Crimes of the Heart presented by Step Up Productions at Athenaeum Theatre

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...In Step Up Productions' bright, colorful, and period-perfect take, director Brad Akin and his appealing cast make an admirable effort to keep things from getting cartoonish. But there's only so much they can do with a script that substitutes quirks for character development."

Northwest Indiana Times - Recommended

"...The production team includes Sarah Watkins and her detail-perfect scenic design, Raquel Adorno's fun costume design, Rebecca Barrett for lighting design and Matthew Chapman's sound design. Maria DeFabo's fun props design deserves extra notice. From retro drinking glasses to oversized hair curlers and some of the funniest prop birthday candles imaginable, these added elements are a funny feast for audiences to devour during the course of the 2 hour and 20 minute, one-intermission production."

Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Crimes requires a tricky balance of tones, as does any show that references suicide for both pathos and laughs, and wrings catharsis from characters getting the church giggles over a loved one's impending death. Akin and his fine cast, which also includes Drew Johnson as the old flame Meg left behind and Will Crouse as a young attorney with a personal vendetta against Babe's husband, walk the line just right. (Costume designer Raquel Adorno's Sears-catalog-perfect '70s togs deserve a shout out of their own.) It's a worthy snapshot of a specific place and time, as well as a fine portrait of that blend of comedy and tragedy that is family."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...Director Brad Akin uses his talented and appropriately adorned actors, along with a worn, but clean, kitchen set by Sarah JHP Watkins, to build a world where normal people struggle valiantly to remain dignified and sane, even on a really bad day. Crimes of the Heart is about people who accept responsibility for how their own flaws led them into regrettable situations, but manage as best they can. Only at exactly the right moments do they drop their composure, and erupt or collapse in extreme emotion. Such dark subject matter cannot properly be called a feel-good story, and yet, the ability of the characters to endure is heartening, and allows us to laugh."

Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended

"...Go for the story; go for the acting. While the cast, and especially the actresses, truly shine, the portrayal of off-beat space cadet Babe by Elizabeth Antonucci will likely especially glue to your memory banks."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Beth Henley’s modern classic “Crimes of the Heart” won a Pulitzer Prize and is a perennial favorite at theaters across the country. So the final show of Step Up Production’s season starts on a good foundation. And in director Brad Akin’s hands, this tale of three Southern sisters goes from solid start to beautifully rendered whole."