Johanna Faustus presented by The Hypocrites at The Den Theatre

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...The cast of Graney's hour-long production perform the jokey script with a lot of enthusiasm, but their efforts can't distract from the show's fundamental incoherence in matters ranging from plot to whatever it is Casey and Graney are trying to say about religion."

ChicagoCritic - Not Recommended

"...The adaptation contains a few quotes from Marlowe's script, but is a very different story. That's not bad in itself; it might be interesting to explore what Faustus would do if s/he was determined to actually change the world instead of just ripping off people by selling them holographic horses or messing with the pope's food. But to transform Dr. Faustus from the most venal of all narcissistic academics into an ideologue requires her to display a lot more agency, and in this version, she's constantly pressured and cajoled by Mephistopheles, instead of the other way around. Also, despite being proclaimed to be a great religious scholar, she responds to pro and anti-religious arguments with the astonishment of a fourteen-year old refugee from a Mormon polygamist compound. The adaptors badly need to figure out whether they're taking this story seriously or not, because the pivot they're attempting in the middle, when the cast stops making humorous choral music and a soundtrack takes over the ambience, doesn't work."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Adapted by Emily Casey and Artistic Director Sean Graney, this clever retelling of the Faustus tale (from Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus) features a minimalist set and an ensemble cast who take on individual roles while others sit on the sidelines commenting and adding nuance to the main events. Freed from any busyness between scenes for set removals or costume changes, the tale moves at a swift clip through well-known vignettes—beginning with Faustus obtaining a magical book, signing away her soul in blood, and being drawn to hell as she fails to complete her mission to kill the pope."