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Cody Nickell
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Reviews
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| Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward |
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| Beth Hylton Cody Nickell and Caroline Hewitt at Gulfshore Playhouse directed Kristen Coury |
Blithe Spirit,
Gulfshore Playhouse, Charles "Cody Nickell shines brightest as Charles
Condomine. Whether bantering with second wife Ruth, pleading with the spirit of first wife Elvira or screaming at the pair
of them, he raps out the tongue-twisting dialogue with the savoir-faire of a caddish British socialite. Merely watching him
make a dry martini brings laughs."- Naples Daily News "Not
all actors can deliver Mr. Coward'd lines with the light touch they demand...thank God director Kristen Coury has cast well.
The seven actors...speak Mr. Coward's classic lines as if born to the era and locale. Cody Nickell is dashing."-
Florida Weekly
| The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck |
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| Jenn Harris and Cody Nickell at The Wilma Theater directed by David Kennedy |
The Understudy,
Wilma Theater, Harry “But it’s Nickell’s performance that really stands out. Looking like Charlie Brown
on a bad hair day, he’s playing a self-described “bitter” actor. But underneath his frustration, Nickell
conveys Harry’s genuine, pure love of the stage. Despite the pain, rejection, disappointment and indignity, he loves
acting—even just as understudy for another, better-paid actor. It’s not exactly artistic nirvana, but for all
his complaining, Nickell’s performance really captures the joy of an actor practicing his craft.”-Philadelphia
Weekly “While there’s no end of nonsense,
frequently bordering on silliness, we might say our trio of actors — Jenn Harris, Cody Nickell, and Brad Coolidge —
push matters to frequently hilarious excess. No question: “The Understudy” finds its mark…”-CBS Philly “Cody Nickell’s Harry is perfect as our snobbish, self-proclaimed
“not bitter” bitter connection into the play. Beginning with Harry’s opening monologue, the moments he is
left alone onstage and talks directly to the audience are true highlights — with quirky mannerisms, great delivery,
and perfect comic timing.” The Philly Post “The
Understudy provides 100 uninterrupted and frequently
uproarious minutes of razor-sharp dialogue and sophisticated insight into life behind the curtain…an actor’s
dream assignment; the facial and vocal contortions of Nickell and Harris, in particular, take the dialogue to levels that
Rebeck could only dream about.”- Broad Street Review “David Kennedy's Wilma Theater production, which opened Wednesday,
boosts it with a perfect three-member cast. The actors exploit The Understudy's wrinkles with characterizations
that seem natural even when they're over the top, and with a laser focus that burns into Rebeck's text…Cody Nickell,
who plays the understudy as if his life were a lemon, framed by sour grapes”-The Philadelphia Inquirer “The
trio has wonderful comic chemistry together…Nickell’s caustic afterburn just keeps giving”- The Edge Philadelphia
“Cody
Nickell is exemplary as the neurotic, bitter, seriously minded actor, Harry. We forgive him for being a coward and a
bit of a dufus, because he is so earnest about his craft.” –Aisle Say
| In The Next Room (the vibrator play) by Sarah Ruhl |
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| Cody Nickell Eric Hissom Katie De Buys Kimberly Gilbert Sarah Marshall directed by Aaron Posner |
In
The Next Room or the vibrator play, Woolly Mammoth Theatre “…Cody Nickell, playing the self-infatuated bohemian
with wicked relish”-DC Theatre Scen “…a hilarious Cody Nickell”-We Love
DC “Director Aaron Posner elicits appealing portrayals from his cast.”-Washington Post
“…a cast whose pitch is well-nigh perfect…Cody Nickell proves comically
flighty and surprisingly kind as Leo Irving, that impulsive artist”-Washington City Paper “And
Nickell…comes this close to taking his portrayal into caricature, but reins it in just enough to deliver a sensational
performance”-The Examiner “Posner has brought together an ensemble that hits every note.”-
Talkin’ Broadway “Cody Nickell …was dynamic, colorful and energetic, his old-fashioned coat flapping with each
passionate gesture.”- Washington Life “…a wonderfully over-the-top Cody Nickell”-Washington
Blade
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| Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris |
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| Jefferson A. Russell Dawn Ursula and Cody Nickell at Woolly Mammoth directed by Howard Shalwitz |
Clybourne Park, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Karl/Steve “In the smashing ensemble work
of "Clybourne Park," Woolly offers up one of its feistiest, funniest evenings in years… Comedy of this accomplished
order requires the casting of commensurate talent…It's tough to know whom to single out…but Nickell, in a pair
of droll turns, is revealed here as a true standout player.” –Peter Marks, Washington Post “As if born to work the mercilessly
taut and clever script, the ensemble cast is gloriously simpatico with one another and Norris' subversive sense of humor.
