Stage Director
Leah, The Forsaken
Metropolitan Playhouse
“A rare revival by the Metropolitan Playhouse shines up this play just fine... With a cast of 15, Francis X. Kuhn, the director, has his job cut out for him on the small Metropolitan stage. He manages well. . . . a thought-provoking discovery, presented by a first-class troupe." - New York Times
"The direction, performances, and design elements combine for a most impressive and cohesive production in service to the company's mission of exploring seldom-seen plays from the past... This production is a real winner for the Metropolitan Playhouse. The performances and creative elements come together in a harmonious collaboration.” - Talkin' Broadway
“Francis X. Kuhn’s production of this 19th Century potboiler is crisp and trenchant, possibly the best work to have been seen on Metropolitan Playhouse’s stage." - TheatreScene.Net
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Northern Lights Music Festival
“According to the records I keep, I've seen Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville 37 times. I... just came home from seeing the best performance of The Barber of Seville I've ever seen... The stage director Frank Kuhn had things moving along at a record pace. Never a dull moment in the show.” - Eli Echo, MN
The Drunkard
Metropolitan Playhouse
"An engaging revival . . . makes a good case for the piece's being more than a quaint theatrical curio. . . the narrative is punctuated throughout with songs, dances and even a couple of barroom brawls, which keep things lively" - New York Times
"Under the deft direction of Francis X. Kuhn, The Drunkard comes to life vividly and entertainingly in this production. Kuhn doesn't shy from the piece's presentational style, and in fact elaborates on it with the addition of several temperance songs interspersed throughout the proceedings . . . I heartily recommend The Drunkard for its insight into the evolution of our national character and its odds-defying playworthiness in 2010." - NYTheatre.com
"Kuhn has obtained performances that are more nuanced than one would expect . . . a vigorous production that holds the attention until the play's inevitable happy ending."- TheatreScene.net
To Kill A Mockingbird
Mill Mountain Theatre
"MMT’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a genuine and skillful representation of the great work. ...And as the famous line goes: ‘Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin', ’so should the community and audience members stand up for a production well worth praising." - The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA
The Mikado
Opera Festival of New Jersey
"The opening night audience laughed 'til it hurt." - Star Ledger, Newark, NJ
"For those who like opera only for its stuffed-shirt aura, be forewarned: 'The Mikado' will pop your buttons, and with all the applause, you won't get a moment's sleep." - Trenton Times, Trenton, NJ
"…brought this genre, long abandoned to amateurs, to electrifying life… brimming over with sly, artless and brilliant comedy…soaring production…an evening of stimulating entertainment." - Princeton Packet, Princeton, NJ
Godspell
Mill Mountain Theatre
"From the brilliantly-staged opening number, 'Prologue: Tower of Babble,' to the well-known 'Day by Day,' 'Godspell' was inspired, thought-provoking and uplifting." (Best Professional Musical) -The Press, Lehigh Valley
Sweeney Todd
Creede Repertory Theatre
'Best Director, 2006' - Denver Post Ovation Awards
Catfish Moon
Warehouse Theatre
"Deftly manipulating his kinetic tableau, guest director Frank Kuhn nets a fish tale large enough to hold boyhood nostalgia, grown men's frailties and womanly candor, while he scrupulously avoids the temptation to be maudlin with syrupy, bless-your-heart moments. . . What we do get is a sensitive story with a sharp, defensive spine, about how three middle-aged guys, friends since childhood, find a way to reconnect and each learn in his own way to love, to forgive, and to find the meaning of life at the end of a fishing pier." - Greenville News, Greenville, SC
Orlando (Handel)
Sacramento Opera
"The key to a success with 'Orlando' happens upon singers injecting their characters with the right dose of humanizing emotion. This was a hallmark of this Francis Kuhn production." - The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, CA
Where The Cross Is Made
(O'Neill, live-stream during the Pandemic)
“Wow, this was a yummy one. A ghost story written by O’Neill in his formative years, filling our heads with visions created by word craft rather than physical props. Melodramatic and eerie, it was the perfect production for Solstice Night. ... This play was written in 1918, a year of intense anxiety due to the influenza epidemic and World War I. It was meant to frighten the audience, to disturb them, and to draw them into the feeling of insanity. It certainly succeeds.” - Electronic Link Journey
