Following performance at Kresge Theatre, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.  October 18, 2004:

“Mr. El-Ashkar’s acting is superb. His play is compelling, all the way through to its magical ending. If my cousin, the late poet, were in his audience that night he would have loved it too.”
-- Kahlil Gibran, Internationally known sculptor, inventor and writer, Godson, cousin and namesake of the late poet Kahlil Gibran. He and his wife Jean wrote the most authoritative biography entitled Kahlil Gibran, His Life and World. This book was the inspiration for Michel El-Ashkar to write A Child of Life.

“My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Michel's portrayal was such that we felt as if we were in the presence of Gibran himself.  The play is a masterpiece in every respect -- thoughtfully researched, engagingly written, creatively staged, & passionately performed!”
-- Susan Vacca, Career Counselor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Following performance at Murphy Recital Hall, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, November 8, 2003:

“Michel El-Ashkar was absolutely superb as he was able to bring to the fore the colliding emotional and intellectual forces of two absolutely fascinating cultures: the American and the Lebanese ways of life that account so much for Gibran's incredible creativity and literary talent."

 “'A Child of Life' is a credit to Michel El-Ashkar's considerable creative powers and acting talents that are a tour de force.”
-- Dr. Joseph Jabbra, Academic Vice President, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

“The play reminds every Arab of the spiritual wisdom of our culture as first brought to life by Kahlil Gibran and now by his message bearer in a new era, Michel El-Ashkar.”
-- Dr. Sami Asmar, Physicist and Classical Arabic Concert Flautist, Los Angeles, CA

“Not only is Michel El-Ashkar a very accomplished actor and writer, his stage portrayal of the great Lebanese poet and artist, Kahlil Gibran—whose writings never cease to awaken in us a desire to constantly seek God—comes so deeply from Mr. El-Ashkar’s spirit that he has become a spiritual guide as well.”
-- Jean Hale Coleman, Actress and Movie Producer, Pacific Palisades, CA

“Mr. El-Ashkar’s performance was so real and attention-grabbing that I forgot he was acting and I was carried back in time to live the moments of our great Gibran’s life.  It is beyond belief that a one-man performance could have the power to captivate an audience for two hours without their blinking an eye.”
-- Amira Matar, Vice President, Mellon Private Wealth Management-Century City, Los Angeles, CA

“Michel El-Ashkar’s talent is clearly apparent in his putting together the components of writing, acting, staging and directing.  The few lines of music included, those of Arabic instrumentalist Elie Achkar and a Beethoven piano concerto, were the best of all possible choices.”
-- Dr. Nabil Azzam, Symphony Conductor and University Music Professor, Los Angeles, CA

Following performance at the Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, Andover, Massachusetts, October 5, 2002:

“Michel El-Ashkar’s brilliant acting and writing made his one man play, A Child of Life, shine light on Arab-Americans.”
-- Rosemary Ford, Theater and Art Critic, Eagle Tribune, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper serving the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts

Following performance at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Theater, New Bedford, Massachusetts, April 5, 2002: 

“Through the deeply spiritual message of the work of El-Ashkar, A Child of Life, a more reasonable understanding of cultural and human goals, as well as the similarities between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East, can be encouraged.”
-- David B. Boyce, Theater Critic, Standard-Times, New Bedford, Massachusetts

Following performance at Maliotis Cultural Center, Hellenic College, Boston, Massachusetts, October 6, 2001:

“El-Ashkar is an engineer who pays tribute to the poet Kahlil Gibran by building a bridge with his play, A Child of Life, that brings better understanding between peoples and cultures.”
-- Beth Carney, Theater Critic, The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts

“Besides the dramatist’s superb acting, the script is very moving—at times sad, romantic and uplifting.  What an inspirational work El-Ashkar conveyed in his play, A Child of Life.”
-- Debbie Hovanasian, Theater and Art Critic, Merrimack Journal magazine, Dracut, Massachusetts

Following performance at Kensington Hall Theater, London, England, April 15, 2000:

“I felt I met Kahlil Gibran tonight. As Lebanese Ambassador, I want to tell you that all of the Lebanese in London felt such pride [about your portrayal of Gibran]– and not only those in London, but all over the world.”
-- Gihad Mortada, Lebanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom

“I am in awe of how you made Kahlil Gibran come alive with your writing and your passionate acting tonight.  Mr. El-Ashkar, this is the best artistic, cultural event that the Arab Club of Britain has ever presented in its twenty years of existence.”
-- Antoine Raad, President, Arab Club of Britain, London, England

“I liked A Child of Life very much; this play is pure Gibranism.”
-- Mazen Mustafa, Executive Editor and Producer, MBC-TV, London, England 

“In A Child of Life, Michel El-Ashkar proves to be a genius of his age with a cultural message to the world that confirms the Lebanese people are still vibrant, creative, and friends of humanity.”
-- Hafez Mafouz, Chief Editor, Al-Hawadeth magazine, London, England (lead story)

“Michel El-Ashkar came to the land of Shakespeare to present Kahlil Gibran, the Shakespeare of the Middle East.  With his memorable performance, El-Ashkar masterfully built a bridge between ‘the two Shakespeares’ before an audience that became so overwhelmed by his outstanding performance that it gave him a standing ovation and rushed onto the stage at the finale.”
-- George Semaan, Chief Editor, Al-Hayat newspaper, London, England (half-page feature article)

Following performance at the First International Conference on Kahlil Gibran, University of Maryland, December 12, 1999:

“Your play has captured Gibran very well; the poet, the artist, the man, and his humanity.”
-- Dr. Suheil Bushrui, Author, Critic, Professor and Chair of Kahlil Gibran Studies projects, University of Maryland

“Mr. El-Ashkar’s play gave me a very different understanding of Gibran.”
-- James Malarkey, PhD, Chair, Humanities and General Education, Antioch University, Ohio

“This play is a masterpiece.  It should become available not only to theater lovers but also to the new generation who are the leaders of tomorrow.”
-- George El-Hage, PhD, Scholar, Authority on Kahlil Gibran, Author, Critic and Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Columbia University, New York

“Tonight you made Kahlil Gibran come alive, the man I have admired and dedicated so much of my life to with my translations of The Prophet and several of his other works into the Chinese language.   You brought tears to my eyes at the end of your play when you enacted Gibran leaving this world.  What a gift you have given to me and my daughter, and to everyone in the audience who has come from around the world for this event.”
-- Professor Yi Hong, Senior Researcher and Gibran Translator, Center of Oriental Cultural Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Vice President, Chinese Association of Arabic Literature (CAAL), Institute of Foreign Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

“This play is a memorable tribute to Kahlil Gibran, presented with utmost artistic creativity.”
-- Mounah Al-Solh, Thinker, Author and Political Analyst, Beirut, Lebanon 

Prompted by the reading of press coverage throughout the Arab world following the performance at Kensington Hall Theater, London, England, April 15, 2000, that led to Michel El-Ashkar’s growing popularity in literary circles, this laudatory remark was made in December 2002:

“Michel El-Ashkar, the proud son of my city Zahlé, Lebanon, you have embodied the spirit of Kahlil Gibran and you are becoming a great ambassador of Lebanon to the world.”
-- Saiid Akl, Poet Laureate and Legendary Philosopher, Beirut, Lebanon

Following a June 25, 1999 reading of the play’s script before its premiere performance, this solicited critique was made:

“You [El-Ashkar] evoke his [Gibran’s] personality and circumstances very well and clearly understand them from the inside. Your play is sensitively written, deeply felt, and plays with the audience’s emotions in the best way. You have written something powerful, effective, and individual which also teaches without being intrusive or breaking decorum. I congratulate you.”
-- Francis Warner , Poet and Dramatist, Emeritus Fellow-Oxford and Honorary Fellow-Cambridge, Dean of Degrees, St. Peter’s College, Oxford, England