Conquering two very different and complex roles is Cody Nickell who never lets his apt portrayals fall into caricature.”-Kate
Wingfield, Metro Weekly “Cody Nickell’s performances as Lindner and Steve have neurotic touches, reminding me of Michael
Stuhlbarg – his lines loop over each other, distinct and self-assured, yet grounded in egotism.”-Phil Calabro,
DC Theater Scene “Though every actor in the Woolly Mammoth’s exhilarating production
is superb, Cody Nickell--as the twit Karl in the first half and boob Steve in the second--stands out among the men.”-
Charles R. Larson, CounterPunch.org
| Tom Stoppard's Arcdia |
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| Cody Nickell and Erin Weaver at The Folger Theater directed by Aaron Posner |
Arcadia, The Folger Theater, Septimus Hodge "Dashing"-Washington Times "Scrumptious"-DC Theatre Scene
"At no point do you want to stab him." -DCist
"The dozen actors form a seamless ensemble,
and even those filling the smallest roles are swell. Particularly strong are Erin Weaver, as an aristocratic girl of the 19th
century with a surprising, visionary capacity; Holly Twyford, playing a no-nonsense historical investigator; Eric Hissom,
in a turn as an academic whose ego drives him to self-destructive stunts; and Cody Nickell, portraying a tutor in the home
of Weaver's Thomasina, and who is the unlikely linchpin of events unfolding in both epochs." –Washington Post
"The intertwined storylines is anchored by pitch-perfect turns from Erin Weaver and Cody Nickell (as adolescent
math genius Thomasina and her witty-rascal tutor Septimus, the central 19th-century twosome) and Holly Twyford and Eric Hissom
as Hannah and Bernard, two modern-era researchers whose mutual suspicion never quite poisons their shared love of the chase."
Washington City Paper
"Cody Nickell, as her twenty-something tutor, is the epitome of the coolly brainy, verbally
fluent, adventuresome, sexual swordsman par excellence. He is almost never at a loss for words to survive whatever befalls
him."-Potomac Stages
"Nickell plays Septimus seriously as the romantic lead, straddling both realms of
head and heart, a man of learning who “dips his pen” regularly in the erotic."-nbcwashington.com
| How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found |
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| Cody Nickell at Portland Center Stage directed by Rose Riordon |
How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, Portland Center
Stage, Charlie "Cody Nickell hits just the right
notes as a bright, ambitious go-getter who's suddenly got more than he can handle. As his frustration rises into derangement
during act one, he launches a breathless rant about everyday irritations that grows so intensely noxious that you can practically
smell the fumes. Yet he remains likeable enough that his abject loneliness in the second act still can move us." - The
Oregonian
| Romeo and Juliet |
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| Fin Whitrock, Aubrey Deaker and Cody Nickell at The Shakespeare Theatre, directed by David Muse |
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Romeo and Juliet, The Shakespeare Theater, Tybalt "...becoming portrayals...the machismo of Cody Nickell's Tybalt."-The Washington
Post
"...Cody Nickell's hot-headed peacock of a Tybalt"- Washington City Paper
"...Nickell's
Tyablt is the violent version in this atmosphere, quick to go off like a ghetto gunslinger and just as dangerous..."-Georgetowner.com
"...Nickell...every bit as kick-ass as I expected...Nickell is dangerous and tightly wound, fuming in the corners."-Two
Hours Traffic
| Macbeth |
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| Cody Nickell, The Folger Theater and Two River Theater, directed by Aaron Posner and Teller |
Macbeth, The Folger Theater and Two River
Theater, Macduff " Let's just lay our cards on the table:
Folger Theatre's new "Macbeth" is a blast...a "Macbeth" that never allows you to breathe easy for long...Cody
Nickell's emotionally supple Macduff..."-The Washington Post
"It's a thoroughly credible and accessible
production that pays equal heed to the drama's more subtle themes while reveling in the garishness of the Bard's bloodiest
