Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...The mouthful title of the play, "In the Next Room or the vibrator play," suggests that Ruhl was torn between the title she really wanted and the one that would actually sell tickets and get the script produced, and thus shrewdly decided to go with both. Regardless, it is based on a rare and savvy premise that manages to be titillating and amusing (rest assured that artfully placed sheets and skirts prevent another visit from the authorities to the once-notorious Biograph Theatre), even as it allows for some serious observations on the effects of the Victorian inclination to suppress female sexuality."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Sarah Ruhl has one of the smartest, quirkiest, most mischievous and poetic minds around. And she has put that mind to extraordinarily good use in “In the Next Room, or the vibrator play,” a work whose title easily attracts attention."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"...The cast turn in wonderful performances, especially Fry, whose flighty chattering brought many laughs, but who ably conveyed the aching sense of isolation lurking underneath the high spirits. Montgomery’s scientific seriousness contrasts hilariously with his earnest application of the mechanical treatment. The Givingses have lost their romantic spark, and it isn’t until they introduce electrical machines to their lives that they rediscover it."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"... Ruhl and director Sandy Shinner sensitively explore their multifaceted characters. Catherine, unable to produce enough milk for her newborn daughter, feels unfit as a mother and unseen as a wife, while unhappy Mrs. Daldry warms to her treatment. Leo, a worldly painter who’s a rare male patient of Dr. Givings’s, provides Catherine with a fantasy out, but Ruhl for once doesn’t let things get too whimsical. Like any electrical system, In the Next Room is best when it’s grounded."
Chicago Theatre Addict - Highly Recommended
"...Excellent acting, a clever and compelling script, and a lavish physical design (Jacqueline Firkin’s period dresses, and their complex sets of underthings, are a marvel) make this show a must-see. And I dare you not to be drawn into Kate Fry’s performance — it’s touching, funny and completely human."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Sometimes tender, sometimes almost farcical, the play really belongs to the outspoken, brave, curious Catherine. She listens at the door of her husband’s examining room, wonders at the rapturous noises emanating forth, and takes matters into her own hands, especially in a delightful scene with Mrs. Daldry when they mutually explore the new gadget without benefit of the doctor. Fry is extraordinary in the role, capturing diffidence joined by determination to learn what is going on and how she, herself, may benefit. Her every facial expression and gesture reveal the inner woman."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...It’s not that this “incubator play” is much ado about nothing, but it does promise more than it delivers. That, happily, is not the case with Shinner’s sublime cast, Jack Magaw’s sumptuously appointed set, Andre Pluess’ sound desgn redolent of the Gilded Age, or Jacqueline Firkin’ gorgeous period costumes. Bravo, tutti!"
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...Playwright Sarah Ruhl was nominated for a Tony Award for this play. It’s easy to see why. ‘The Vibrator Play’ is a crowd pleaser. The old-fashion lust story is the perfect romantic comedy. It’s sexy without being slutty. The dialogue crackles with innuendo. Under the direction of Sandy Shinner, this cast seduces the audience. The effect is pure pleasure. In the leads, Mark L. Montgomery and Kate Fry (Dr. and Mrs. Givings) are magnificent as an-opposites-attract couple. Montgomery is textbook non-emotional. He hilariously speaks clinically to his patients and his wife. Fry is a lively, spirited adventurer. Fry delightfully stumbles into intimacy and zestfully goes after it. The entire talented ensemble provides strong support to get what they need. In particular, Polly Noonan (Mrs. Daldry) is hysterical. Noonan transforms from manic to serene with a flip of a switch. Administering Noonan’s remedy, a stoic Patricia Kane (Annie) delivers a laugh with every line."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Shinner has a delightful cast in this fast moving comedy on a remarkable set ( Jack Magaw) that fills this small stage with a fantastik living room and a riser that is “the next room” ( where the doctor does his stuff). The Victorian costumes (Jacqueline Firkins) are magnificent and very detailed and the lighting (Joseph Appelt) sheer perfection."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...The entire cast is spot-on, but it’s anchored by Fry who is absolutely radiant with energy that’s in turns maternal, intellectual and sexual. Her frustration at her husband’s inability to see her as something other than a doll to be carefully cared for and displayed – is the driving force of the narrative. As the doctor, Montgomery is a solidly chiseled block of well-meaning but patriarchal cluelessness – careless, callous and unable to understand why his aloof, respectful behavior is so devastating to his wife. Noonan is a picture of troubled wistful gentility as Mrs. Daldry, a delicate, creative soul who is also unappreciated by her less-than-perceptive husband (Lawrence Grimm, at times absolutely loathsome in his condescension to the weaker sex.)"
