Eroica presented by Azusa Productions at Redtwist Theatre

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...As secrets begin to spill out, Alex and director Maggie Speer seem to be aiming for tragedy in the vein of Arthur Miller's All My Sons. But stilted dialogue, heavy-handed moralizing, and melodramatic plotting blunt the story's potential impact."

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

"...To cap the crisis, there’s a final revelation of family-shattering hypocrisy. Regrettably, it occurs too histrionically for a naturalistic one-act that does not intend to be a modern melodrama. Otherwise, the four well-intentioned survivors and well-tested loved ones are believable, despite the characters’ formulaic polarities and the elliptical dialogue with its plethora of sports and computer metaphors.

ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended

"...It seems Charles is out for revenge against Victor as he tries to get proof that Victor's draft status may not be accurate. Will the secrets destroy Victor and his marriage as lies test the faith and patriotism of all? With the extreme use of symbols, cliches and trite euphemisms, the language used here reeks of 'playwright speak.' I did like the performances of Sara Pavlak McGuire and Garrett Young but the central issue of hypocrisy and deceit is a tad hard to swallow."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Azusa Productions is a 20 year old company that strives to create theater that is committed to working with artists looking to expand and grow their presence. While I do not recall them, since they are not a "standard" company with seasons, I was surprised to learn of the number of years they have existed. The production that I witnessed tonight at Redtwist Theatre is David Alex's "Eroica", making it's World Premiere. David, is a local talent, and as an ex-math teacher and high school coach, brings some of his life experiences to Chicago area stages. This one has no math (happily)."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...David Alex's latest play, presented in this world premiere, is an impressive, thought-provoking drama that, while set during the turbulent years of the Viet Nam War, isn't really a period play. The story just happens to occur against the background of a country in conflict. A bit moralistic, sometimes melodramatic, the playwright explores the effect of secrets and lies, betrayal and revenge. Alex makes a sound case for respecting other people's beliefs and ideals, no matter how controversial, because they're, in fact, very personal. It's the difference between fact and opinion: facts are either right or wrong, but opinions are subjective for each individual. And through Ms. Speer's fine production the truth wills out and the battleground between love and war becomes one."

NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...The allegory is heavy-handed and the dialogue neither subtle nor revelatory—it’s this earnestness, as well as the hypocrisies that it deliberately and inadvertently exposes, that makes “Eroica” most American."