temple. Please, make all possible efforts to introduce this memorable, inspiring and spirit enriching show to the much broader audience, at university campuses, schools, theatres and on TV. Thank you, Frank, one more time".

-- Tika Jankovic, QA Engineer, Micrel Inc.
& Vice President Save Serbian Children

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LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE PRODUCTION
Pittsburg, CA
March 18-21, 2005

“Tesla, the play, is well written, brilliantly acted and incredibly relevant to life in today’s America. I was possessed for days by the haunting mental images that were eloquently conveyed by one man and a simple set. Frank Tabbita is to Nikola Tesla as Hal Holbrook is to Mark Twain.”

-- Jeff W. Parisse, Director, kVA Effects www.teslacoil.com

"This was an excellent production of a wonderful story with several lessons to learn about life and survival. In the scene where Tesla worked as a manual laborer, he said: Now it is winter and I'm a ditch digger. My lofty education of science, mechanics, and literature is mockery. Still I do the work before me and labor like a beast. But my imagination grows stronger than ever. I work and rework all my inventions in my mind. Always believing that one day I would light this world on fire. It was in this scene I felt nostalgic as I remembered a Sunday school lesson on Joseph when his brothers sold him as a slave in Egypt. Joseph later rose to become the Prime Minister of Egypt. Tesla became to me a kind of Joseph by rising high. With so much to learn, see and relive, I recommend Tesla as a show of all time."

-- Ezechimere Wachuku,African exchange student
Los Medanos College, Pittsburg, CA

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iDiOM THEATRE PRODUCTION
Bellingham, WA
November 13-22, 2003

“Alternating (like the electrical current his subject discovered) between brilliance and naiveté, altruism and arrogance, giddy optimism and crushing disappointment, Frank Tabbita in ‘TESLA’ paints a virtuoso, 3-D portrait of complex, ill-fated, visionary genius. The monologues (written by Tabbita and J. Michael Newlight) are crisp, touching, and restrained, deftly revealing Tesla’s numerous betrayals by corporate America without ever succumbing to diatribe or heavy-handed indictment. It’s hard to imagine a smarter, more dramatically impressive one-man show.”

-- Author Tom Robbins, 12/2/2003

"iDiOM PRESENTS ROBUST DRAMA"
Bellingham Herald 11/13/2003
by
Debbie Ott, Herald Reviewer

The iDiOM Theater continues its season of provocative presentations with “TESLA”, a one-man show chronicling the life and work of physicist Nikola Tesla.

Before the performance began, one audience member wondered aloud why she had been dragged to a monologue about the guy who invented AC current. After all, isn’t this a show for the pocket-protector set?

But actor-playwright Frank Tabbita and his writing partner, Michael Newlight, have taken what could have been a pedantic high school science lecture and fashioned it into a fully-realized drama about genius, invention, and human frailty.

Based primarily on Tesla’s autobiography “My Inventions”, the play is set in a hotel room in the final moments before his death. Ailing and alone, Tesla (played by Tabbita) begins to recount the events of his life in a stream-of-consciousness flow of memories.

We find out that at one time he worked for Thomas Edison, and that he sold his patent for alternating current (AC) power to George Westinghouse for work on the Niagara Falls power generators.

We are also given initial glimpses into his eccentricities. A self-proclaimed Prometheus, as a child he captured May bugs for one of his inventions and learned to harness the power of nature to serve mankind.

He talks, at length, to the birds he feeds at his window ledge. He calculates the volume of each meal before eating it. He convinces a hotel staffer that his “death ray” device is being held in the hotel’s storage area as compensation for his stay there.

From this early collection of insights, Tesla’s narrative traces a more or less linear path through his life. Working feverishly to realize his vision of an unlimited power supply for all the earth, Tesla finds himself thwarted by his financiers, his colleagues, and his own troubling lack of business sense.

Crafted from a script initially workshopped two years ago, the production is sparse and simple.

The action moves across three stationary set pieces and requires Tesla to simply change coats as he moves through time. Solitary lights above individual set pieces help highlight Tesla’s various encounters with mentors, financiers and competitors. Speakers on either side of the stage fill in various sound effects and let us hear the world as Tesla does.