The Lonesome West
Temple Theatre / Stoneleaf Festival
"The physical encounters are most terrifying, illustrating the exaggerated hyper-masculinity found in this superstitious and sentimental society. . . Brilliant direction by Frank Kuhn and exceptionally intense acting by this capable cast make for an overwhelming audience experience and must-see theater." - Asheville Citizen Times, Asheville, NC
A Christmas Carol
McCarter Theatre
"The production…has been propelled from the expected to the extraordinary…attending to not just the festivities of an obligatory seasonal entertainment, but to Dickens's fierce concern about 'the innumerable poor." - New York Times
"Somber spaces are filled by the vivid acting of a huge and animated cast under Francis X. Kuhn's nimble direction." - Newark Star Ledger, Newark, NJ
"This year's two major improvements are livelier direction by Francis X. Kuhn and a superlative performance by Jeff Weis as Scrooge. The pace is practically breathless, and the large cast functions flawlessly together."- Trenton Times
"Director Kuhn, by striking the human chord…has shifted the burden of the evening from our eyes to our hears. That is properly where it belongs." - Princeton Packet, Princeton, NJ
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Creede Repertory Theatre
Nomination, Best Director of a Musical (2008) - Denver Post
"The result is an audience pleasing comical/musical romp in a Music Hall in jolly old England. The humor, music, dance, and audience involvement are accomplished in a most delightful way." -Pagosa Springs Daily News, CO
The Last Night of Ballyhoo
New Stage
"Extremely funny…excellently executed…one of New Stage's finest." Clarion Ledger, Jackson, MS
The Daughter of the Regiment
Opera Delaware
"Under the direction of Francis X. Kuhn. . .the show is a consistent crowd-pleaser from start to finish… Director Kuhn must take a good deal of credit for the production's success, with his simple expressive staging… Kuhn also shows himself a master of the stage picture--his opening tableaux for each of the two acts are simply breath-taking."- Wilmington News Journal, Wilmington, DE
"...The performance took off and maintained its elan to the end." - Opera News
Biloxi Blues
New American Theatre
"Francis X. Kuhn's direction is sharp and energetic, and the production values are first-rate." - WIFR TV, Rockford, IL
"Francis X. Kuhn has directed for smooth flow and tight action, and the cast is uniformly good." - Belvedere Daily Republican, Belvedere, IL
Madama Butterfly
Opera Delaware
"Director Francis X. Kuhn and conductor Rimm Rolek have created a poignant version of this masterpiece. Duets generated…romantic and erotic energy. The production captured the comedy and irony…as well as its pathos. A fine evening of music and drama." - Wilmington News Journal, Wilmington, DE
"A beautiful production" - The Kenett Paper, Kennett Square, PA
Broadway Bound
Cheltenham Playhouse
"What happened on the Cheltenham stage was quite remarkable…Broadway Bound became…a work of touching proximity which gave it an added dimension not present in the larger, more distant productions… It's good acting and good direction." - Chestnut Hill Local, Chestnut Hill, PA
"The audience laughs, cries and understands… Flawlessly directed." - Montgomery Newspaper, Montgomery Country, PA
Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune
Princeton Repertory Company
"Funny, frank and involving. Under Francis X. Kuhn's fluent direction, Frankie and Johnny act out an edgy mating dance." - Newark Star Ledger
""Under the careful and astute hand of director Francis X. Kuhn, the results are delightful…a prime example of how a competent script can be turned into a good production by using thought, talent and insight." - Trenton Times, Trenton, NJ
"In Kuhn's hands, it remains both real and poetic, parochial and universal. And that's the most that can be said for American theater." - News Tribune, New Jersey
Cinderella (Rossini)
Opera Festival of New Jersey
"The actual star of this 'Cinderella' is Francis X. Kuhn… This director has energy and imagination to spare. His staging snapped, crackled and popped, and still had elegance… Kuhn shows a marvelous sensitivity to the interaction of music, words and movement…By all means see it-- this production is the best opera mounted in New Jersey so far this year."- Newark Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ
"Kuhn doesn't merely bring the story to life, he gives physical dimension to the music."- Bergen County Record, New Jersey
A Lesson From Aloes
South Jersey Regional Theatre
"The current production…does more than illustrate the lesson. It hits like a punch in the gut. It fulfills the role of a good conscience and good theatre." - Atlantic City Press, Atlantic City, NJ
