Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...The issues represented by "The Metal Children" are important and interesting, especially when the piece is going after the smugness of those who get paid to influence the young, and then make the ever-dodgy claim of innocence when the impressionable get impressions. But especially in this production, you wait in vain for a really authentic picture of the other America, which seems overwrought to the urban liberal opposition but not, of course, to the people living in that world. (Bradley Mott and Laura T. Fisher play the conservatives to whom Rapp tries to be fair but can't quite make true.)"
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Produced Off Broadway last year, “The Metal Children” is now receiving its Midwest premiere at Evanston’s Next Theatre, where nine ideally cast actors, under the direction of Joanie Schultz, are giving some crackerjack performances despite the pothole-pocked script. There are some terrific scenes in Rapp’s play, but instead of meshing together seamlessly they meet like the jagged pieces of an overdesigned, crazy quilt."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Now folks in the little midwestern town of Midlothia are at war over The Metal Children: some want it banned, others defend it, and--in a twist reminiscent of the Ellen Jamesians, from The World According to Garp--a bunch of local high school girls have made it their raison d'etre. Adam Rapp's strange, messy, compelling play gets a smart production under Joanie Schultz's direction, chock full of extraordinary performances."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Rapp, a Joliet native, has an ear for his story’s heartland characters, but he doesn’t have much sympathy for them. Despite some interesting commentary on artistic intent and impeccable performances by Schultz’s cast (with outstanding turns by Cooper, Laura T. Fisher and Paul Fagen), Rapp’s newfound naturalism doesn’t sit well with the nihilistic surrealism held over from his earlier work. This Metal’s not as heavy as it wants to be."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...And the company keeps up with the material effortlessly. Laura T. Fischer, Meg Thalken, Bradley Mott, Paul Fagen – and the rest; everyone brings their best to the table. This is a very strong production of a very strong new play."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...There is a potentially rich idea worth exploring here beyond the one-dimensional approach of Adam Rapp's script. Cooper's irksome author aside, there is some crafty work from the splendid Laura T. Fischer, Marc Grapey, Bradley Mott and Paul Fagen. Caroline Neff makes a particularly strong impression as the impressionable yet passionate Vera. Maybe if the play had been written more from her point of view, it would have had more substance."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...This is a strong production with a novel use of the stage by Schultz and a clever set by Chelsea Warren, solid lighting by Jared Moore and a wonderful array of props assembled by Maria Defabo. Censorship is something that every writer should fear and should react to. The book that is banned in this play “The Metal Children” was not the real book, but based on the content of the play, I am sure that people with a strong religious background in rural America might react as these folks did. Knowing the minds of youngsters today- they might just defend the right of the author to say what he or she wants to say, so this could in fact really happen (to a point)."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...Rapp’s plays rarely take place in a realistic world. There are numerous events in his plays that defy society’s logic. However, Rapp is also one of the gustiest playwrights today and embraces fiction without reservation. His plays are decidedly “messy” with open questions, plot points left unsettled and mixed visceral emotions. The Metal Children is no exception, and with this intelligent, emotional and honestly executed production, the boundaries are tested of what contemporary realism can achieve on the stage."