Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The presence of Ibsen — and his wife and his rival playwright, August Strindberg — are the weak spots of this production. That's because the otherwise terrific director, Jonathan L. Green, allows them to turn into predictable little Victorian cartoons in whom our interest quickly wanes. But when Green is exploring the rest of Meriwether's story in more truthful fashion (Nina O'Keefe yearns earnestly throughout as the mother Jane) this hip-and-quirky show just keeps surprising. Most of my row on Sunday night kept exploding with laughter. Funnier and smarter than the Oscars, I kept thinking to myself."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...an epic undertaking by Sideshow Theatre Company that gives us a dysfunctional family in Michigan, a hilarious sendup of the lives and works of playwrights Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, and a multimedia, sci-fi robot extravaganza all in one. Clearly it is meant to look at how difficult love and family life can be in any century. And the sheer wackiness of it all cannot be denied, nor can the ambition and scale of director Jonathan L. Green’s production, or the truly phenomenal design and engineering of the remote-controlled robots and the many other elements of the show. But there is just too much going on here."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...A big part of Heddatron's draw is supposed to be the onstage presence of robotic mechanisms operated by remote control. They are nice: I liked the literal abs of steel hung on one of them, the zippy vacuum cleaner and TV, the R2-D2/C-3PO dynamic between the kidnappers. Still, I wouldn't have felt I was missing anything if they'd been played by actors in cardboard boxes painted silver."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...The humorous rhythm of the play is badly interrupted by the Ibsen scenes, which play far too sitcom-ready (“Take my wife! Please!”). The best part is the surreal scene just before Jane’s kidnapping, when all three timelines bleed into one another and humans and robots dance across the stage to the undeniable “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” One character’s question—“What would you do if you knew that your body had been built for use by someone else?”—clearly applies to the pregnant Jane and the sentient robots alike, but the play is too scattered to explore all the implications of the question, so the end result is a mostly funny, sometimes bewildering, domestic drama. With robots."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...
Sideshow offers what might be the ideal production of this material, with remarkably sophisticated robot actors matching up to a thoroughly grounded performance by Nina O’Keefe as Jane; in addition, Lisi Stoessel’s set provides one of the most satisfying reveals you’ll see all year. But with so many competing, jokey narratives, it’s hard to shake the sense Meriwether’s got too many tongues in her cheek."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...It’s safe to say that the robot attack going on down at Steppenwolf’s garage theatre is definitely something worth seeing. “Heddatron” is a part of Steppenwolf’s second annual Garage Rep showcase. The number one reason I would recommend this production is to see how technology is fastly changing the stage. The robotic life forms are an exciting new concept beautifully crafted by Sideshow Theatre Company."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...Hedda, Jane, and Ibsen are all living human beings in a world of robots, characters programmed to achieve maximum irritability, ecstasy, or even cuteness. Hedda and Jane don’t want to play a part anymore, and while Hedda ultimately gets her escape, Jane is forced back on the track, another pill-popping cog in the suburban machine. The play ends with a cameo from a Hollywood actress known for her stirring portrayals of distressed middle-aged women, a tear-filled tribute that gets big laughs, but also speaks to the play’s deeper themes. The ability to find emotional truth in the midst of absurdity is the sign of great comedy, and Heddatron is gifted with a cast and team that know just where to look."