"Francis X. Kuhn's direction brings an unflinching focus to issues that are sometimes kept in the shadows. He understands that it isn't events but people and character which bring a play to life." - Sentinel-Ledger, Ocean City, NJ
Rigoletto
Sacramento Opera
Best Opera, 2002. “Since the stage director and the other leads . . . were also first rate, Verdi’s masterpiece was able to show its melodramatic lyric worth." -Sacramento Bee
At This Evening's Performance
Foundation Theatre
"From the moment you meet the actors playing actors, the fun and slight confusion begins. But director Francis X. Kuhn manages to somehow control what might become sheer chaos… And remember to rest up, this is one evening of theater that needs you to be on your toes." - Burlington County Times, New Jersey
"A winner…great fun… The evening is well worth the trip down to Pemberton." - Trenton Times, Trenton, NJ
A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur
Centenary Stage
“Kuhn’s direction is snappy and smart.” - Hackettstown Star-Gazette, Hackettstown, NJ
“Francis X. Kuhn directs with style and the four actresses perform beautifully.” - Easton Express-Times, Easton, PA
Harriet, The Woman Called Moses
Opera Delaware
"Brought tears to my eyes. Singing and acting came together with force. Francis X. Kuhn…turns the unconventional space of the meetinghouse to his advantage and gives these scenes a dramatic presence…'Harriet, The Woman Called Moses' succeeds in bringing the audience a moving experience that crosses racial boundaries."- Wilmington News-Journal (Wilmington, DE)
"The high point in the otherwise excellent 1988 Delaware Black History Month." - Editorial, News-Journal, Wilmington, DE
Lucia di Lammermoor
Virginia Opera
"One of the finest operatic offerings ever presented in this city…a visual and aural event to remember. Bravo!" - Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, VA
"Stage direction by Francis X. Kuhn was effective…first rate production." - Daily Press, Richmond, VA
K2
Delaware Theatre Company
"Francis Kuhn directed…with sensitivity, with feeling, but with a stark sense of drama every step of the way. There are no parts to 'K2'…there is only the play--the entity, 'K2'."- WNRK, Newark, DE
"Gets results whether it be through laughter, tears or fear." - The Dialog, Wilmington, DE
Private Eyes
Idaho Repertory Theatre
“’Private Eyes’ is nothing short of a masterpiece.” - The Summer Evergreen, Idaho
Lone Star/Laundry and Bourbon
Artventures
"Kuhn's style is authoritative, witty and sharp, with each moment milked for its maximum comic effect, and all of the mood changes subtle and forceful. If ArtVentures can get services like his on a regular basis, they will be a theatrical force to be reckoned with in Dallas…Catch this shining Lone Star."- Dallas Times Herald, Dallas, TX
The Woolgatherer
South Jersey Regional Theatre
"Francis X. Kuhn's direction should also be lauded for his dead-on grasp of the characters and their motives. His feel for how people relate to one another was clear.- Ocean City Sentinel-Ledger, Ocean City, NJ
"Uses just the right ingredients, making…a heart-warming yet fun experience." - Atlantic City Press, Atlantic City, NJ
Nixon's Nixon
New Stage
"Wickedly funny in parts, the play is a window into the fragility of power. . . the audience is sold on the historic evening's sometimes sinister possibilities. . . Take me off the shelf and mark me sold."- Clarion Ledger, Jackson, MS
H.M.S. Pinafore
PJ&B, McCarter Theatre
"There was a fresh, clear look to the production, which emphasized the lightness of both theshow and the event." - Trenton Times, Trenton, NJ
Great Expectations
Allegheny Highlands Regional Theatre
“This is as fine a collection of talent as has been seen at AHRT. Theater-goers will be delighted with director Frank Kuhn’s interpretation of “Great Expectations.” - Altoona Mirror, Altoona, PA
“The overall effect is impressive, and the diversity of activity accords visual interest. He [Kuhn] should be proud of putting together such a fine offering to commemorate the opening of a milestone season.” - Mainline Papers, Cambria Country, PA
A Streetcar Named Desire
University of Southern Mississippi
"I have seen the works of Tennessee Williams slaughtered by the best. Director Francis Kuhn has achieved something I have long thought impossible--he has put together a production of 'Streetcar' that was more than just entertaining. Kuhn's 'Streetcar' was exciting, from curtain to curtain call… I would recommend boarding USM's 'Streetcar Named Desire' and riding it to the end of the line…and back again." - The Advertiser News, Hattiesburg, MS
Pajama Tops
South Jersey Regional Theatre
"You will go a long way to see farce better timed and acted…the direction has located the right vein of pause and effect." - Atlantic City Press, Atlantic City, NJ