Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Certainly, there are lots of women like Kitty caught in squeeze plays between parents, kids, spouses and jobs. But at least in Gorman's reading, little beyond a generalized exasperation comes through, and Kitty becomes less and less interesting as the show progresses. Uneven accents among some in the ensemble occasionally distract from the sharpness of Coxon's dialogue. But as a wry commentary on overcommitted and under-satisfied 30-somethings, "Happy Now?" has - like the lives of its protagonists - moments of undeniable, if fleeting, charm."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...It's a droll, bracing scene that triggers Kitty's discontent with her high-pressure life, much as Macbeth's brush with the three weird sisters triggers his royal ambitions. And Ben Werling makes it memorable in this Shattered Globe Theatre production, giving a sly performance as Michael. But there's not much else worth remembering here. That first scene aside, Roger Smart's staging never conveys anything more than whisps and puffs of the sharp wit Coxon put into her script."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...It's still no easy task to engage our sympathies for these screwed-up boorjays, particularly with Amanda Rozmiarek's quasi-Magritte scenic design stealing focus at every opportunity, but under Roger Smart's text-focused direction, the actors of this Shattered Globe production reject the safety of sitcom stereotypes (although the TV series Will and Grace figures prominently in the domestic wars) to lend each character his or her full share of humanity. Smug bachelors and spinsters (like me) may smirk, but couples approaching the seven-year-slump can take comfort in the assurance that Happiness (with a capital "H")-with sufficient care and patience-may prove to be more than a myth concocted by authors of television comedies."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...This utterly derisive take on bourgeois life is delivered with a few laughs and fewer surprises. The strongest bits come at beginning and end, when Kitty encounters Michael (a charming Ben Werling) at a professional conference. He offers her no-strings-attached sex; she’s clearly intrigued, continuing to think about him and this symbolic opportunity to escape her “one and only life.” This is where Coxon’s script feels spot-on, taking on larger questions of longing and desire. When Kitty asks her husband, Johnny (Steve Peebles), “Is this my life?” her sense of bewilderment and despair echoes universally."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Cox offers no happy escape from all these middle-class, mid-life crises of creativity, fidelity, communication and conscience, just the daily details of all these emotional cul-de-sacs. It sounds more depressing than it plays. Happily, Roger Smart's well-honed, richly textured Chicago premiere fits these survivors like a glove: There should be enough shocks of recognition among audience members to keep this vital and immediate."
ChicagoCritic - Not Recommended
"...Lucinda Coxson's Happy Now? will not contribute to giving you a couple hours of bliss but it will only leave you says "Hah." This contrived drama is the story of a group of married folks going through midlife married crises. Add a guy confident and a quirky mother and you have a mind-numbing play. The stage is awkward and the British accents all sound alike with Christina Gorman (Kitty) speaking so fast that her words overlap to the point of us not being able to understand her. Best they don't use British accents if they are going to sound so false and incoherent."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...This play and story could be stronger if cut down to 90 or so minutes and without the accents- the actors do a nice job, the set is slick, the lighting(Richard Norwood), sound (Melissa Schlesinger),costumes (Noel Huntzinger) and props (Vivian Knouse- talk about lots of stuff) make the show very workable."
Splash Magazine - Somewhat Recommended
"...It is not as if everything in this production is as dreary as the title. The opening scene featuring Christina Gorman (Kitty) fending off the talented Ben Werling (as the lecherous and older Michael) was as engaging as anything I have recently seen on stage. Both actors played wonderfully off each other and when a hand is placed upon a knee the entire audience leaned it to see what would happen next. In hindsight though, that first scene probably set the bar too high for what followed. It is not that the production does not have its strengths. Drew Schad (Miles), for example, puts in a solid and believable performance (to go along with the efforts of Cortney McKenna and Linda Reiter). The script also appears witty enough to serve up some humor to go along with the existential angst. It is just that for a play as dark and character driven as Happy Now? to work, all the parts have to work together as a whole. Unfortunately that is not the case here as inconsistent accents along with over the top sound and light effects repeatedly distract from the story. "
