Body/Courage at Rivendell Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...At present it doesn't wholly integrate Pinnock's journey with the stories of those she interviewed. But while the whole of this "body" may not hang together on sturdy connective tissue, the individual parts, as well as Pinnock's gift for, well, embodying several different characters, make the show consistently appealing and sometimes quite insightful."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...The subjects encompassed a wide range of ages, races, genders, and nationalities, and Pinnock embodied them all with skill, empathy, and humor. Now, in the project's final incarnation, Pinnock has interwoven the monologues with her own story to show all the different ways people can feel uncomfortable in their own skin. The project helped her come to peace with herself. She hopes it will do the same for her audience. Her fantastic performance(s) and good humor far outweigh any preachiness."

Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...The characters she embodies in the scenes that alternate with her story represent a wide array of self-image issues. Among their number are an Indian man obsessed with becoming a champion athlete, a single mother who went into the escort business in her 40s, a young British man with Parkinson's disease, and an actress railing against industry types who can't see casting her in certain roles because of her size. (The latter's rant about the dearth of plus-size Juliets is particularly satisfying.)"

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...When all is said and done, "Body/Courage" is confession that compels your attention because it voices collective truths as much as it does those of Danielle alone. By play's end when she looks in a mirror and says, "I'm beautiful," it's clear she's saying it not only to her own reflection. She's saying it to anyone for whom appearances have prevented them from accessing the empathy that allows us all to imagine what it truly might be like to live in someone else's skin."

The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended

"...Pinnock opens up the family scrapbook and gives us the real picture of growing up fat. She recollects with bold honesty a tragic night of Hennessey drinking. Under the skillful direction of Megan Carney, Pinnock stays true to her own painful past. After a shocking reveal, Pinnock courageously pauses to allow us to comprehend what she just said. We need to swallow hard and blink back tears. The woman behind me was weeping. Pinnock allows us to see her own fragility rooted in body-oriented self esteem. Her inventory of this dark life chapter continues to haunt me."

NewCity Chicago - Recommended

"...We are a visually oriented culture, a quality that often lends itself to superficiality. We need voices like Pinnock’s to combat our increasingly immediate evaluations of attractiveness. Entertaining, thoughtful and evocative, “Body/Courage” has substance and heart. And if that isn’t sexy, I don’t know what is."