Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended
"...A similar problem afflicts the central performance of Bernard Beck. Beck, appearing here in a drama written for him by his daughter, is a passionate and colorful actor. But too often, he picks extravagant theatrics when we'd all rather settle for simple truths. Beck seems to avoid eye contact all night. His energy is diffuse and spluttering and it works against the story of his man."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...In stage time -- as Gold, a recent widower who is now waiting for his daughter to show up at the door -- all this takes about 90 minutes to unspool. But it feels like an eternity. You know where this unremittingly bleak one-man play is going almost from its opening moments when Gold displays a certain agitation and disorientation. And while Beck is a highly focused and intelligent actor, the melodrama he must cut his way through here too often seems like a particularly bleak version of paint-by-numbers."
Chicago Reader - Not Recommended
"...Honoring the memories of those who have survived genocide (Beck's script also works in references to Rwanda) is noble. But neither nobility nor an intelligent, vulnerable performance by Beck's father, Bernard Beck, is enough to imbue this show with the urgency and passion its subject requires."
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
"...One-actor shows make extraordinary demands on the performer. The actor holds the stage throughout the evening without the safety net of complementary actors. Beck is entirely on his own in a work that required considerable physical stamina. And he’s dealing with subject matter that could turn melodramatic or manipulative in less sensitive hands."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Beck nimbly picks his way through the intricate labyrinth of Number of People, constructed not as a linear narrative but as a looping, associative meditation. The play’s cool intellectual contours may be more conducive to admiration than love. Beck’s soulful acting, though, makes vitally present its message about the irreplaceable individuality of every single person."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...I can’t remember a more intense and powerful one person show than the one I witnessed as Piven Theatre Workshop with Bernard Beck’s stunning Number of People. Leo’s asks “who will witness?” We must and the Beck’s will show us the way. Number of People is not only mesmerizing theatre but an important cautionary tale."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Ms. Beck takes on a challenging subject, genocide and while in this case it is about the Holocaust, I am sure that this could be transformed into one of the other atrocities in our historical records easily. History does repeat itself and we as a people need to do all that we can to not allow this to take place. By remembering these historical facts and having the stories that the survivors tell us, perhaps we will not forget and avoid anything like this ever taking place again."
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"...Emilie Beck is the tri-fecta of success as the playwright, director and daughter of Mr. Beck. As the playwright, she has brilliantly pieced together stories to chronicle Leo Gold’s life. She highlights his ordinary and sometimes disconnected relationship with his wife. Ms. Beck showcases Leo’s confusion and detachment with descriptive passages. Whether it is a matter-of-fact description of a hundred hanged Jews or delightful musings over drinking beer at lunchtime, she gives Leo’s imagery equal importance. It is powerful glimpses of one man’s startling existence."
