Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...I'd forgotten how well this richly phrased piece still plays in the theater until Shawn Douglass' enjoyable production for the Remy Bumppo Theatre Company provided a pleasant reminder Monday night. The dilemmas are clearly articulated; the characters are spunky souls; the dialogue is exceptionally lively. And like the best of Noel Coward's work, "The Philadelphia Story" has a lot of fractured and restless social issues percolating beneath those fine gowns and penguin suits."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Shawn Douglass, associate artistic director of Remy Bumppo, has cast the show expertly, set the zesty pace and found the timeless gloss of this period piece. And Barry's frothy yet meaningful play -- full of comic zingers -- makes a plea for judging people beyond their net worth, lifestyle and social status. Yet Barry also knows that the rich get richer, the poor can be deeply resentful (even as they feed on all the gossipy details of how the other half lives), and that money and class, as much as character, are crucial to picking a spouse."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...Director Shawn Douglass has cast the show well. And if his actors' performances are not what Turner Classic Movies viewers expect, they are credible and thoroughly engaging."
SouthtownStar - Recommended
"...The comedy's look at the moneyed class may be dated, but we don't mind because it has been given such a lovely revival by Remy Bumppo. It is easy to become enchanted by the nostalgia of the piece, with its satin gowns provided by Rachel Laritz, the posh digs set up by Jackie and Rick Penrod and the swell lighting by Rich Norwood."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Comedies of manners are also comedies of mannerisms. They depend on the arch look and the Bryn Mawr accent to tell us where a character stands in the social order--so we know how far she has to pratfall. This is particularly true of Philip Barry's famous, witty, ultimately goodhearted 1939 play, whose romantic quadrangle turns on class: a Mayflower ice princess is pursued by a blueblood, a social climber, and a regular guy."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...while this interpretation is not without its oddities—what’s with the Mary Pickford hair on kid sister Dinah, and who instructed Steve Key, playing the newshound from Indiana, to channel James Cagney for the second act?—its elevation of human values over artificial distinctions and populist compassion for its characters, whatever their status, more than compensate for the occasional stilted moment. So does the sumptuous old-money ambience invoked by Rachel Laritz’ museum-accurate costumes ( check out the stockings worn by Wendy Weber’s smartcracking shutterbug) and Jacqueline and Richard Penrod’s antique-strewn country estate."
Chicago Free Press - Highly Recommended
"...With their exuberant production of Philip Barry’s golden chestnut “The Philadelphia Story,” Remy Bumppo provides a wonderful theatrical alternative for the holiday season. This spirited presentation contains all the affirmative joy and sprite that one encounters when viewing the Christmas classics, but with nary an elf or reindeer in sight."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...as is often the case at Remy Bumppo, the playwright is the star. And as party guests go, Barry is one you never have to pretend to be happy to see."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Remy Bumppo continues to offer brilliant productions of excellent plays. They are among the finest Equity theatre companies in Chicago. Erica Elam’s Tracy is a most memorable character. If you yearn for sophisticated theatre and are tired of holiday shows—get to Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater for The Philadelphia Story—you’ll enjoy this treat."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...The actors were graceful and definitely captured the feel and mannerisms of the time period. The costumes were picturesque and beautifully fit to the actors' slim bodies. I especially liked the satin gowns some of the women were wearing as satin is unforgiving and shows every lump and bump. The set was interchangeable and well detailed with intricate upholstered furniture and fancy drinking glasses that incidentally Tracy ended up drinking out of too much."
