Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Directed by Tyrone Phillips with care and heart, "Byhalia, Mississippi" is a co-production of The New Colony, which has a mostly white ensemble, and the Definition Theatre Company, which has a mostly African-American ensemble. It's not hard to see why this script provoked such a coming together. It has spawned a truly great performance from Sharpe, beautifully supported by Wingate, Freelon and Linder, with Layne busting the show wide open once she pulls up at its front door. When shows move to bigger theaters, they usually become less intimate. Not here. "Byhalia, Mississippi" at Steppenwolf feels more personal than ever."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Steppenwolf's new 1700 Theatre works perfectly for an early remount of this past winter's world premiere of Byhalia, Mississippi, a critically acclaimed coproduction from the New Colony and Definition Theatre Company. It offers the same black-box intimacy as the opening venue, Wicker Park's Den Theatre, with the potential of exposing a new audience to actor-playwright Evan Linder's multilayered southern drama, directed by Definition's Tyrone Phillips."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...A cynic could argue that the success of Byhalia, Mississippi comes from more than just the perfect marriage of actor to role and dialogue to character. The play heavily mines liberal guilt—specifically, progressives’ prejudices against the poor–for all it can get. If the audience were to think beyond the play’s satisfying ending with its welcome wishful thinking, they’d realize that the Parkers’ crises are far from over. The future is not their friend. Let’s not kid ourselves: Byhalia remains Byhalia and Mississippi Mississippi. But, nonetheless, however, notwithstanding–what happens here is not altogether impossible."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...That being said, regardless of this critic's opinion, the popularity of Linder's Byhalia, Mississippi must speak to the popularity of its appeal: multitudes nationwide have seen it and at least many critics have enjoyed it. That's something to talk about. Linder certainly knows how to write an entertaining story for his audience."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Steppenwolf has a new venue- it is called 1700 (because it is located at 1700 N. Halsted) and is an intimate space that allows the entire audience to see every actor’s face. This space is one that they can rent to other companies as well as produce their own smaller shows, and while it is an ideal space, they need to be careful as to who brings their plays there. The current production “Byhalia Mississippi”, a “rental” produced by The New Colony and Definition Theatre Company is a return engagement. The winner of three 2016 Jeff Awards. they have re-assembled the original cast to bring this back to the Chicago theater world."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...In this welcome remount of one of the season's finest productions, audiences are given one more opportunity to enjoy this finely-directed, exquisitely-performed play by one of Chicago's most respected, up-and-coming new playwrights. Fortunate are his students at the University of Chicago, for they're able to glean so much wisdom from a gifted theatrical artist. Along with Mr. Linder's other entertaining and intriguing plays, this engaging, impressive production, filled with humor and realistic characters, is sure to put Evan Linder and director Tyrone Phillips on every theatre's wish list. Chicago is so lucky to have these talented young artists, and while we're enjoying this latest collaboration, we can only speculate what wonders still lie ahead."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Linder has written a script with a setting, characters and dialogue as realistic and gritty as any urban drama. Phillips’ direction keeps the cast realistic and the pacing smooth. Linder, Sharpe and Wingate give very effective performances. In act two, complexities of race, love and family are sorted out as best they can be."
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"..."Byhalia, Mississippi" wants to talk about race. But to do that, it needs to reorganize its space and explore race more, instead of using it only as a plot device."
