Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Stalling - whose growing body of fine, intense work in Chicago theater often reflects an interest in how we deal with unspeakable loss - is an ideal match for Yee, embracing this writer's dark humor but also her palpable sense of longing. Stalling sets up a tightly defined world (which is exactly what the Goodman show lacked) and, from there, she shows us the boil of life's pressures on a young person, desperately trying to hang on to her own, crawling skin."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...In the aftermath of trauma, especially one you might have caused, you're likely to feel anxious, fearful, vulnerable, and debilitatingly guilty. This isn't news, and it's not much to hang a play on. But in the few moments when playwright Lauren Yee lets her protagonist, college freshman Lexi, live through quotidian moments after her childhood friend's violent death, she at least portrays obvious truths convincingly."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Lauren Yee’s comic, pulp fiction mashup of theatre and film is as much fun as it is perplexing. It pays homage to the slasher movie genre while offering audiences a large dose of girl power. This play would make a terrific Halloween offering for any regional theatre, while providing a quartet of talented young actresses with some meaty roles to chew on. This gory, gag-filled riff on a popular urban legend/scary campfire story is grisly, grim and gruesome. It may also have skittish theatergoers asking, as they drive home afterwards, “What’s that scraping sound on roof of my car?”"
The Fourth Walsh - Recommended
"...Yee sets out to terrorize the audience with a murderer. She does that to some extent. My ride home in an empty 146 that stalled on Marine Drive was extra spooky. Still, my bigger takeaway is being haunted by the carefree and uncaring nature of humanity. Although a departure from traditional Steep , I can see HOOKMAN attracting a younger, cult-following as a late night show."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Playwright Lauren Yee calls her play Hookman an "existential slasher comedy." And Steep Theatre's new production takes her up on that with creative staging, solid performances, especially by the three female leads-and plenty of blood. Hookman is smartly directed by Vanessa Stalling."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Hookman may be one of the strangest plays to grace Chicago's stages this year. Written by Lauren Yee and billed as an "existential slasher comedy," this genre bending play jams one part drama, one part coming-of-age story, one part horror, and one part comedy into its 70-minute running time. The result is a dizzying and at times uneven, but thoroughly enjoyable play addressing such topics as the safety of young women, date rape, and survivor’s guilt."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...As can be said about much of Yee’s ambitiously conceptual work, “Hookman” imparts a sense of being unfinished. It is wanting for the narrative thread of “King of the Yees” or the emotional balance of “Samsara.” Still, it’s a fun, quick, technically adventurous piece sure to appeal to steely stomached audiences."
