Boswell
“Smart, warm and congenial … like an evening of conversation with a good friend.”
– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 2025
“... perfect show for a romantic, a cynic, a comic, or anyone who’s really ever felt anything.”
– Shepherd Express, November 2025
“...this story has humor and wit, passion and humanity … a trip to be savored and enjoyed.”
– Wisconsin Theater Spotlight, December 2025
“A fresh wind has swept in from the Midwest, by way of the 2019 Edinburgh Festival … With characters so witty, sparkling dialogue is all but guaranteed…”
– New York Stage Review, November 2022
“...one of the very best plays I have seen recently!”
– Arts International, November 2022
“Triumphant … historical eras artistically collide … The level of acting here is exceptionally high.”
– Shepherd Express, November 2022
“Little by little she (Joan) realizes that there is great worth in historians. And that’s the crux of the play – that becomes so fascinating … the way Marie Kohler peels away the layers to get to this point is very, very, very skillful…”
– Broadway Radio, November 2022
“…an excellent example of history being brought to life and it undoubtedly is a fabulous platform for the talent it showcases.”
– The Edit, August 2019 (4 Stars)
“Marie Kohler’s writing is sublime, as are the costumes.”
– The Wee Review, August 2019 (4 Stars)
“The action cuts nicely between the two time periods…The script is well-written, with witty dialogue and an energetic pace.”
– Bouquets and Brickbats, August 2019 (4 Stars)
“There is an infectious energy and clear commitment to detail in this production: it is very well loved and immaculately researched...and playwright Marie Kohler certainly seems to enjoy the opportunities to draw out elements of bawdiness and humour to lighten the earnest literary tone.”
– Broadway Baby, August 2019 (4 Stars)
Midnight and Moll Flanders
"…a clear, sure-handed adaptation that stays true to Defoe's story while emphasizing the question of what most influences a person's life - circumstances or free will."
– Backstage, The Performing Arts Weekly, Feb/Mar 2000
"Hands down, the surprise of the theatrical season … an expertly written and skillfully staged joint production … Kohler's brilliant structure and use of language combined with a great cast and strong direction, making it a lively, engaging night of theater. With MIDNIGHT, Kohler moves to the forefront of new voices in Milwaukee theater."
– Milwaukee Magazine, August 2000
"…the work of a sure-handed and deft writer who succeeds where many better-known dramatists have stumbled - adapting a sprawling, large-canvas novel to the stage… [MIDNIGHT] establishes Milwaukee writer Marie Kohler as a playwright to be taken seriously."
– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 2000
"Kohler's work brims with intelligence, solid development, good language and colorful characters."
– Shepherd Express Metro, February 2000
A Girl of the Limberlost
"A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST … is full of stories … It is a time capsule. By drawing from source material ... Marie Kohler creates a sense of harsh challenges people faced ... It is an appreciation of the environment."
– WeAreGreenBay.com, July 2019
"Local author Marie Kohler has done a fine job adapting the 1909 classic by Gene Stratton-Porter … The story is poignant and hopeful without being hokey. Its passionately pro-environmental message makes it very timely."
– The Capital Times, October 1993
"The Children's Theatre of Madison has given Kohler's touching adaptation of the popular Gene Stratton-Porter classic a solid production... "
– Milwaukee Sentinel, October 1993
"Milwaukee writer/actress Marie Kohler has taken that turn-of-the-century book by Gene Stratton-Porter and brought it to the stage for the first time..."
– The State Journal, October 1993
"Marie Kohler's A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST... is a morality tale for children - and their adults"
– The Isthmus, October 1993
Maybe We’ll Fly
“... a thing of beauty … all four actors unite for the phantasmagorical closing scene and final examination of a life well lived.”
– An Intuitive Perspective, September 2026
“... every word seems perfectly sculpted and pointed, with nothing superfluous.”
– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 2026
“The staging, the movement, the intention behind every aspect of the production brought the story to life. And the beige yet whimsical costumes were a beautiful choice, pieced together like Nohl’s collections themselves...”
– Milwaukee Magazine, September 2026
"Individually and together, the four women weave a transfixing spell throughout ... It is as unique as the art Mary Nohl once created."
– Shepherd Express, September 2026
“...the play is poetic, engaging and beautifully staged.”
– Third Coast Review, September 2026
The Dig
“THE DIG is a play that explores both shadows and light. Heavier scenes of anxiety and strife are punctuated by the levity of storytelling, laughter, love and awe.”
– Door County Pulse, July 2019
“Sensitive yet honest.”
– Shepherd Express, July 2019
“Marie Kohler has created one smart play, a step or three up from whatever ‘regular’ might be.”
– WeAreGreenBay.com, June 2019
"Marie Kohler's ambitious new drama THE DIG is teeming with symbolism... The plot turns on a question of what happened during an archaeological excavation in Lebanon in 1968. Like the different strata of artifacts found at ancient sites, THE DIG has many layers... a compelling mystery that Kohler builds quite skillfully..."
– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 2009
"The convoluted landscape of the human psyche can be a real challenge to bring to the stage, but Milwaukee playwright Marie Kohler does an admirable job of conveying the complexities of the mind…"
– Shepherd Express, January 2009
"…a family mystery that holds the audience's attention until the final curtain... a must-see show that deserves to have a long life after this first production."
– Total Theater, January 2009
"BOSWELL'S DREAMS has a richness of texture and epic sweep befitting its characters. Kohler writes with a comfort and fluidity that suggests she was a fly on the wall during Boswell's time in London. The play's voice is not only genuine, it thrives in the period, tossing off little jokes and humor with a natural ease."
– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 2005
"…encompasses two generations of James Boswell...wrapped into one enlightening and comedic escapade."
– OnMilwaukee.com, March 2005
"Kohler certainly makes these historical figures come alive. It makes me want to go right out for a copy of Johnson's dictionary and Boswell's diaries."
– Time Out Reviews, March 2005
"Marie Kohler has done it again...One of the best voices in American theater."
– Milwaukee Magazine, October 2005
Counting Days
“Worthy of a wide audience"
– Backstage, The Performing Arts Weekly, June 1995
"[COUNTING DAYS] is solidly conceived theater. Kohler's writing is as full of well-developed recurring themes as a finely-tuned symphony."
– Shepherd Express, May 1995
"COUNTING DAYS deserves productions beyond Milwaukee."
– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 1995
"Marie Kohler has written a delicately funny play with a serious foundation and an upbeat ending."
– City Edition (Milwaukee), May 1995