Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...There are a few bursts of life. A few. And this is a formidably accomplished adaptation of one of the great French playwrights. But as a holiday entertainment, this "Changes of Heart" is quite the slog and thus quite the disappointment, despite the skills of these artists and the many beauties within the eloquent yet unstuffy Wadsworth prose. The show urgently needs an injection of pace and vibrancy, a sexual charge, the inclusion of the audience in the various affairs du coeur, and a clear sense of the rules of the perplexing world we share."
Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...The fashion nowadays is to reach for timely lessons in the social behavior of long ago. There's no harm in Douglas' attempt to hijack Marivaux in pursuit of commentary on class prejudices and the corrupting influence of materialism, nor in audiences joining him in his search. Be advised, however: Those who don't peer so closely will have much more fun."
Centerstage - Recommended
"... The loquacity of Marivaux’s work is worth mentioning because the actors do such a fantastic job with their characters’ emotional transitions that those announced internal monologues are unnecessary: Alana Arenas (Silvia), Steve Wojtas (the Prince) and Linda Gillum (Flaminia) put on terrific performances and seamlessly transition the love arcs of their characters through the show. Nicolas Gamboa trills but never trips as the clownish Harlequin. Jake Szczepaniak, listed as Ensemble, a one-man band of household servants, does not have a single line, instead lip-syncing his way through Motown, The Animals, and even Edith Pilaf. It’s a wonderful addition to the play and helps strengthen the bridge between the original work and its modern setting."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Remy Bumppo recasts Marivaux’s 1723 commedia in 1960s Chicago. The Prince’s court is on the North Shore, and country rubes Silvia (Alana Arenas) and Harlequin (Nicolas Gamboa) are native South Siders. So we’re told in the program, anyway. Timothy Douglas’s concept may well be a useful lens for understanding the class distinctions of Marivaux’s pre-Revolution France. But aside from a kicky ’60s soundtrack, that concept doesn’t really show up onstage; anyone who hasn’t read that this was meant to be Chicago wouldn’t have a clue. Douglas’s program notes tell us what his production doesn’t show."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...there are definitely strengths and weaknesses to this production. The acting, I say again, is superb; the costumes and set very well done – technically, all around, it’s very much up to Remy Bumppo’s standard. But Timothy Douglas did not pursue his vision as tenaciously as one would like. It left the play feeling stodgy and odd and, admittedly, long. It could have stood some substantial cutting (2:45 with two intermissions left one slightly exhausted). With clever cutting and greater commitment to vision, this could have been an exceptional production and something everyone should see; as it is, it is a very well-acted novelty, fine for what it is, but disappointing on the whole. Mainly because it could have been so much more."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"... At nearly three hours Timothy Douglas’ staging badly needs cutting, with the courtly characters clearly confusing any chance to mistake 18th century France for Beatles-era Illinois. The insertion of a lip-syncing mime (Jake Szczepaniak) who mocks doo wop classics only complicates this messy change of setting."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Somewhat Recommended
"...When I think about this show, I keep visualizing Timothy Douglas holding onto a bundle of bright, beautiful balloons. Some are blown up too much and in danger of premature popping. Some need a little more gas to reach the right height. Some of the balloons are floating outside the cluster. They are in jeopardy of getting loose and drifting away. By checking the gas levels and pulling the strings tighter, Douglas could create a colorful cluster of entertainment to love."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...While this is a story about the classes and the ability for people to break barriers when love is alive, it id sone in a way that keeps the interest and a lot of this can be attributed to the solid cast of players. They work well together and besides the great “silent” work by Szczepaniak, the scenes between Gamboa and Gillum are pure magic. Arenas, of course, is always fun to watch onstage and while she and The Prince are the “straight men” in this farce, they do have thier moments. This is definately not Chicago’s North Shore (at least not the one I live in), but it is a wonderful theatrical experience."
Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended
"... Director Douglas successfully (and rather astoundingly) manages to make elements of classic farce feel utterly natural in a narrative that often veers into utter modernity. He also successful meshes moods of glorious silliness with deep poignancy . Changes of Heart is both absurd and sublime."
