Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Much of "Distance" feels familiar - as sweet, tart and ultimately comforting as the lemon pie Dolly makes on her comically misguided dinner "date" with Leonard. (This is before she realizes he is, in her term, "a gaybird.") But Dye also reminds us that people like Irene who are losing their way don't need to be forced into old routines for the sake of our own comfort. They need sympathy and understanding and an attempt to meet them wherever the fraying thread of their consciousness may lead - from memories in the mental attic to present-day parties in the living room. In the growing canon of work about the effects of senility on family life, Dye's play goes the distance with heart and smarts."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...We watch a birthday party, some wandering off, some bonding, a good bit of anomie-Dye leans a little too hard on his I-feel-invisible theme. So how come I had a great time watching this Strawdog Theatre premiere? Two reasons: (1) Dye's witty, empathic scenes. (2) The actors, who under Erica Weiss's direction balance considerable idiosyncrasy with a strong ensemble intimacy. Distance's mortal charm puts it just a stone's throw from Marvin's Room."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Optimism alone does not make for easy answers, of course, but director Erica Weiss and a cast inaugurating Strawdog Theatre Company's residency in Factory Theater's spiffy new ground-floor facility parses Dye's refreshingly intelligent dynamic with unhurried expertise to deliver performances reflecting humor, compassion and the most accurate and uncaricatured Tennessee dialects ( courtesy of Sammi Grant ) heard in this region for many a season."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...There’s much to applaud in Dye’s dramatization. He artfully constructs dialogue that articulates the rising tension as Irene’s dementia worsens. And with a Southern sensibility baked into the discourse (the setting is Memphis), he softens what could be overly heavy scenes with the right comedic punchlines. Truthfully, there’s room for more compelling integration between Irene’s plot and the cheeky subplots ensuing between her caregivers: Dolly, the considerate nurse, and Leonard, the flamboyant stylist, definitely steal the show multiple times. And yet, even though they do, we never feel too distant from Irene, whose unsound mind gives way to a soul yearning for assurance."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Enough good things cannot be said both about this new play and Strawdog’s production. Jerre Dye’s script is filled with realistic speech and scenes that overlap and meld together, creating a powerful story about the spaces that exist between memories and the ability to love. Under Erica Weiss’ sensitive direction, her terrific actors become these five memorable, three-dimensional characters who weave a mesmerizing story about the reach and remoteness of love."
The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended
"...DISTANCE is the whole package: writing, directing and acting. Trifecta! I loved it. When Rezos makes a life-changing announcement, Fullen responds, 'can you do that?' Yes, she can. Yes, you can. Yes, I can. DISTANCE challenges us to look at our lives from a distance and make changes to find out who we really are. LOVED IT!"
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...I have relatives with dementia and the idea that you need to follow rather than fight the disease is a good one. It eases the pain on both sides and even invites playfulness and joy into an otherwise tragically unstoppable circumstance. “Distance” embraces Irene’s crumbling perspective at the cost of inviting the audience and, more unfortunately, the rest of this talented cast along for the ride."
