A Bitter Taste at Bailiwick Chicago

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...Of the three men, only John honestly acknowledges his homosexuality. Unfortunately Reed is lost within the role. His quivering performance does little to serve the character or the script's deft writing. A better defined performance might have given the production (directed by Matt Trucano) a stronger gay point of view. As it is, Talker's convoluted arguments win the day."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...With its misogynistic characters and cruel power games, the piece is reminiscent of Neil LaBute, but with the unspoken homoeroticism of such works as In the Company of Men made entirely explicit. Two of the three performances in Bailiwick's staging are adequate; the third is impressive. Playing a familiar type--the arrogant attorney--Jeff Ruether gives the character an air of amused self-loathing that is both unexpected and thoroughly convincing."

Time Out Chicago - Not Recommended

"...It may have shocked in a pitch meeting, but Snipes’s script is awfully predictable onstage. When Reed lectures an uneducated kid about “sexual Darwinism” or Ruether uncorks a half-assed, machismo-fueled monologue (like something from LaBute, but less entertaining), it’s almost impossible not to roll your eyes."