Excerpt from Carrie Moore, carrieonthearts.com:
"With a small eight-person cast everyone has multiple scenes to shine.
The real scene stealer of the show was Zamaraeva. I think Zamaraeva is one of the most flexible actresses to ever take the stage, both literally and figuratively. You’ll see what I mean. Zamaraeva barrels into the play like a ton of bricks and wraps the audience around her finger. She is truly a villain you love to hate, but also don’t want to see go. And the physical comedy she performs with Kingsbury and Murry is not to be missed. Simply, Zamaraeva is amazing. (And, probably the best review from the woman behind me: 'Oh my god, oh my god…I just might pee my pants!' So there.)
In closing, this was probably one of the best cast shows; everyone embodied their roles to a 'T.'
The Game’s Afoot will give your brain a workout, that’s for sure. But it will leave you chuckling for the rest of the night. You definitely don’t want to miss this one! For more information or to buy tickets to The Game’s Afoot (running through Aug. 19), visit blackhillsplayhouse.com."
Excerpt from The Custer County Chronicle by Jeff Smith:
"The person who stole the show in my opinion was the character Daria Chase portrayed by Lera Zamaraeva. Chase is a columnist who came to Gillette’s house to write an article about him for a magazine. The character is irritating and self-involved but she plays a key part in a lot of humorous scenes. Even when she is dead she is the most vivacious one on the stage. The play pokes fun at the fact she is a theater critic too. After her death one of the characters remarked, 'she was ruthless. She was evil. She was a theater critic, for God’s sake.'
The Game’s Afoot is fast-paced and ripe with fun and thrills. I think the whole play is over the top— in a good way. Keep in mind that the actors in the play are trying to embody actors as they act in their personal lives. With that comes a lot of passion and embellishment in almost every statement. They are performers at heart and can’t turn it off even during the holidays. Punchlines, wisecracks and screams in the dark all flowed rapidly and were executed with precision timing. The play itself is a whodunit murder mystery. So come enjoy all of the nonsense and physicality of the play. “The Game’s Afoot” plays at the Black Hills Playhouse through Aug. 19."