Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...In any play about youthful self-discovery, you have to feel like change is occurring in the protagonist in real-time, that she is vulnerable to the impacts of a young professional career in the making and the disappointments of a man she has convinced herself she wanted to love. Here, alas, you know that wig soon will be going down the toilet with that man, and everything feels set from the beginning."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Antoinette Nwandu's play "BREACH: a manifesto on race in America through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate" has a daunting name, suggesting political proclamations and, through those oh-so-serious lower-case letters, the earnest choreo-poetry of Ntozake Shange's "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf." But this play is most certainly not a manifesto, and, while not un-serious in subject or story, neither earnestness nor lyricism define its aesthetic strategy."
Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...This is no feel-good proletarian sitcom, though. While it's true that during the course of the play, our schoolmarm will a ) engage in unprotected sex with her new boss, b ) discover herself to be pregnant, c ) cultivate an affinity for performing janitorial chores, d ) twice reject the marriage proposal of the wealthy, ambitious, practical-minded suitor who adores her—in his way, and e ) respond to the onset of Carolina's parturition in a deserted schoolroom with a jeremiad lamenting her ignorance of midwifery, Nwandu's heroine ultimately finds within herself the courage to question the imperatives governing her peers, be they based in capitalism, romance or historical precedent."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...While Breach is only a mixed success, it's still exhilarating to see Nwandu display such incredible range. It's the mark of a great writer when you can walk out her play thinking "I didn't love that, but I'm still so excited to see what she does next.""
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...In playwright Antoinette Nwandu's "love letter to black women," comedy-drama "Breach" she explores gender and race in America through the eyes of a young black girl recovering from self-hate. Her dynamic storytelling proceeds her stellar work in Pass Over, a mashup of Waiting for Godot and the biblical Exodus story in a modern urban setting."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This is a sharp comedy, but one that touches on real aspects of our lives and how one thing can affect another. The story is about love, looking for love in the wrong places, friendship, family, motherhood, death and dealing with issues that come into our lives almost daily. “Breach” is filled with warmth, humor and as it turns out “truth”."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Breach: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate is a world premiere at Victory Gardens Theater. The play's long title might mislead you into thinking you're going to see a different sort of play. Lisa Portes directs a solid cast of five in this funny, moving, but somewhat predictable play."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Clay's Aunt Sylvia is hysterical, and her comedic timing is spot-on. It is established early-on in the play that Aunt Sylvia has moved in with Margaret because of health complications, and forcing the two characters into the tight quarters of the apartment makes for some brilliant scene work for these actors - especially with every attempt from Sylvia to "fix" Margaret's life. Familial relationships are rarely simple, and Clay and Blackmore bring this quality to stunning life in the bond the audience witnesses on stage, also making the scenes between Blackmore and Clay some of the strongest in the production."
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Obviously fiction is not built on characters making purely rational decisions, but so much of what happens in "Breach" feels unmotivated, illogical or downright random. The world of this play lacks an internal logic. It feels like Nwandu, following Tanya Saracho's lead from earlier this season, is angling for a television gig, a medium whose heartless humor and easy sentimentality is aided by closeups, smooth editing and constant musical underscoring. Even the performances (Rodriguez and Clay are particularly excellent even with the limitations of their characters) would have been better suited to television, where larger-than-life characters (i.e. single character traits inflated to the size of an actual character) are countenanced more easily against rapid shifts toward morality."