Gidion's Knot presented by Eclectic Full Contact Theatre Company at Athenaeum Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...It helps that Michelle Annette and Julie Partyka feel so free to play so rough-by the end of the play the two look as shaken as the audience by what has unfolded before our eyes-and that director Katherine Siegel succeeds in making her production riveting but not histrionic."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended

"...Adams' play isn't perfect and should be faulted for the occasions that it is intentionally vague-as well as the few plot holes left (which would include too many spoilers to cover). But Siegel's direction doesn't help. Haphazard blocking moments aside, this play longs for two characters you can be invested in. In an age where childhood depression and bullying (online or otherwise) seem to be exceedingly common, Adams doesn't offer a PSA. She offers her audience a chance to step back and perhaps reevaluate how you look at these troubled children. What this production lacks is the empathy typically needed to find the solution to this kind of problem."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Katherine Siegel’s incredibly riveting production of Johnna Adams’ gripping, realistic classroom drama is a must-see. It will stand as one of this company’s finest productions. There’s so much honesty and discovery to be relished in this mystery that slowly unfolds before our eyes. It’s like watching a chef slowly peel away the layers of an onion and, like this pungent vegetable, may bring tears to the eyes of every theatergoer."

Picture This Post - Recommended

"...Eclectic Full Contact Theatre creates an intensely dramatic situation in their production of GIDION'S KNOT. Although the story is easily summed up, the conflicts are numerous and compelling. This is not the type of show you will see and forget about. This is the type of show you will see and continue thinking about and talking about."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...This is blood sport for anyone who loves to see the square get bent, funny to cover up the sadness of losing a child before you got to know him well, incisive and furious with language."