Press
THEATRE REVIEWS
LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES at Baltimore Center Stage
“Montbertrand expertly portrays the typical French aristocrat prior to the Revolution: conventionally-minded, unimaginative, but not so heartless that she wouldn’t wonder whether she should let her daughter marry Danceny” – DCTHEATRESCENE.COM
FOOL (world premiere by Theresa Rebeck) at The Alley Theatre
“Carine Montbertrand is excellent as the Cassandra-like Lizabeth, resourceful and resilient despite her constant prophecies of gloom and doom.” – HOUSTON CHRONICLE
“As the kitchen wench Lizabeth, Carine Montbertrand captivates the audience.She capably delivers every ounce of the rare, but rich, subtext that passes beyond the fourth wall and lands in the minds of the audience.” – BROADWAYWORLD.COM
“Montbertrand is energetic, quick, subtle and vastly amusing” – HOUSTON PRESS
NIGHT OF THE IGUANA at UD REP
“As Hannah, one of Williams’ greatest creations, Ms. Montbertrand carefully reveals, incrementally and with telling emotional detail, the unexpected dimensions of this complex woman… in this portrayal, we are treated to a thrilling depiction of a woman of great empathy and fearlessness by an actress who possesses those same onstage gifts. Ms. Montbertrand embraces silence as well as speech, and she sees as well as observes, in a riveting performance that reveals both Hannah’s story and strength.” – WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL
PRIVATE LIVES at Hartford Stage
“Louise, Montbertrand, draws big laughs in her small moments onstage. THE WESTFIELD NEWS
The other stand-out moments came from the actress with the least stage time, Carine Montbertrand, who plays French maid, Louise. All of her lines are in French, so she plays up her character in such an animated way that even if you don’t know what she’s saying, you laugh because of her fierce reactions.” – Entertainment CONNeCT
HENRY V with Classical Theatre of Harlem
“Surrounded by a game and tireless ensemble, most notably the hilarious Carine Montbertrand in an array of vastly different roles” – THE VILLAGE VOICE
“Of this happy few, pint-sized Carine Montbertrand is the stand-out, as she takes on the Archbishop of Canterbury, the inebriated Nym, and giggly French lady-in-waiting Alice.” – THEATREMANIA
“Particularly notable are the comic turns by Carine Montbertrand as the nattering Archbishop of Canterbury, the rascally soldier Nym, and the giddy Alice.” – BACKSTAGE
“Carine Montbertrand is especially hilarious in her various roles… Speaking French with her lady, she is all gesture to the point that you follow every nuance of meaning whether or not you know the Gallic tongue.” – HUFFINGTON POST
THE LITTLE FOXES at UD REP
“Almost magical: The fragile, sensitive, morally sound and appropriately named Birdie Hubbard, who drinks to anesthetize her pain, and owns the front third of the last act. As she did with her Laura Wingfield in the REP’s “The Glass Menagerie,” Carine Montbertrand plays Birdie with exquisite care and grace.” – WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL
THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI at UD REP
“Carine Montbertrand, who plays Ui, clearly has to drive the production. She does so brilliantly… Her speeches and movement are captivating. She becomes the focus of attention whenever she is on the stage.” – WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL
“Montbertrand is a walking cartoon, a sadistic killer clown who lurches and slithers across the other characters, the stage, and the audience. She easily competes with the other great Uis of recent vintage (Antony Sher, London, 1991; John Turturro, New York, 1991; Martin Wuttke, Berlin, 1995; Al Pacino, New York, 2002; Scot McKenzie, Washington, D.C., 2006).” – BROAD STREET REVIEW
“Soon Ui appears, a grotesque like that other murderer Richard III, played with perverse mastery by Carine Montbertrand.” – THE BROADKILL REVIEW
OTHELLO at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Acclaim Award received for Supporting Performance at Emilia
Cincinnati Entertainment Award Nomination for Best Visiting Actress as Emilia
“Emilia, wife of Iago and maid to Desdemona, becomes a veritable Fury. Carine Montbertrand gives herself over to the role of avenging angel in one of the play’s finest performances.” – CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
RICHARD III on tour and Off Broadway with The Acting Company
“But this work is owned by Carine Montbertrand as the hauntingly widowed Queen Margaret, who eschews stereotype as the ghostly conscience who dogs the “poisonous, hunchbacked toad” – THE DENVER POST
MACBETH on tour and Off Broadway with The Acting Company
“Carine Montbertrand’s sleepwalking scene as Lady Macbeth had such startlingly compelling truth that one could have wished the playwright had prolonged her descent into madness. The nuanced layers of her physical, emotional, and psychological characterization eloquently spoke to her haunting past and inexorable march into self destruction.” – PORTFOLIO WEEKLY
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE (Germaine) at Capital Repertory Theatre
“They are excellent, especially Ms. Montbertrand, who speaks in long, logical paragraphs that ride easily on one long breath. She is skilled and witty in equal measure.” – THE CHRONICLE
KING LEAR (Fool) at the Pioneer Theatre Company
“Carine Montbertrand beautifully balances edgy wit and wisdom with genuine concern for Lear in her portrait” – SALT LAKE CITY TRIBUNE
DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER at the Hangar Theatre
“As the cook, Montbertrand is a force of nature-coarse, greedy, oversexed, and tacky beyond belief. She grates the moment she opens her mouth and then, from one outrageous moment to another, completely charms-a brilliant comedienne.” – ITHACA TIMES
