Luce Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Recommended
"...That's plenty of meat for 100 minutes of drama. (The setting, split between home and school, is designed by Courtney O'Neill.) I kept thinking that "Luce" would be a very interesting play for liberal parents to see with their high school-age kids, for it could spark some very useful discussions about achievement, identity and happiness. Alas, in the very small Sunday afternoon audience at Next in Evanston, no duos around me fit that demographic. That's a pity. If you love a teenager who won't talk to you, you might take him to meet Luce and see what happens."
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
"...JC Lee's 2013 one-act works too hard at getting its social-significance ticket punched. There are forays into high school rape culture, the dangers of social media, the means and ends of progressive education that scream relevance without resonating. Yet when Lee, director Keira Fromm, and a small, well-honed cast get down to the soul of the piece—what it means to love a child—they communicate an awful poignancy. Jerry McKinnon is perfectly, disturbingly winning as Luce."
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
"...Playwright JC Lee is examining two related trends in American education, I think. One is the incredible stress placed on kids and teens to achieve both academically and socially, particularly those who are held up as paragons among their peers (it's still the fall semester, and Luce is already doing the honor of giving his second invited address to the student body). Luce, it seems, is beginning to push back against being defined by his back story."
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
"...This is a tense 90 minutes with some very well played comic moments. There is some mystery and while I felt that the ending left a little something to be desired (for me), I found this to be a rewarding night of theater and a play worth seeing."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews- Recommended
"..."Luce" my not be a great play but it churns the viewer's mind with questions without providing slick answers. Playwright Lee writes sharp dialogue and creates highly charged scenes that keep the audience constantly involved in the narrative. One may wonder why Peter and Amy didn't sit Luce down as soon as they learned of his inflammatory essay and fireworks possession and thrash out what's really in the young man's head. But then there wouldn't have been a play, and the audience would have missed out on one of the more stimulating new works of the season."