The heart and soul of the production is Tabbita as Tesla. An experienced stage and screen actor, he compels us through two acts and two hours with a warm, resonant voice and charismatic presence.

Tesla fights madness, but is not a madman. He has a sense of his own greatness, yet humbly bows to his colleagues. He is passionate and driven, even mischievous, a complex and ultimately sympathetic character.

The play sheds a warm, compassionate light on a man who battled giants, foresaw the invention of wireless phones, and still died alone and largely forgotten. “TESLA” captures his life and shows us his vision of the future.

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GREENLIGHT STUDIO
WORKSHOP PRODUCTION
Bellingham, WA
November 8-10, 2001

"I am really excited about this production. Tesla (with all his showman magic) and Frank seemed to be a perfect fit. I am sure this effort will continue to be a great success." -- David Hargrave

"The production was tight and Frank gave a high quality performance. A very demanding role given the multidimensional man: genius, isolate, anarchist, underdog, victim, coupled with eccentricities... Nicely done, Frank! Hats off to a fine effort. Please keep me on the list." -- Al Needler

"Good script: strong visual language. The play held my attention through its entirety. I felt I gained an insight into an incredible individual. Frank did a good job of communicating Tesla's character. Best wishes on the play. It has great potential; you are truly onto something." -- Carol Rondello

"Seamless script, mood changes, historical & bio flashbacks well done! Also, liked the mystical nuances." -- Jim Kane

"We enjoyed the performance and encourage you to stage productions elsewhere.... The dialogue fit Tesla and the times really well." -- Katy and Carl Batchelor

"It was well written and well performed. The technical stuff was excellent.... When's the next production?" -- Anonymous

"[We] both thoroughly enjoyed the production. The writing was excellent.... Frank's performance was strong, pitched at just the right level for the material and the space. Very personal, connected, present. A treat to watch. Engaging." -- Carolyn McCarthy

"It truly was a lovely evening. I loved the simple set -very effective, as my imagination could fill in the rest." -- Judy Stewart

"His [Frank Tabbita's] movements are excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire production." -- Denise Vega

"Congratulations! Tesla came alive. Frank is great!" -- Lisa Neulicht

"First rate!" -- Anonymous

"I liked the play a lot. I thought the "temporaloscillation" of story line was effective and increased the dimensionality of the character... The choreography was also excellent... It had a good balance of dramaticflair and personal expression that reinforced Tesla's personality." -- Gary Vallat

"Thank you for a very rewarding evening." -- Mitchell Smith

"I loved it!" -- Martine Marriot

"Bravo!! An outstanding production - great acting - excellent script." -- Peter James

"Well acted, subject was very interesting and it progressedsmoothly. Cannot think of anything I did not like. Totally enjoyed theplay." -- Wayne Harrington

"Unique subject, well portrayed. Thanks so much, a truly enjoyable evening." -- Ann Jones

"We enjoyed the production, thoroughly! Great job!!" -- Ken Schafer

"The actor & the playwright gave credibility to the play. We thoroughly enjoyed the play." -- Irwin & Frances LeCocq

"Thank you! I thought it was very well done. Keep me on your list." -- Phyllis McKee

"This is a very exciting and wonderful piece of work. Thanks!" -- Anonymous

"The actor was totally captivating." -- Leslie Schafer

"Wonderful acting - good accurate portrayal of a real person. Well written & acted. Thanks for the experience." -- Linda Smith

"The script was great. The pieces fit together and flowed so well. Before the play I asked 'Why Tesla?' Afterwards, I knew why." -- Anonymous

"The whole play was fabulous. Wonderful actor, very well done. Thank you!" -- Kirsti James

"Bravo! Most impressed. [I liked] the intimacy of the setting, the writing, Frank's performance, how polished the production was." -- Pippa Breakspear

"Frank's ability to portray Tesla's character and challenges in an entertaining way really made the play enjoyable to watch... Bravo!" -- Sharon Wuerl

"Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed Tesla. I found it enjoyable and entertaining. I laughed -- felt bad -- had all the emotions. You all did a great job." -- Madelyn Thomas

"Congrats to you and your team. What a great production." -- Nancy Gale

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