Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The same sense of defiant joy that made the Goodman production revelatory infuses Douglas' staging as well, if on a smaller canvas. Some of the supporting performances felt a bit tentative on opening night, but Nottage's play remains just as big-hearted and vital in giving voice to women who refuse to view themselves as irrevocably ruined."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Nottage's play, every bit as devastating as her subject, plumbs the very darkest depths of human nature, but remarkably it also captures the light that refuses to be extinguished."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Aaron Todd Douglas and designer Kevin Hagan haven't found a way to deal effectively with multiple, separate interactions occurring simultaneously in a confined area, so I spent a lot of time with my focus divided. Speaking of focus, Krystal Mosley lacks the dynamism she needs to draw any as Sophie, the traumatized but allegedly spirited young woman at the center of the story. On the other hand, Taylar and Andre Teamer share a nice, prickly rapport as two people trying to cope with the possibility of love in the ruins."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...The play is dark, and yet there are frequent points of light that allow for some hope and relief from what might otherwise be a bludgeoning of the viewer’s emotions. Each time Christian (played by the earnestly charismatic Andre Teamer) comes on stage, it seems things get a little better, even in their darkest times. His mostly unrequited romantic pursuit of the equatorial madam hints that love is still a driving force for good, despite all the hateful things that might surround us."
- Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Aaron Todd Douglas's staging for Eclipse-the first production of a 2014 Nottage season that will also see mountings of the playwright's Intimate Apparel and Mud, River, Stone-is chilling in its intimacy but can also feel a bit underpopulated; aside from the two new residents, just one other woman gets a speaking presence in what seems like is meant to be a thriving place of compromised asylum. There are technical challenges as well, with sound designer Matthew Reich's downstage speakers tending to drown out dialogue and Mosley's stinging musical commentary."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...What was so powerful in Aaron Todd Douglas’ production, upon the fine multi-layered set (by Kevin Hagen) is the intimacy and the emotionally honest performances by TayLar, Teamer and BrittneyLove Smith. We feel their pain, we fear for them, and we pray for their happiness. Eclipse Theatre has mounted poignant tale of war’s human toll, especially toward women. This shows needs to be seen."
The Fourth Walsh - Somewhat Recommended
"...TayLar commands the stage. She delivers a strong tough-talking, soft-hearted and business-minded persona. TayLar and Andre Teamer (Christian) spar together with familiar collusion and conflict. The charismatic Teamer slyly plays TayLar to change her mind... continuously. Although there are plenty of men in this hostile environment, RUINED is about the female casualties of war. Both the spunky Celeste M. Cooper (Josephine) and the fragile Krystal Mosley (Sophie) have poignant bittersweet moments. And BrittneyLove Smith (Salima) is unforgettably haunting. In a gripping soliloquy, Smith remembers the day her life changed forever. Smith is beautifully tragic."
