My Brilliant Divorce presented by Irish Theatre of Chicago at Chief O'Neill's

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...the play is knowing. Very knowing, about the absurdities of life after divorce — the loneliness but also the way a person might gradually bounce back after a breakup. When visiting married friends at their home, "I make myself extra helpful to make up for being single," our champion divorcee explains, capturing a world of rarely spoken judgments and low-level tensions that can arise in these kinds of social situations."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...But then Geraldine Aron's script settles into a well-worn Bridget Jones-esque groove: Angela wallows in self-pity, is ostracized by her married friends, attempts to date, struggles to save money and lose weight, and has several embarrassing-yet-charming encounters with her doctor, to whom she makes regular visits for imaginary maladies. There's very little continuity to these adventures: plot points pop up and then disappear. Barbara Figgins is engaging as Angela. It's a pity her story is so predictable."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...The staging by director Siiri Scott is serviceable, but occasionally the play does feel a bit monotonous. Figgins carries the show, maintaining a quiet inner strength throughout any number of surface indignities. The play ends happily, and it’s a happiness that feels deserved."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...there is much to admire with Barbara Figgins’s performance. Her sheer command of the complex show which has her easily morphing into many characters, reaching deep emotions, as well as nailing spot-on comic bits made me admire her stage craft and acting skills. Her tour de force performance makes the overwritten material work. Fans of one-person shows (like me) will find much to admire in My Brilliant Divorce."

The Fourth Walsh - Recommended

"...This terrific one woman show is being performed in Chief O’Neil’s Attic. The venue is a speed bump. I enjoy Chief’s for dinner and St. Patrick revelry. The attic as a theatre space is a struggle. The space has 50+ chairs set up facing the performance. The stage isn’t elevated making it difficult for shorter people to see. In addition, at the start of the show, the air conditioner was so loud, I had to strain to hear Figgins. They shut off the AC after a brief time and then the room became stifling. I was so hot the show felt uncomfortably long."