American Beauty Shop at Chicago Dramatists

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...Nonetheless, Formby is really on to something valuable here. Keberlein's anguished Sue declares, "Small towns are parasites on the soul," but we sense that she also needs to believe that Cortez can be a city of gold again. Formby knows these women, with all their flaws, and she doesn't sugar-coat them or turn them into resilient "Steel Magnolias." "American Beauty Parlor" shows the dark roots of economic vulnerability encroaching on their lives."

Chicago Reader - Not Recommended

"...And then there's stuff that just seems peculiar, like: What's with the fantasy sequences, dropped belatedly into an otherwise realistic play? I saw a preview performance at the invitation of the company; as things stood then, Megan Shuchman's staging was somehow unfocused and schematic at the same time."

ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended

"...One of the most remarkable things about the economic recovery is how few people noticed it. Small towns are still moribund, vast swaths of people are underemployed, and the Trump and Sanders campaigns tapped into enormous discontent across the political spectrum. The newest play from Chicago Dramatists resident playwright Dana Lynn Formby is the story of working women struggling to get by in a small Colorado town following the 2008 financial meltdown. American Beauty Shop is a story of our times, but doesn't contribute very much to our understanding of financial stress, and the reasons for the central conflict in the play are downright bizarre."

The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended

"...AMERICAN BEAUTY SHOP is a powerful illustration of the cycle of poverty. Formby gives us real people stuck by their choices, their comfort levels and the surrounding circumstances. She even ends the play with two ways; the best outcome and the worst outcome. It’s a poignant message of how life can change drastically in an instant. AMERICAN BEAUTY SHOP is the unattractive, sad reality of too many Americans."

Entertaining Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...The writing and pacing of this show is spectacular. All of the players have golden moments that have you so invested that you can hear a pin drop in the audience. The set and music fill in all of the gaps and encourage you to truly know these women. Everything gels just the way that you would hope it will. If you plan to go see one play during the month, I highly encourage you to go see American Beauty Shop. I promise, it will make you feel."