Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Katherine Gerard, the bereaved mother at the heart of Terrence McNally's haunting drama "Mothers and Sons," now in its first Chicago production, at the Northlight Theatre, doubtless would sympathize. Although her pain took root a quarter of a century ago when her only son died of AIDS, it clearly has continued, marinating in the woman's burden of guilt for not having accepted her son's gayness. Thus she condemns herself for not really knowing her son at all. Years after his death, where does that leave her?"
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...The four performances here are solid. But the play still feels stilted, with McNally crafting his scenes in a way that gives you the sense you are watching his outline for the play, and that the list of his ideas has remained fully visible."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...This stunning production is at once an AIDS epitaph and a deeply unsettling commentary on family life. Two levels of tragedy foreground the play. There is the personal tragedy of Andre's death, which stole him away from his lover, Cal (Jeff Parker), and mother, Katherine (Cindy Gold)."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Gold's Katharine is neither sympathetic nor particularly repentant for her rejection of her son's relationship and reality. But McNally, for the most part, resists encouraging us to jeer her, and Gold's nuanced performance lets us see hints of the isolation and loneliness beneath Katharine's standoffish demeanor. In Steve Scott's sensitive, heartfelt production, we even start to root for her to come around."
Chicago On the Aisle - Recommended
"...There is a quality, an esprit, about Terrence McNally's "Mothers and Sons" that transcends mere affirmation of what one might characterize as gay normalcy. The play, now in a tightly knit and persuasive production directed by Steve Scott at Northlight Theatre, has a spiritually cleansing essence - and a resolute narrative that is nothing short of celebratory."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Mothers and Sons relies on the kinds of verbal sparring that only happens in plays, and includes a fair share of monologues, as well. But Steve Scott's cast convincingly deliver expertly crafted characters, and their clashes are no less impacting for relying on eloquent wit in place of noise."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...How does one deal with the death of a child, many years later? In the story that is told by Terrance McNally in "Mothers & Sons", now onstage at Northlight Theatre, we have such a case. Katherine ( played to perfection by Chicago favorite Cindy Gold) has stopped to pay a visit and return something to Cal Porter (gloriously played by Jeff Parker, who truly shows his depth in this role), her late son's "partner". It is twenty years later, and while Cal has gone on with his life, Katherine is still searching for answers."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This is an excellent production by director Steve Scott of a fragmented play that doesn’t feel quite fully formed. It’s more like a soapbox for Terrance McNally’s observations and feelings. It expresses how many people deal with death, separation and loneliness. It’s particularly the examination of a parent who never accepted the lifestyle of his gay son or daughter and then searches for someone on whom to blame for that child’s untimely death. It’s a reflection, too, on how far we’ve come in terms of gay rights and the advancement of medicine in controlling the AIDS virus. But mostly this play shows us how human beings connect and disconnect, how they become isolated from one another, and how they eventually learn to recognize their similarities rather than focus on their differences, and unite on some common ground."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...Steve Scott's directing is the best kind, invisible but flawlessly judged. The entire 90 minutes passes with a naturalness and an inevitability that underscores Scott's skill at avoiding melodramatic pitfalls in the still controversial subject matter. There are no talking points and no agendas, just the kind of truth the theater at its best delivers."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This production left me gasping as I fell headlong into Gold's needful, vacuum-sealed fury, Parker's self-deluded graciousness, Sprunger's disconnected entitlement and Miller's open-hearted acceptance, doctoring the world with an Oreo cookie and milk."
