Days of Late presented by SiNNERMAN Ensemble at The Viaduct

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Their gripping story is one of several relationship sagas in Braden Lubell's Days of Late, but the only one with high dramatic stakes. In the others, Lubell, who also directs, rarely moves beyond the question of whether slightly quirky people will end up romantically or sexually satisfied. This makes for a meandering two-and-a-half hours, but Sinnerman Ensemble's top-notch cast deliver compelling performances throughout."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...Ignoring the failures of similar productions, SiNNERMAN Ensemble allowed Braden LuBell to direct his own play. Shockingly, Days of Late defies conventional wisdom. Mr. LuBell has devised a well-developed, character-driven script which he's directed with snappy pace and aplomb. That doesn't mean it's perfect. It's not boring, but it's still too long at two hours and 40 minutes. LuBell takes plenty of time to establish characters and storylines, but some of the exposition is too obviously laid out."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"... Days could use some editing, to be sure. LuBell’s script feels padded to reach its length of two and a half hours plus, and while the relationship between Chrissey and her jerk-face husband, Dale, has the highest dramatic stakes, they have the weakest connection to the other characters. Still, LuBell directs a fluid, stylish production that greatly benefits from Adam Smith’s stellar sound design and a wildly appealing, committed cast. As sitcoms (or, more accurately, romcoms) go, you could do much worse."

ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended

"...LuBell’s drama simply tried to cover too much during its 2 hours and 45 minutes. There is simply too much going to sustain my interest. While I found each of the characters unique, none were developed enough for me to care about. When Nina (Ebony Wimbs) finds out that her lover Max (Douglas Tyler) was her art client Sascha’s former lover, the play lost all credulity."

Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended

"...The performances in Days of Late owe a lot to a fluid script. Some of the terms that could be a challenge are made clear by the writing and smooth direction. I am glad to be a generation before the one portrayed in this production. The world is an emotional minefield and the roadmap is mostly a mélange of instant gratification. This generation has been raised in an era of permissiveness and experimentation under the guise of personal freedom. Self-control and letting things unfold naturally still turn out to be the winning ticket. Days of Late is a definite winner. It is funny, warm, and potentially shocking in its frankness. Not for kids unless you want to do some hard explaining."