Saint Joan

"Mr. Page, never better, makes of his rumbling basso something that is somehow both terrifying and loving; he uses every theatrical trick in his arsenal to convince Joan to spare herself by recanting."

"The marvelous Patrick Page is among several actors who juggle two roles—first lending his savory basso voice to the military squire Robert de Baudricourt, who reluctantly lets Joan enlist his troops early on, then making a chilling Inquisitor in the trial scene."

"Equally excellent is the ever-reliable Patrick Page, in both the small role of Baudricourt, a nobleman who quickly recognizes Joan’s uniqueness, and the Inquisitor, who sentences her to death. The actor has long been known for his entertaining scenery chewing, but his delivery of the Inquisitor’s monologue is all the more riveting for its restraint; it represents the evening’s highlight."

"Patrick Page performs an impressive two-fer, first as the imperious Baudricourt, who first succumbs to Joan’s verve; then as a world-weary Inquisitor who has sympathy for the maid even as he seals her fate at the stake."

"It is not easy to draw a Broadway house so attentively to the edge of their seats that absolute silence befalls the theater. But when Patrick Page—who as the Inquisitor in charge of Joan’s trial delivers one of the most poignant and moving performances in this production—stands at the end of the stage, staring with perilous gravity into the audience, instructing, “You must not fall into the common error of mistaking these simpletons for liars and hypocrites. They believe honestly and sincerely that their diabolical inspiration is divine. Therefore you must be on your guard against natural compassion,” you would err to hear a sound."

"Patrick Page, who does double duty as Robert de Baudricourt and the Inquisitor who ultimately sends Joan to the stake, has a good ear for the text and is especially effective in his second role (I even had to check the program to make sure it was him, so distinctly does he draw the two characters). His Inquisitor is a deep-voiced, unflappable, utterly chilling bureaucrat — an executioner in the guise of a forgiving father figure. He’s got to deliver one of the show’s longest speeches, and more so than any other actor, he holds our attention and guides us powerfully through the meticulously crafted argument."

"Patrick Page makes for a most convincing Inquisitor, even when pleading his case about the saving grace of a good pyre."

"These debates, along with the scenes of Joan’s formal hearing before the Inquisitor (Patrick Page, in a role where his commanding presence and deep and booming voice mesmerize), capture our attention as much as those with Joan herself."

"Nothing is ever commonplace when Patrick Page is on stage. The actor delivers the play’s standout moment. Page, taking his lowest-of-low bass to its very sonorous depths, persuades with his speech on the mercy of persecuting heretics. It’s a perfectly perverse moment."

"The play even gets a bit more exciting in the second act thanks to a chilling opening statement by Patrick Page as the Inquisitor (after hearing his direct appeal, members of the audience are apt to take the church’s side)."

"Patrick Page, always forceful and lucid, illuminates the crucial trial sequence as a mellifluous, sincerely spiritual Inquisitor."

"The inquisition scene brings welcome touches of mordant humor. Page returns in another role, as the Inquisitor, and his rich bass-baritone, the very sound of absolute authority, is delightful as he swats away the complaints of lesser churchmen that the 64 charges they have carefully brought against Joan have been reduced to a more sensible dozen."