Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...If you're wondering how this brainy, tortuous amalgam might result in compelling drama, Spartan Theatre Company's undercooked production won't provide ready answers. Despite some strong performances and admirable understatement, director Laura Elleseg's sluggish production never congeals into a coherent world. Instead the characters collect onstage like mismatched furniture, holding forth without influencing the course of events. Kenton Gott's flat lighting provides no visual intrigue."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...The final scene brings together three generations of survivors in a portrait of unity spanning the ages. That includes us, by the way. Playgoers in 2014 might prophesy doom after the recent election, but they cannot deny that we survived the dire prognostications of 30 years ago to emerge wiser for having faced down our fears."
Gapers Block - Somewhat Recommended
"...The 1982 interludes where Zillah berates and castigates the Reagan administration are shrill and trivializing breaks in the 1932-33 story line. Yes, the Reagan presidency was guilty of serious crimes, most devastating of which was denying the existence of the AIDS crisis. But was that really comparable to Hitler's death camps? Some productions of this Kushner play leave out the Zillah scenes, which seems like a wise move to me. That statement is theater criticism, not political commentary. I agree with Kushner's views of the Reagan administration; but they spoil the flow of this story."
Theatre By Numbers - Somewhat Recommended
"...I like that Spartan espouses minimalist theatre, and this show works all right in CIC Theatre's space. The play is wholly set in Agnes's living room: a sofa, a wardrobe, a table and four chairs, and a side table. The actors fill the space without overcrowding it. Entrances and exits used the door leading into the theater and a curtained-off backstage area. Transitions were covered by the projection of silent-movie-style slides of various tidbits of history onto a screen above the window in the corner of the set. The transitions themselves, unfortunately, were needlessly long and clunky. This is a show that benefits from instant switches between scenes; in this instance, the concern seemed to be more about covering changes in the dark."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...This show was a bold choice for such a young company, and they do it justice. So soon after the mid-term elections and right before the expected beginning of the presidential campaign, the story raises many questions the audience will be worrying about. When is compromise necessary, and when is it harmful? How do you know when you should flee, or stay? Are the other people in your camp really on your side? Are your friends? This play is an excellent choice for anyone concerned with messy, confusing politics, and if you’re not, it will show you why you should be."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Choosing media as a transition, though sometimes risky in productions, worked well for A Bright Room Called Day. One reason it worked, was because it educated audience members as to what actually was taken place during that time in Germany as well as the 1980’s. I highly recommend this play to fans of period pieces that cross boundaries between fact and fiction. While this production is a long one, you will not be disappointed by how involved you become (especially after intermission)."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Spartan Theatre Company, the wonderful minimalist operation who’s searing staging of “Closer” was one of my favorite theatrical experiences of the summer, returns to the stage with Tony Kushner’s “A Bright Room Called Day,” and though the staging features all of Spartan’s strengths, it ultimately fails to come together at the end."
