Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...n a generally top-notch ensemble, it's the modern-day characters who at least initially resonate best, particularly in the exchanges between Harman's acerbic Hannah and Granata's sweatily exuberant Bernard. But contrary to the second law of thermodynamics (which plays a major thematic role here), this smart and emotionally satisfying production gains heat and energy over time."
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Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...This New Leaf Theatre production has great moments, but Jessica Hutchinson's unsubtle direction frequently indulges Stoppard's showy writing at the expense of the finer points. The script's many relationships become a muddle. Still, the combination of Hutchinson's galloping tempo and Stoppard's whirlwind erudition—thermodynamics, literary history, landscape design, oh my!—make the lengthy play fly by."
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NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"... With an able cast, director Jessica Hutchinson tackles this complex bundle of comedy and drama carefully and deliberately, giving the audience time to let Stoppard’s language sink in without making the two-hour-forty-minute running time feel bloated. The well-cast ensemble feels natural together with Granata’s cocksure bravura, Harman’s subtle emotional internalizations and Fenderson’s cheekiness standing out."
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Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended

"... New Leaf Theatre’s production of “Arcadia” by Tom Stoppard is a surprising miss by a company that one would think perfectly suited to the task. Its number one mistake is what’s called “Playing British,” wherein otherwise talented actors resort to hammy, faux-British mannerisms instead of simply playing a real human being who just so happens to be from Great Britian."
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Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Amid nearly three hours of heady talk encompassing physics, poetry, mathematics and landscape architecture, Stoppard cleverly comments on the futility of our desire for order in the universe. In his rush to publish, cocksure egotist Bernard (Dan Granata) wildly misinterprets the facts as they play out in the earlier century, while the pragmatic Hannah (a terrific Marsha Harman) finds her search for an elusive historical hermit becoming improbably enlaced with Bernard’s Byronic quest. Jessica Hutchinson’s handsome, well-paced production deftly lays out the dual time lines, with stellar work by a pitch-perfect ensemble keeping the plot—unlike the universe—from succumbing to entropy."
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Chicago Stage Standard - Highly Recommended

"... Watching New Leaf Theater's excellent production of Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia," I enjoyed many of the same emotions I felt during Goodman's "The Iceman Cometh". What pleasure comes from sending time with a great writer, working at the top of his game. What delight comes from a brilliantly designed show, when every costume, the crackle from the fireplace, the beautifully assembled props, and the stars and fireworks are all just perfect. And what joy comes from the companionship of a fantastic ensemble and director who submerge you in the world of the play and never let you escape. It's a great achievement."