Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended
"...Real estate and marital undoings are on the menu. There's a clever turntable set design from Joe Schermoly, a damn-the-torpedoes performance from Brynne Barnard as an ego-busting narcissist who takes the "lean in" mindset to dastardly extremes, and a very witty Matt Browning as a man fully checked out from life and contentedly so — a hipster zombie. But the ensemble's British accents and comedic timing are off by more than a few notches."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...But the script's tart, cracked sense of humor proves awfully enjoyable in Jeffry Stanton's exuberant and savage production for Interrobang Theatre Project. Thanks to Joe Schermoly's grubby revolving set, the greedy, grasping characters call to mind nasty children on a rusty carousel. The cast members clearly relish the ride, especially Brynne Barnard, whose Marion is like Genghis Khan with a realtor's license."
Theatre By Numbers - Recommended
"...There is much to like about this production, but it can be a bit of a challenge to follow the intricacies of the story at times. Interrobang has produced a wildly entertaining play with rich characters that give voice to one of the best playwrights around. It’s worth seeing."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Still potent after 42 years, Caryl Churchill’s corrosive class comedy Owners pits two outlooks on life against each other. In one corner you have Churchill’s now-patented “top girl,” the protagonist and anti-heroine Marion. She’s a predatory user/owner who can never get enough. But for all her snarling self-entitlement Marion is lonely at the top. She needs to be affirmed, and sex with an old friend’s attractive husband will do quite well."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...I got annoyed while watching with both the script and production, but in retrospect, have a greater understanding of what Interrobang is trying to do. This was another time when people not attending the press opening will likely enjoy a cast feeding off a more typical audience. Every actor is making their Interrobang debut. Clearly, this young company is staying loyal to its mission to do issue plays. I disliked the play’s bluntness about complicated ideas, many of which have changed a lot since its debut, and the production was lacking in some respects. But given the play’s philosophy, maybe this is the kind of company that can best perform it. Some people want art that scrambles for resources and puts forth this niche philosophy. This could appeal to them."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...Interrobang is to be commended in tackling this very difficult script, which is not as meaningful in this day and age as it was in the 1970s when it was first written. Brynne Barnard is a powerhouse as Marion and dominates every scene while Matt Browning as Alec, in a much more subdued role, is also excellent. There is strong supporting work from Abby Smith as Alec’s somewhat whiney wife. All three have excellent mastery of the English accent. Not quite as successful are Matt Castellvi as Clegg and Christopher James Ash as Worsely. Their opening scene, which covers a great deal of the exposition, is largely unintelligible due to the speed of their talking and the accent. While they improve later on and their characterizations are strong, their difficulty with the accent makes the show’s story hard to understand."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...If Gaston Leroux's novel, Phantom of the Opera, were set in a more pedestrian context within the city of Chicago, it would have to take place at "The Athenaeum Theatre." The building is now over a hundred years old, and is the longest continuous running off-loop theatre. It has five performing spaces, including an elegant theatre that seats nearly 1,000 people, and many mysterious hallways and rooms that no longer appear to be in constant use. The theatre's eeriness alone is well worth a trip. I attended "Owners" by British playwright Caryl Churchill in one the smaller studio theatres, but on a stage which, because it revolved, proved very flexible for a play which is set in four different places."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...A rare presentation of Caryl Churchill’s earliest theatrical work is cause to warrant a visit to Interrobang’s latest offering. Talented direction and superb technical support combined with some excellent acting bring life to this modern-day fable of greed and possession. As if Grimm’s “The Fisherman and His Wife” were set in today’s London, this play offers strong female characters, an involving plot and a look at how easily the abuse of power can hurt others. When audiences are able to understand what every actor is saying, they will enjoy an exciting, seldom-produced presentation of the playwright’s early talent."
