The Observatory at Charnel House Chicago

Centerstage - Recommended

"...While the show is difficult to critique without resorting to spoilers, it’s safe to say that Truman smoothly navigates some almost unexpected twists, skillfully integrating necessary information without tipping his hand. I say ‘almost’ because the premise initially presented to both David and the audience strains credulity. It’s impossible not to suspect some sort of final reveal. Still, though the rising action takes a dubious turn, “The Observatory” is rescued by its last moment, which strikes just the right chord."

Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended

"...With a dynamite script by Vincent Truman and amazing performances from Colin Fewell and the incredible Kate Lane, The Observatory should be playing to packed houses every night and extending its run; unfortunately, the house was half-empty the night I saw the show. We who love the theatre are voyeurs of a kind. We love to observe people, and love to observe actors performing the things they have learned by observing people. The Observatory is a show that will appeal to science fiction fans, doomsayers, those strongly on either side of the privacy-versus-safety debate, or anyone who enjoys fantastic theatre. Make sure that you come to a complete stop at every red-light camera as you rush to the theatre to observe The Observatory. DO NOT MISS this show."

Chicago Theater Beat - Not Recommended

"...the play leaves the rest of its characters functioning at a 2-dimensional level and its resolution also strikes exceedingly simplistic moral chords. It’s almost as if the playwright had a failure of nerve, willing to open up torture’s sadistic can of worms but too scared to plunge in. The result is a light skate on top of The Observatory’s frozen surface, where we can still imagine ourselves distant and untouched by the ugliness beneath."