play... this "Macbeth" is likely to see a life beyond the tiny stages of Two River and Folger Theaters. It certainly
deserves to."-Variety
"Cody Nickell delivers his own notable performance as Macduff. The actor is a slow
burn of emotion until the audience is able to witness his final confrontation with Macbeth. The scene is a stark blend of
rage and horror. No matter how tempted you might be to look away do not. Screw your courage to the proverbial sticking place
and pay it full witness. You will be unsettled but grateful at the end."- Metro Weekly
"This dark, violent
thrill-ride of a production is a revelation... Among the standouts...Cody Nickell as a dark and intense Macduff"-DC Theatre
Scene
"Time and again individual lines and whole speeches are illuminated by action so appropriate that you'll
sit up and catch your breath. A messenger tells Macduff (Cody Nickell) that his family has been murdered in cold blood,
then puts his hand over his mouth in shock. "My wife kill'd too?" Macduff asks in reply, clasping his hands tightly
behind his back as if to hold himself together. Mr. Nickell's Macduff is taut with barely controlled rage...I'm really
hoping for a New York run, either Off Broadway or in one of the smaller Broadway houses that let you get close enough to the
actors to smell the blood. This horrific, riveting "Macbeth" ought to be seen by as many people as possible."
-The Wall Street Journal
"Cody Nickell powerfully limns the nearly mad revengefulness to which his Macduff
is driven." -Talkin' Broadway.com
"...many beautifully delineated performances...Cody Nickell as the
great-hearted warrior Macduff" - The Washington Times
| Playboy Of The Western World |
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| Kate Eastwood Norris, Cody Nickell, and Genavieve Elam, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, directed by Bob Moss |
The Playboy Of The Western World, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Christy Mahon
"The Perfect Playboy. SSC delivers a masterful version of J.M.
Synge's poignant play...Christy Mahon (played by the exceptionally talented Cody Nickell)."- Metro Santa Cruz
"Moss has his actors performing at their best and brightest...Cody Nickell as the perfectly cast Christy Mahon."-Good
Times Santa Cruz
"Cody Nickell can count himself the current ruler of the Central Coast...a hyper-kinetic
bundle of intelligence, sex appeal, body language and sensitive character development. The cast is led from start to finish
by the irrepressible Nickell, who shows himself, at the end of the day, more than up to the darker moods of Synge’s
cautionary tale." -christinawaters.com
| The Pillowman |
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| Sean Cullen and Cody Nickell, Portland Center Stage, directed by Rose Riordon |
The Pillowman, Portland Center Stage, Katurian
"'The Pillowman,'...a riveting and sometimes dazzling production...Cody
Nickell is simply superb as writer Katurian Katurian...He plays Katurian's moral shadings beautifully."- The Oregonian
"I've seen about a million shows in Portland and The Pillowman stands out as one of the best… officially
a must-see." – Portland Mercury
"...with sterling lead performances by Cody Nickell...and Tim True."-The
Oregonian
| Crime And Punishment |
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| Cody Nickell and Christopher Donahue, The Arden Theater, directed by Aaron Posner |
Crime And
Punishment, The Arden Theater, Raskolnikov "Cody
Nickell, playing Raskolnikov, was a magnetic presence onstage...Nickell also possessed something unidentifiable that made
me believe, for eighty minutes, that he was Raskolnikov"-phillylist.com
"The capable Nickell is physically
perfect." –Courier-Post
"A night of compelling theater... A very strong, at times downright elegant
production. Sitting in the audience, we are undoubtedly amazed by each performer's passion and skill in the retelling. Cody
Nickell emotes Raskolnikov's inner demons with an impressive ferocity." –METRO
"Cody Nickell has
the passion the role demands." -talkinbroadway.com
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