Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...This juicy new play by M.E.H. Lewis and Barbara Lhota is part love story, part mystery thriller, and part acid satire on golden-era Hollywood. The action toggles between the 1930s and 1967, as a film studies professor investigates what became of an obscure female moviemaker."
Windy City Times - Not Recommended
"...Unfortunately, what sinks 180 Degree Rule is its script by Babes With Blades company member Barbara Lhota and the late M.E.H. Lewis. The mystery setup and witty banter by Lhota and Lewis are all promising, but the ultimate denouement comes off as a huge let-down-particularly since so many conspiracy theories involving spying, blackmail and studio interference fall by the wayside."
Edge - Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite the ways in which the play misses the mark, there's plenty that's interesting here. Carter Martin's filmed scenes are beautiful and grotesque when projected on to the modest, domestic space that forms most of the stage (Projection and Scenic Design by G. Max Maxin IV). Two steps down from the "stage," the City Lit space is crowded with projectors and props tables and film stock. The walls are draped with costumes and hats and a dozen carefully chosen elements that lend a not-quite-real quality to everything."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...This play succeeds because it grounds itself in the truth of the characters rather than the mystery or the surreal. Harmon's Bennett and Lisa Herceg's Margot Faber demand that you cheer for them. Their chemistry and their performances are a good deal of the reason the way the story was told bothers me. Their struggle to be in love despite their fear and despite the hatred of the world at large tied in with Bennett's never-ending desire to follow her dreams is spectacular to watch. It really is a shame that it gets chopped up."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith, this two hour production takes us deep into the lives of these women; the teacher, the director and of course the star. who herself wants to see the film that she has been told about for years. The story crosses many decades, from the 1930's to the 1960's as well as today, so one must pay close attention to the combination of today and yesterday used both onstage and with film projected on the back wall of the set (G. Max Maxin IV, who also designed the projection plan). Tim Tavano directed the photography portions of the play, with Carter Martin doing the actual direction and editing of same."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The 180 degree rule referenced in the title refers to an old rule of film making regarding spacial relationships; always keeping two bodies in frame during conversation. In her films, Bennett broke that rule again and again, and in her death and those she touched she keeps “crossing the line” reaching back to rearrange things so that each perspective brings a little bit more to the whole. It’s a radiant love story, a chilling tragedy and a puzzle that gets the blood pumping and the heart thirsty for justice. Lewis and Lhota perhaps did not mean to follow in wake of Citizen Kane but nonetheless they have created, a superb evening of theater, that takes the tools of a genre and outstrips anything that’s been done with it before. The bones are all there, clean and articulated: the mysterious figure, a dangerous world, memories mingled like ink in water, one woman striving for the truth, and another stilled a frozen fastness, still burning. 180 Degree Rule knits it all together and brings it to life."
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"...Babes With Blades always takes risks, even if the results are mixed. 180 Degree Rule is a solid blend of good intentions and real skill. Director Harvith does an admirable job with a script that doesn’t always make sense, infusing plenty of camp and silliness while never letting go of the serious subject matter. 180 Degree Rule is a double dose of nostalgia, a story that could easily be true, and Babes With Blades is an ideal match for presenting these complex characters with love and respect."
