Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Lindsay and Crouse's take on political power brokers and their contempt for the electorate is as timely now as it was when the play premiered, and so are their comments on the GOP's attempt to appeal to both moderates and extremists. (Despite the play's assumption that the 1948 election would end 15 years of Democratic rule, Harry Truman ended up winning.) Geoff Button's cast handle the witty dialogue with flair, though Michael Dailey and Kendra Thulin don't register the deep feeling that binds Grant and Mary despite their differences."
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
"... Much of the play’s political talk is witty and stimulating. Conover makes a disturbingly good case for his view of the political system. If I were running for elective audience, I’d rather have him than Matthews as my advisor. Matthews’s love triangle with the publisher and his wife melds in well with the main political storyline, adding dramatic tension, humor, and an easy-to-take sentimentality the narrative."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"...This is a show that will be thoroughly enjoyed not only by political types but by anyone who admires the witty, rapid fire dialogue and storytelling of Broadway's golden age, which should be everyone."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...
The script, adapted by Frank Capra for a classic Hepburn-Tracy film, twines refreshingly adult plotlines about the calculations behind a presidential race and the complex relationship between Mary and Grant, estranged and still very much in love. It’s all spelled out in the kind of rat-a-tat dialogue that no one (except maybe Aaron Sorkin) writes anymore. Button’s staging, while it savors the central couple’s wary interactions, could pick up its pace. Especially in the opening scenes, there’s a hesitant air at odds with the play’s spirit. Things perk up once Thulin enters; her Mary, quick-witted, sharp-tongued and anxiously trying to figure out the traps surrounding her and her husband, forms the production’s vibrant core."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...From a performance standpoint, the show seemed under rehearsed. There were several misfires in the dialogue, which can be chalked up to opening night jitters. But what really concerned me were the wooden deliveries most of the cast gave. They just didn’t have the comedic timing or force that is really needed to serve this story, although Lawfer’s Spike did bring some truly funny moments that the audience reacted favorably to."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...Button’s 12-member ensemble richly explore and sometimes exploit the Beltway stereotypes that batten on a coming contender, with Dailey and Thulin believably beset as they fight for their honor and, less so, for their marriage. Kate Harris has a ton of fun as a wise-cracking Southern Democrat (that was the norm back then) doyenne with enough charm to milk a magnolia."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...If the upcoming elections have you tiring of the theatre of politics, then why not check out some insightful political theatre? Along with voting, go see Strawdog’s snappy and relevant production of State of the Union."
