Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...I've seen this hugely enjoyable show three times, and it's never been stronger. All of the best parts of the staging remain intact,including the startling opening—the chairs that pop out of the floor, the Red Queen's voyage across a swirling sea and (my personal favorite) Humpty Dumpty's terrifying fall. But there's some new stuff here too. The show surely now doesn't need to get any longer. But, in general, the psychedelic narrative feels just that little bit clearer this year, and more urgent."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...This is a show that will leave you altered, just as Alice was altered by drinking that strange potion that set her on a disorienting journey from girlhood to womanhood. It also will leave you in awe of the unparalleled cast that has returned to reinvent the fantastical characters encountered by Alice (played by the inimitable Lauren Hirte, a tiny, mighty, fearless and altogether endearing actress, acrobat and aerialist)."
Chicago Free Press - Recommended
"...As Alice, Lauren Hirte, perfectly costumed by the skilled Mara Blumenfeld, reveals the depth of wonder and passionate curiosity of a child. Hirte’s physical presentation is also amazing. Her challenging activities eventually seem to distract her, though, causing her to lose her strong English accent by the end of the show. Hirte is supported by an amazing cast of gentlemen who flip and soar across the stage as kinetically as young skate champ Ryan Sheckler."
EpochTimes - Highly Recommended
"...Hey Chicago! 'Lookingglass Alice', the marvelous adaptation of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and Through The Lookingglass into a marvelous, playful 100 minutes of almost circus performance arts. The cast of five (it will seem as though there are 30-40 actors) is one of extraordinary talents- not just able to act, but to juggle, do acrobatics, ride a unicycle, do leaps on stilts, hop from chair to chair and of course as always, Alice (the sweet and charming Lauren Hirte who flies through the theater and can lift each and every other cast member - and does to perfection in this role) is the centerpiece."
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
"...The Lookingglass Theatre is staging its dazzling production of 'Lookingglass Alice' for the third time, and for the second consecutive summer. The theater should be mandated to bring this show to Chicago every summer, establishing a warm weather tradition in the manner of winter’s 'A Christmas Carol.' That presumes that the company can retain its extraordinary five-performer ensemble with its inexhaustible energy and astonishing bag of visual tricks."
HollywoodChicago.com - Recommended
"...In “Lookingglass Alice,” director David Caitlin doesn’t fear showing his audience an Alice they could barely have dreamt of before (let alone seen before). A hybrid of both “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There,” the play uses both the card-deck symbolism of the former and the chess board structure of the latter to tell its story."
Edge - Highly Recommended
"...It is my opinion that there are no supporting actors in this production. Each player takes center stage in this high energy, physically demanding performance: Artistic Associate Lauren Hirte as Alice, ensemble member Lawrence E. DiStasi as Lewis Carroll and other roles, Jesse Perez as the Red Queen and other roles, Artistic Associate Kevin Douglas as the White Rabbit and other roles, and Artistic Associate Anthony Fleming III as various characters, including the Cheshire Cat. All contribute to the show’s excellence through convincing portrayals that do not lead your mind into seeing them as any other character than the one they are portraying at the moment."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The technical design of “Lookingglass Alice” is superb. Everything from the river of tears to White Queen’s de-ageing are done with a creative flair that few companies can pull off and which have become signature at Lookingglass."
