1985 presented by Factory Theater at Storefront Theater

Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended

"...If you're headed to an original comedy show about the fans of the Chicago Bears in the mid-1980s, you expect to see a lovably nostalgic treatment of shuffling Bears Nation obsessives: da guys, Ditka, da Refrigerator, dat kind of stuff. You don't expect a dystopian, Orwellian satire that recasts Bears fans as totalitarians, killing off art and culture, railing against the Cheeseheads of Dairyland and sticking those who resist Bear-ification (and refuse to Bear-ify or offer their Bear-imony) into their own personal version of George Orwell's Room 101."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended

"...It all gets to be a little too cute too long but Eric Roach’s nine-member cast perfectly capture the “Da Bears” mannerisms and make-up of these Chicago fan(atic)s.  Vrba is a sweet slob as questioning Winston.  Lindsay Verstegen agonizes well as his conflicted Julia.  Scott Oken, as the manipulative O’Brien, is salt-of-the-earth blue collar real, while Ernie Deak’s Papa Bear is as menacing an authority figure as his rival Vince Lombardi.  There are no appearances by Mike Ditka, Jim McMahon, William “Refrigerator” Perry, or His Sweetness Walter Payton but then they get mentioned over and over in the Bear Nation solidarity sessions held during each televised game.  It helps here, of course, to have a major appetite for sports trivia."

Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended

"...The sports play is an intriguing creature. The dramatic and comedic potential of professional athletics has been explored by Hollywood, but remains largely unknown to the theater world. The possibility of the same people packing the stands at Soldier Field filling the seats of Chicago theaters is a thrilling one, both from a financial and intellectual standpoint, but is probably an unrealistic hope for most theaters. 1985 is a step in the right direction, and Eric Roach’s slick direction keeps the pace of Vrba’s clever script as smooth as the Super Bowl Shuffle. Despite it’s problems, 1985 has more comic morsels to offer Bears fans than any other play this season, and football fans should definitely give it a look – it will be a night to “remembear”."