“Michael Zlabinger as Jamie delivers a marvelous monologue with manic pizazz.”
— The New York Times review of The Credeaux Canvas
“Zlabinger makes Iago part jungle cat and part cobra, both graceful and hypnotic. Sure Iago wants retribution, but Zlabinger shows he thoroughly enjoys his role as puppet master as well.”
— High Point News & Record review of Othello
“The play belongs to Iago, and Michael Zlabinger breathes life into this smutty-minded, calculating, unempathetic villain. He doesn’t cringe or sulk. Instead, he holds the audience—and the other characters—in the palm of his hand.”
— Greater Greensboro Observer review of Othello
“Though Torvald has often been played as a stuck-up, puritanical prig, Zlabinger brings an unexpected charm to the part, expanding our sympathy for his situation, and also our horror at his unforgiving reaction to Nora.”
— Asheville Rapid River Art Magazine review of A Doll’s House
“As Torvald, Michael Zlabinger takes an essentially unlikable character—condescending, patronizing, autocratic, petty, and selfish—and humanizes him by emphasizing the love he has for his wife. And when he sees he is losing her, his impassioned plea reveals his deep-seated need of her. As his body language shows, if she leaves him, she will leave behind a broken man, and we realize that he has been as much a victim of their society as she.”