belladonna luna sonata presented by The Plagiarists at Reginald Vaughn Theater

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...That effort having failed, the unhinged maestro tries to safeguard his legacy by recounting his career to a hapless gardener. The tales are amusing in a Baron Munchausenesque sort of way, describing epic effects achieved by means of "altered" canyons, organs built into mountains, and pebbles catapulted at a singer's forehead. Nick Freed's Signeretti and Derik Marcussen's pissed-off butler, Kog, are especially fun to watch; Gregory Peters's staging has a nice DIY feel. But these pleasures fade as Stewart runs out of surprises. Belladonna gets sillier without getting more interesting."

Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...Playgoers may find themselves recalling also Beckett, Ionesco, the dark humor of Brother Theodore ( "I began my life at an early age" ) and the Dadaist aesthetic reflected in "eavesdropping equipment" fashioned from a stethoscope and plastic cup, or a stick-puppet toucan sent to annoy trespassers. Whether we comprehend Stewart's purpose at first sight, however, is less important to the success of this Plagiarists production than the comforting assurance that its ensemble, led by Nick Freed as the obsessed Signeretti, appears to know their way around its iconographic enigma. In a universe where music can be turned into WMDs, faith in one's guides is essential."