Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Receiving a smashingly good world premiere at Signal Ensemble Theatre, "Aces" is filled with the kind of endlessly watchable galoots, lost souls and dregs of this gambling town, circa 1975."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...The setting is also retro: it's 1975, and the arrival of a comely female dealer causes the men at a Vegas casino to question their aimless lives. Ronan Marra's sturdy cast have a ball with the thin but colorful material--particularly Steinhagen himself as a surly, just barely reformed drunk/gambler, Philip Winston as his geeky little brother, and Aaron Snook as a laconic Vietnam vet."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...There's no mistaking this for some sugary Dickensian parable aimed at family audiences. Steinhagen's Mamet-mouthed dialogue is as salty as it is witty (such hyperbolic images as "dark as a bat's asshole" and "that's a real sandpaper hand job" linger in the memory). Ultimately, however, its tidy symmetry and gritty warmth render Aces a crowd-pleaser for any time of year, as well as the perfect alternative holiday show."
Talkin Broadway - Somewhat Recommended
"...There are some good ideas here, like setting the story in 1975. The mid-seventies were a time of transition for Las Vegas, when new mega-hotels with theme-park concepts (like Caesar's Palace and Circus Circus) had already started to supplant the older casino-hotels and women like Samantha were just beginning to get hired as dealers. Beyond giving the play a fun and retro setting, this era provides a metaphor for the situational changes Steinhagen's characters must respond to and the life changes they must make. It's a tall order, though, to create six interesting and original characters and have them all experience life-altering experiences that are cleanly completed in some 95 minutes. The piece seems to need either a tightening and focus on just a few characters, or expansion of the play and to give greater tension between Samantha and the others. As it is, Steinhagen and company earn high marks for artfully bringing us into a behind-the-scenes look at a fascinating place and time, but we need to find the characters and their journeys as fascinating as their world."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...While Steinhagen, who also appears as reformed gambler Jack, mostly pens serviceable, story-advancing scenes, he has his moments: A brief encounter between Garrett and Samantha achieves a cryptic poetry. It may not have the flash of a Mametian caper drama, but Aces’ moody scenario has a surprising staying power."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...In a tender and comic work, Aces unfolds as a fable about how a charismatic newcomer, Samantha, can enlighten, inspire, motivate and comfort her fellow casino workers. We also see how Linda helps her ex, Duke, after he gets hurt by the mob. Jack also come through to help Duke get out of debt. We enjoy, we laugh, and we relate to this group of eccentric lost souls. Steinhagen has a most effect retro look at the 1970′s mentality. The strength of this work lies in the fully developed unique characters, male and female, young middle aged, and senior that Steinhagen has created. His clever scomedy has enough development for each character to influence and contribute to the story. Their adventures could emerge into another play, a TV mini-series or film."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...
For this production, Signal places the audience in a semi-circle. The stage is ground level. Under the direction of Ronan Marra, the card dealing action is also staged in a semi-circle. I'm sitting stage right on the aisle. Winston is placed directly in front of me. He's pretty to look at but I can't see anything behind him. The designated stage is wide and leads to a sluggish pacing as actors continually cross. The expansive area keeps the audience from really connecting to the characters. Tightening up the staging and script could send ACES on a lucky streak."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...“Aces” is a sharp new play about losers and how one person can change their whole outlook and their futures. The time is 1975 ( I am still not sure why Steinhagen chose this era) and the place is Las Vegas. We are at one of the lesser known casinos as we meet our main characters, Lloyd ( the always reliable Vincent Lonergan) the pit boss for the Blackjack area, Jack ( Jon Steinhagen, who as always creates great characters, as it turns out with pen as well as with his acting ability), Pete, Jack’s brother( Philip Winston handles this role with just the right touch), Garrett ( a marvelous character interpretation by Aaron Snook) and Duke ( deftly handled by Joseph Stearns). The cocktail waitress for their area is played by the lovely Elizabeth Bagby. These characters are involved in a mini-scam they call ACES along with one more dealer, but their fourth dealer, has just passed away, thus they cannot pull off their “game” anymore."
Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended
"...In the end, this is much more sentimental character study than Ocean’s 11 style heist plot. This would be less of a problem, except that there is so much setup to the scam that when Steinhagen decides to drop that part of the story almost entirely it feels like the first half of the play was a waste. Nevertheless, the character interplay is light and a great time. It’s an entertaining group of characters to spend a couple hours with, just don’t expect to feel closure in the end, and be sure to sit in the center."
