Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...there are some savvy and caustic observations here, especially on the interwoven relationship of love, sex, families and money. I'm all for a play that makes fun of dentists (even though I have a very nice one to take my money). And there is a good deal to like (especially for Shaw fanatics) in Shawn Douglass' mostly solid production, which is enriched by lovely costume design from Emily Waecker and makes a partial, if not a full, case for the worth of this play. The show is highlighted by a pair of very amusing performances from Weisman, who is nicely controlled but well-defined - rather in the style of a young Nathan Lane - and Miller, a very talented newcomer who has this deliciously fresh habit of just throwing herself into every moment with a palpable abandon."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Any play that begins in a dentist's chair, and at the same time manages to generate the most buoyant laughter, is unquestionably worthy of attention. So take note of George Bernard Shaw's "You Never Can Tell," the delicious comedy of manners (and much, much more) that was penned in 1896, received its short-lived London debut in 1899 and hasn't been produced in Chicago for 30 years."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Director Shawn Douglass and the Remy Bumppo ensemble rally behind Shaw's intent, maintaining a crisp and sprightly pace that never slips into slapstick mugging. Representing the voices of authority are Elaine Rivkin and Doug Hendel, acquitting themselves admirably as the incompatible progenitors, while Greg Matthew Anderson and Eliza Stoughton make a suitably pixilated pair of lovers. That said, C. Jaye Miller and Alex Weisman's irreverent tag-team sallies command attention whenever they appear, but are no match for the legendary Dale Benson, playing a waiter grown wise with age, nor Rob Glidden's lex-ex-machina cameo as his upstart offspring."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...Remy Bumppo's current production at the Greenhouse Theater Center hits most of the right notes. Valentine (Greg Matthew Anderson), has just established a practice as a "five shilling dentist," and his first patient is Dolly Clandon (C. Jaye Miller). She and her twin brother Philip (Alex Weisman) are two of the three children of Mrs. Lanfrey Clandon (Elaine Rivkin), a women's self-help writer conversant on early Twentieth-century behavior. Mrs. Clandon's third (and oldest) child is Gloria (Eliza Stoughton), a priggishly conflicted young lady who has not been prepared one iota for life in the modern world. As soon as Valentine meets Gloria, however, the situation is turned topsy-turvy. This being a Shaw play, of course, we cannot escape the societal issues inherent: the function that women's rights and law have in society."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...George Bernard Shaw's 1896 answer to The Importance of Being Earnest, a rollicking, genteel, snappy meringue of a play, has few faults. That's more than one can say about its characters, who are silliness incarnate but still navigate a magnificent muddle of identities, parentage, romance and dentistry."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Douglass gets the chemistry endearingly right in this four-act romp. He happily ends this 140-minute feast of fools with a waltz that seamlessly reconciles Shaw's delightful differences. By evening's end we've enjoyed a delightfully illustrated lecture in the power of love to subdue to its rule even the most contrary characters, the imperative of change to keep families fresh, and the importance of seeing Shaw."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...You Never Can Tell contains rich English accents (fine dialect coaching by Doreen Feitelberg) and looks great with costume designer Emily Waecker's Victorian finery. You'll laugh while you commensurate with the characters,especially the plight of the woman. You'll cringe with Shaw's misogynistic comments but you'll be highly engaged with this smart high comedy. It is so nice to see Remy Bumppo return to classical works that they do so well. This show deserves a large audience. This is terrific theatre - don't miss it! You never can tell when it'll be produced."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...I’m a huge fan of George Bernard Shaw and his timeless social commentaries. Shaw is a master of dialogue and human revelation. Shaw wrote YOU NEVER CAN TELL after Oscar Wilde wrote his blockbuster THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Shaw wanted to premiere a similar comedy but with stronger social messaging. In comparison over decades, Wilde’s play is much more popular because it’s much more funny. Shaw's spin-off goes more earnest for less humor. Still, Remy Bumppo’s production has moments of pure solid gold comedy. And those moments are primarily brought to us by the wilde-ly talented team of Miller and Weisman. So, I guess YOU NEVER CAN TELL."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...George Bernard Shaw was a genius and he had a sense of humor. Most people do not think of him as a comedy writer. After viewing "The Importance of Being Earnest", Oscar Wilde's comic tour de force, he bet Wilde that he could write a better and even funnier show. Wilde said it couldn't be done. Well it could and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company has the production on stage now to prove it, "You Never Can Tell" smoothly directed by Shawn Douglass on a typically English seaside set by Timothy Mann."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Shawn Douglass has directed his production with just the right pacing and perfect attention to detail. His cast's mastery of language is spot-on, particularly thanks to Doreen Feitelberg's diligent dialect coaching. Douglass smartly keeps the play moving without rushing it. One of the director's more fascinating bits of staging comes from the way he's choreographed the set changes, all performed by the play's maids and waitstaff. And Emily Waecker's elegant period costumes, particularly Dolly and Philip's wonderfully whimsical party finery, are exquisite. All-in-all, Remy Bumppo's delightful production just goes to show that with a Shaw comedy, you never can tell."
