Haymaker at Neo-Futurists

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...On the other hand, some take us to inspired places. There's a wonderful playtime pragmatism in the "rule" Dawkins makes permitting dead actors to come back to life, a deep resonance in the lightly played yet critical moment when he allows someone else to be Dakota while he takes on the role of a murderous giant, and lots of nerdish fun in everybody's apparently encyclopedic knowledge of American movie history. The great pleasure of Haymaker, though, lies with the intimacy, skill, and esprit de corps of the ensemble. Dallas Tolentino deserves special mention for his humor and athleticism as a kung fu killer, but everyone here kills one way or another."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...So much adrenaline can exhaust the most thrilling spectacle, though. As of opening night, Dawkins' text could stand to lose about 15 of its 100 minutes ( not the expository sequences protested by his fellow cast members, but pared from the romantic passages—a little smolder goes a long way ). The configuration of the Neo-Futurarium auditorium also makes for impaired intelligibility at times, but there's no denying the visceral exhilaration of almost non-stop acrobatics executed at barely arm's distance, nor the lingering contemplations—the mandatory silence imposed on Asian characters, for example, or the folly of "soliloquizing to a paying audience"—sparked by the candor of performers commenting on their own task."

Centerstage - Recommended

"...There’s a lot of great stuff here, unfortunately director Kurt Chiang never really molds it into a coherent whole. The show meanders and peters out rather than concludes. But that doesn’t matter too much because it’s an absolutely enjoyable ride."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...Where things get murky is in the relationship between Dawkins and Brenda Arellano, who chafes at being cast as Elona. There are coy hints at a real-life relationship between the two performers, but the indirectness here feels distancing-an oddly un-Neolike obfuscation. Still, this leads into an eye-opening examination of young Trevor's true motivations for writing this punch-up power fantasy, and what boys learn from our culture about masculinity-an examination that seems all too grimly necessary at the moment. With a bit of judicious trimming and tightening (the stage version inherits from its source a bit of a repetitiveness), Haymaker could really pack a wallop."

The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended

"...Under the masterful direction of Kurt Chiang, this ensemble kicks ass. The play is better than a movie. There is no stunt double or multiple takes to get it right. The action is jaw-dropping because it’s live. HAYMAKER is the summer flick to see."