Here Where It's Safe at Second Stage Theatre

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...If Stage Left ensemble playwright M. E. H. Lewis can separate the dramatic elements from the merely emotional ones in her unwieldy but promising new play, she may have something important on her hands. As it stands, she wants her audience to care as much about the disappointment and desperation Americans Zach and Abbie feel over their inability to conceive a child as they do about the life-threatening peril the couple's Indian surrogate mother faces in her rash attempt to flee poverty and her abusive husband."

Examiner - Highly Recommended

"...Here Where It’s Safe would be a worthwhile drama if Lewis’ examination of the thorny thicket of East/West/rich/poor culture clashes were the sum and substance of the story. But Lewis ups the ante by filtering those issues through the lens of surrogate mothers and medical tourism. The ending is a bit too easy – you can just see the faint shadow of baby blue ribbons neatly tying the whole thing up in the final scene. Moreover, two of the five roles in the piece are a bit underwritten. Even so, in director Scott Bishop’s crisply staged production, Stage Left has a story that fully engages both the brain and the emotions."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...n Stage Left’s boxy storefront (which the company will soon leave for the new Theater Wit on Belmont), scenic designer William Anderson has crafted a lush blending of U.S. prosperity and Indian want. A multipurpose living space handily encompasses the numerous locales while also serving as a clever illustration of Western culture appropriating Eastern, down to the floor rugs. While Lewis’s story comments on the cultural abuses inherent in the surrogate industry, it’s ultimately about the power of human connection. Witness the opening image of Beena, carrying a tiny light into the darkened world."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...This is potentially powerful material that will no doubt strike a chord with many who see it. It's definitely a woman's play, although it has been lovingly and sensitively cared for by Director Scott Bishop. Scenic Designer William Anderson has created an entrancing space that feels like a tiny Indian temple. The colors, textures and attention to detail are really mesmerizing without taking any focus away from the actors, who are all close enough to touch in Stage Left's current in-the-round configuration. As an ensemble, Cat Dean, Cory Krebsbach, Kate Black, Anita Chandwaney and Mouzam Makkar are superb. Even as the debate over a woman's right to choose continues to be waged, those choices are not always clear and never simple. They do make for some powerful moments in the theatre."