American Ethnic presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre at The Greenhouse Theater Center

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Kelly Zen-Yi Tsai delivers a seductive ode to Missy Elliott's ambiguous hip-hop erotics, Usman Ally confides his secret gratitude to Jack Bauer and 24 for keeping Middle Eastern actors employed, and Idris Goodwin relives a traumatic childhood encounter with Al Jolson's flickering blackface. What emerges is less a coherent theatrical experience than a funny and powerful mash-up of three vibrant young voices raised in defiance of the status quo."

Centerstage - Recommended

"...Incorporating a booming soundscape reminiscent of Public Enemy, "American Ethnic" weaves a barrage of spoken word and personal vignettes by three performers representing Pakistani, African-American and Chinese backgrounds. It can be a disconcerting spectacle for those unaccustomed to following rapid-fire dialogue, but the presentation underscores the play’s provocative edge. Usman Ally engages the audience with moving snapshots that reflect the uneasy position that media stereotypes have placed him in as well as an arch comic skill that crisply pinpoints racial politics."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...It’s not that the performers are hectoring or humorless. To the contrary; they’re all marvelous actors, bent on engagement, frequently disarming the audience with self-deprecating charm. And the stereotypes they puncture all merit the process. Why do Pakistanis get pigeonholed as the terrorists they mostly aren’t and not as the doctors they actually, disproportionately comprise? How much more ostracizing is the niche of “token Asian reporter” or of big street black guy with a heart of gold than any Caucasian could imagine? But only the pieces by Ally and Goodwin, regarding 24 and international notions of blackness, respectively, manage to implicate (and engage with) the elephant in the room (whites) beyond the stereotype of blithe privilege."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...This show is 90 minutes of diverse styles, fast paced entertainment with an edge designed to stimulate a frank and open discussion of the prevailing attitudes about race. Remy Bumppo is to be commended for producing this worthy theatrical event that also becomes a rich communication source for discussion. You’ll be entertained and stimulated by this polished theatrical event. Be sure to stay for the post show discussion which is an essential part of this experience."