Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...As regular Chicago theatergoers know, Thornton performs in his wheelchair, and his conveyance here is rendered central to his characterization. When Othello lashes out at his loquacious rival, Bandealy rears up the chair on its back wheels, almost tipping Thornton onto the floor. At another moment, Thornton's Iago is propelled rapidly across the stage by the giddy Moor, maybe in good humor, maybe not. Thornton certainly makes for a normative Iago - a fellow who rarely needs to raise his voice to extract his pound of flesh, being reliant instead on carefully targeted faux-flattery and conspiratorial talk, all designed to put the hearer on perpetual edge. But one of this actor's most interesting qualities is his own edge, his ability to suggest a man who goes through most of life on a slow simmer but is always ready to set someone else on fire."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Productions of Shakespeare come in all shapes and sizes, and in both traditional and revisionist formats. For its very first encounter with the Bard, the Gift Theatre has devised a streamlined, contemporary, cut-to-the-chase "Othello." Director Jonathan Berry has approached the play almost as if he were making an indie film, using tight close-ups on the principal characters, who are set against the most minimalist backdrop. And it turns out to be a most effective choice for this finely tuned Jefferson Park storefront where the actors, separated from the 40-seat audience by barely a few inches, have clearly steeped themselves in the text."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...With two such formidable presences, the performances of the mostly young cast cannot help but pale by comparison ( including that of storefront-circuit regular Brittany Burch, who needs to develop a few post-ingenue chops ). The greater mystery, though, is how a show with minimal scene changes occupying a stage barely bigger than a bathmat emerges with a running time of nearly three hours. All that aside, where else will you find yourself looking into the very eyes of a sociopathic killer as he blithely plots his victims' ruin?"
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...If you haven't yet discovered the decade-old Gift Theatre on Chicago's Northwest Side, their remarkable new production of Othello-the company's first foray into Shakespeare-should definitely be your introduction. Director Jonathan Berry and a dazzling cast render Shakespeare's problematic tragedy urgent in the Gift's very small space, with minimal set, stylized lighting and an audience so near to the players, we play witness to the unfolding events."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"...The complex relationships of the main characters are strengthened by the support cast. Darci Nalepa, playing Iago's sly yet ultimately loyal wife, is a truly touching Emilia, and Worthington as Cassio is heartbreaking. The show would improve, however, with some well-placed editing-three hours in the Gift's intimate venue can get quite cramped. But it's worth a little physical hardship to partake in this updated production of Othello-a boon to the summer's storefront offerings."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...The Gift Theatre’s production of Othello – their first Shakespeare, and my first exposure to this company – is a gift indeed. The doubly minimal set, combined with the decision to frequently execute the Elizabethan script with contemporary vernacular rhythms, serves to rid the production of any period distractions and distill it to its Aristotelian and human fundamentals. Heroes as well as husbands have flaws. Trusted confidantes may be schemers. There is a double standard in play between what men want and what women are permitted. And jealousy can slither or explode into disaster, whether motivated by lust, greed, or pride."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...This Othello gets right at the core of the story, with simple but evocative means of storytelling. Berry and his cast still have time to find the beats of the final scene, and with so much solid infrastructure in place, I imagine that they will. Where The Gift's Othello will really capture you is in the ever-shifting power play between Thornton and Bandealy, certainly worth the trip to Jefferson Park."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...I love our "storefront theater community" in Chicago. They are the intimate spaces where audience can bind with performer and feel as if they are the "fly on the wall" that we hear people talk about. The Gift Theatre, that lovely little space in Jefferson Park has been around for over a dozen years, bringing us "great stories with honesty and simplicity" and I applaud them for the gifts they have brought to this neighborhood. They have taken on a new challenge in their first ever Shakespeare production, a valiant effort indeed, for a 50 seat theater that has a narrow stage and very little room for a set."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...With a play so familiar to theatre goers, the Gift Theatre has found a way to make “Othello” fresh and timely, putting their own unique spin on the Bard’s work and reinventing this tragedy for their first Shakespearean production. They’ve mounted an exciting production that both tells a story everyone knows while still offering many surprises and bringing a new sensibility to the piece. Setting their production against the backdrop of modern day conflicts, this tale of jealousy and revenge feels especially contemporary and cautionary."