Barney the Elf at The Greenhouse Theater Center

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The whole ensemble is jolly and deft, but Roy Samra's Barney is incandescent, especially when singing a surprisingly un-ironic "O Holy Night." Dixie Lynn Cartwright's Zooey is endearingly wry. --Tony Adler"

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...The Holiday season is here. Time to be “Merry” and “Gay”, and so theater companies such as Other Theatre, whose mission is to tell stories of persons or groups who are “othered” by systems of oppression, has brought back their sensational hit, “Barney the Elf”."

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended

"...Other Theatre’s production of the Elf spoof takes every Christmas cliché and turns it on its head. The combination of uproarious musical numbers, a snappy book, killer comedic timing and a healthy dose of spandex makes Barney the Elf the naughty holiday treat many adults have been waiting for."

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"...Other Theatre has created a truly enjoyable alternative holiday entertainment here. It isn’t for everyone. For one thing, it probably isn’t for conservatives or haters. But most others will find a truly safe space at the Greenhouse as long as Barney the Elf is in charge."

NewCity Chicago - Not Recommended

"...I understand and appreciate that there should be spaces in which storytellers and artists let loose. But there is a difference between irreverence and thoughtlessness, a distinction between satire and appropriation. Now is the time to re-examine the stories we are telling, with an understanding that those stories contribute to the world we want to live in. Even when creating the silliest little Christmas show, artists have power and it’s up to them to decide how they want to use it. And the team behind this year’s “Barney the Elf” is no exception."