Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...The bigger issue with "In a Word" is that it is full of wordplay that gums up the works. (The young boy mishears the phrase "a leave of absence" as a "leaf of absence" and so on.) It's self-consciously poetic and overwritten to the point of distracting from the play's core emotions. Trimming all of that out and shoring up the narrative a bit, unadorned of so many writerly curlicues, would provide more room for this compelling story of three people - mother, father, child - trapped in a loving if frequently unhappy alliance."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...It's a promising setup, but playwright Lauren Yee never moves beyond her premise. Instead she devotes 85 minutes of fractured, at times hallucinogenic scenes to filling in Fiona's backstory with little dramatic purpose beyond justifying Fiona's psychological state (as if losing a child doesn't explain enough). In lieu of drama, Yee embellishes stasis with incessant, overwrought poetic flourishes. There's no shortage of pathos in director Jess McLeod's sure-footed production, although Mary Winn Heider's Fiona is so tightly wound she's often exhausting to listen to."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Only 75 minutes long, this slice of loss by Lauren Yee-a "rolling world premiere" from the National New Plays Network-charts one mother's tailspin after the sudden subtraction of her 7-year-old son. Darkly poetic and packed with occasionally irritating word play (a "tree of absence" becomes quite literal), twisted logic, free association and repetition for effect, In A Word is never as terse as its title: It spins hard feelings in all directions. Jess McLeod's staging for Strawdog Theatre Company delivers three solidly convincing performances, reflecting a complex crisis from all sides."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...The play’s text is enough for us to smell Tristan. Yee has shown herself to be an interesting writer, and it’s heartening to see the National New Play Development assisting her development. In a Word’s subject matter is grim, but the delivery is palatable, and it provides a lot to think about."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...This is not a play that everyone will love! If you have friends or family with a child that is "different" or has mental problems, this may be a difficult one to watch, although it does make a strong effort in educating the audience while it entertains, and isn't that what theater should do?"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This emotionally raw play is a work in progress. It’s a project of the National New Play Network, a collective that fosters and supports new theatrical works. As such, this current Chicago presentation follows Lauren Yee’s recent productions and script revisions of her play in San Francisco, San Diego and Cleveland. It’s hard to imagine this piece being in better shape than it is in this devastating Windy City production. It’s a theatrical punch to the gut that will leave audiences breathless."
The Fourth Walsh - Somewhat Recommended
"...The trio of talented actors do a great job with the story. Unfortunately, I didn't really like this story's ending. Although I enjoy solving mysteries, I didn't get satisfaction resolution in this one. Yee's trail of word crumbs led me to a conclusion that seems implausible. Knowing some sh#tty details, I couldn't quite buy her outcome. But then again, I might have focused on the wrong words."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Lauren Yee’s “In A Word” will leave you in a poetic state of mind. You’ll find yourself grasping for ways to describe this manic work that will ultimately fall short of the breathless experience of witnessing it. Despite that, here is my best shot: “In A Word” is like a flourless chocolate cake. From the outside it may not look like much, but as a sensory experience it is rich to the point of being almost too much to bear."
