| Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Michael Menendian's fine ensemble executes them with enough heart and verve to make them seem new. It doesn't hurt that Harris's original story is so strong, or that Eric Simonson's 1992 stage adaptation is so graceful. But what really sells the show is the cast: these actors work together like a band of champions on a roll."
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NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...Harris’ herky-jerky vernacular as adapted by Eric Simonson still captivates the ear; it captures the emotional nature of the piece without being mawkish. Stegall captures Author’s cockiness but doesn’t put his vulnerability across the plate. Duvall’s plenty goofy but light on the sweetness that makes the character so attractive. The ensemble nails the roughhousing that comes with being boys of summer but misses out on the heartfelt awkwardness that’s part and parcel of dealing with mortality."
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Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Though he occasionally trips on the play’s Damon Runyon–esque phrasing, the cinematically handsome Stegall (a recent Columbia College graduate who stood out in Raven’s 2011 Bus Stop) has an incandescent stage presence and is so grounded he seems to be holding down the stage with his feet. He has big-league written all over him."
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Chicago Theatre Addict - Recommended
"...Bang the Drum Slowly is one of those rare plays that will appeal to a wide range. (Ahem: pardon me while I make sweeping and offensive generalizations.) Men will appreciate the references to baseball, teamwork and perseverance while women (and gays) will respond to the themes of friendship, loyalty and men in towels."
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ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The ensemble work here is terrific containing all the stereotypical ball players: the over weigh Latino complete with his translator; the wacky white boys with nick-names like “Ugly, ” “Horse” and “Goose.” There is the homer run-hitting Jewish boy – Sid Goldman (Jeff Taylor) and the usual group of sluggers that comprise a ’50′s Major League team. The funny horseplay and razzing fuels the male bonding from a group of men dedicated to excelling in a team sport."
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Chicago Stage Standard - Somewhat Recommended
"...The play seems more about how straight guys hide feelings. The team’s farewell to their dying colleague seems calculatedly uneventful, as if we’re to guess their sorrow since they can’t show it. Bruce Pearson’s short life deserves a greater show of substance in his final season. Sadly (in ways never meant here), Raven’s version of Harris’ much praised valedictory triggers the worst words you can say after a show: So what?"
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...While the theme of this story is baseball, don’t let that turn you off. It is about people caring for people and relationships and a strong bond that can come between two people, from different walks of life, who by sheer coincidence and chance become the best of friends, loyal to each other through thick and thin. I would say that even if you hate baseball and sports, you will love the story that is told so well in this solid production."
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