| Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...A pair of self-destructive lovers pick at each others' scabs—both literally and metaphorically—in this 2009 two-hander. Rajiv Joseph's tender, thoughtful script chronicles Doug and Kayleem's relationship from schoolyard crush to thorny thirtysomething affair."
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NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...Doug and Kayleen’s injuries escalate in literal severity as the play treks on. Initially schoolyard cuts and scrapes, these layered characters endure lost eyes, comas and scary self-inflicted wounds. My squeamishness forced me to look away once or twice, but the play’s drive and focus never falls upon the injury itself. Like the most traumatic events in life, be them physical or emotional, these subtly metaphoric injuries open doors for personal growth and reaffirm the characters’ and the audience’s faith in humanity’s optimistic spirit. Gruesome though these battle wounds may be, beauty reigns supreme in this charming production."
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Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"... Beneath the surface, the play’s got serious flaws. Its gender dynamics are disappointingly predictable and clichéd. We have the classic “good guy” putting a beautiful, damaged girl on a pedestal and devoting his life to her even though she rarely shows appreciation for it. Male lust is always portrayed as selfless love if it’s sufficiently monomaniacal."
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Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...This could all get very emo, but Joseph (best known for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, which was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize in 2010) maintains a buoyant tone throughout. He displays a special talent for blending heavy themes with a playful quirkiness that stops just short of being too cutesy. His script is well-served by Lavina Jadhwani’s fleet and funny production, which features a spare, blue-and-white scenic design (by Roger Wykes) that alternately suggests a hospital room and a hockey rink."
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Chicago Theatre Addict - Somewhat Recommended
"... In Rasaka Theatre Company’s appropriately bare-bones production directed by Lavina Jadhwani, Joseph’s macabre and peculiar vignettes are well presented, helping uncover the quirky necessity of this dysfunctional relationship. That is, until the action nearly comes to a halt several times during distractingly complex on-stage costume changes. Martin and Makkar play well off each other, but seem a bit too in control for characters whose survival requires living outside convention."
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