“Carine Montbertrand as Suzie the cook turns every entrance into a show stopper.” – SYRACUSE NEW TIMES
BLITHE SPIRIT at the Hangar Theatre
“Her Elvira is an unalloyed joy, a predatory feline who preens and prances and drapes herself around the room.” – THE ITHACA JOURNAL
“The actor who sets the bar for energy and joy of performance is surely Carine Montbertrand as Elvira.” – THE ITHACA TIMES
HENRY V at the Utah Shakespearean Festival
“Other key roles include the beautiful young Princess Katharine of France, exquisitely played by Carine Montbertrand.” – DESERET NEWS
DOWNLOAD / PRINT AUDIO BOOK AWARDS
AUDIOBOOK AWARDS
- American Library Association’s “Notable Recording” for AMBER WAS BRAVE, ESSIE WAS SMART by Vera B. Williams (co-narration with Barbara Rosenblat and Daisy Eagan)
- Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) “Selected Audio” for both GINGERBREAD and its sequel SHRIMP by Rachel Cohn; Also YALSA Member’s Choice “Top 50 Audiobooks for Teens”
- YALSA “Selected Audio” for FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen (co-narration with Andy Paris)
- American Library Association’s “Notable Recording” for FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen also Selected “Best of the Best Kids’ Audio 2005” by AudioFile Magazine
- AudioFile’s “Earphones Award” , THE SPY WORE SHADES by Martha Freeman; Also Selected as “Best of the Best Kids’ Audio 2003”
- YALSA “Selected Audio” for GIVE A BOY A GUN by Doug Strasser (with various narrators)
AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS
FULL STEAM AHEAD by Karen Witemeyer
“Narrator Carine Montbertrand’s elegant style and deliberate pacing bring to life this story of the importance of family, dedication, and the power of faith. Montbertrand captivates listeners, wrapping them in this lovely story.” – AudioFile Magazine
THE LAST KIND WORDS SALOON by Larry McMurtry (co-narration with Tom Stechschulte)
“Montbertrand is the production’s host, and at the end of the story reads an account by Nellie Courtright, which is spot-on in every way. The combination of these two voices brings to life the realities of life in the Old West” – AudioFile Magazine
MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER by Cara Black
“Carine Montbertrand is adept with the French place names and expressions, and she successfully creates multiple French and Haitian characters with distinct accents… She is expert at delivering the frenetic pacing.” – AudioFile Magazine
MURDER IN THE PALAIS ROYAL by Cara Black
“With an impeccable French accent, Carine Montbertrand leads the listener through the arrondissements of Paris. Montbertrand’s low-key delivery works wonderfully for Leduc’s humorous entanglements with political foes, villains, and suspects” – AudioFile Magazine
GINGERBREAD by Rachel Cohn and its sequels, SHRIMP and CUPCAKE
“Montbertrand’s rather quirky voice and rhythm of speech evokes CC to perfection. She is a master of the sarcastic ‘whatever’ teen tone of voice” – School Library Journal
“Carine Montbertrand’s narrative of this gritty and powerful story perfectly captures the uncertainty that Cyd Charisse feels as she tries to navigate the difficult path towards adulthood” – Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews
“Montbertrand’s husky voice perfectly complements CC’s rambunctious personality…. Montbertrand fleshes out secondary characters with a change of tone or accent that imbues each with personality” – AudioFile Magazine
FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen (co-narration with Andy Paris)
“Carine Montbertrand tackles the strong-willed, and environmentally concerned Julianna with ease and aplomb. She smartly captures the attitude of this outcast adolescent” – AudioFile Magazine
MARIE, DANCING by Carolyn Meyer
“Carine Montbertrand performs this recording beautifully, her lovely French pronunciation adding authenticity to the tale and giving an additional poignancy to Marie’s often tragic story” – Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews
“Carine Montbertrand, whose French accent is impeccable, sets forth Marie’s story in an engaging, wholly accessible way. In addition, her characterization of Marie’s downtrodden mother, selfish sister, and the real characters of Edgar Degas and Marie Cassatt, fluidly add to the richness of this text” – AudioFile Magazine
THE SPY WORE SHADES by Martha Freeman
“Carine Montbertrand is sublime as she portrays kids from diverse backgrounds” – AudioFile Magazine
“Carine Montbertrand does an excellent job of distinguishing between characters by using different intonations, pitches, and accents. Her pacing and clarity are excellent”- School Library Journal
FOR FREEDOM: THE STORY OF A FRENCH SPY by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
“Talented reader Montbertrand makes this historical tale accessible to young readers… Montbertrand makes this tense suspenseful ending breathtaking” – KLIATT
“Carine Montbertrand’s skillful narration draws the listener into the suspense” – AudioFile Magazine
THE TROUBLE AT FORT LA POINTE (American Girl Series) by Kathleen Ernst
“Her voice has a juvenile quality that is quite appealing. She is adroit with accents, and her pacing is deliberate, but never slow” – AudioFile Magazine
“Her pronunciation of the sometimes difficult French and Ojibwe words seems effortless” – School Library Journal
GIRL REPORTER SINKS SCHOOL by Linda Ellerbee
“Montbertrand effects just the right tone of voice for Casey and the cast of quirky characters, capturing the unique qualities of each with humor and sympathy” – AudioFile Magazine
WHEN DAD KILLED MOM by Julius Lester (co-narration with Jeff Woodman)
“The shock, anger, and sadness they feel are poignantly enhanced by expert narration” – AudioFile Magazine