Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...When a husband tells his wife, "I know that you never loved me," it's not devastating. It's not anything, because we know nothing about this couple. We care nothing about their marriage. The play hasn't done the work to get you there."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Erin Courtney's 2012 one-act is the first show of Cor Theatre's inaugural season, memorable, for better or worse, for its mix of poetic language and horror-movie camp. At its center is a unique narrator, a talking statue of a meadowlark played with avian grace by Scottie Caldwell (whose black ensemble should have some yellow to be more accurate, said my science teacher plus-one)."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Tosha Fowler’s atmospheric staging deftly navigates Courtney’s narrative quirks, hopping from Caldwell’s captivating bird narrator to brutal scenes of realism to confessional-style direct address monologues with ease. Tierra G. Novy’s set design and Eric J. Vigo’s lighting make the most of the largely blank space. And with finely tuned performances, Von Vogt, Nees, Mikula and Ruben Adorno (in a smaller role as Mark’s loyal boyfriend) craft nuanced, deeply affecting relationships. (Eleni Pappageorge and Adam Benjamin, as the keys to the middle act’s big twist, have a harder row to hoe credulity-wise but perform admirably as well.) A Map of Virtue makes a haunting, occasionally breathtaking guide to the capricious cartography of human connection."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Since A Map Of Virtue is unique and cleverly vague, it possesses a compelling mystery to be solved. It is work seeing despite it’s ambiguity. This 80 minute work will get you thinking: “What’s this story really about?” That’s not a bad think but a virtue."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...Nees and Von Vogt are fine as the leading couple, and Nick Mikula gives good support as Sarah’s husband Nate, as does Caldwell as the bird. The others do their best, but Tosha Fowler (who was terrific in Skin Tight) provides only unfocused direction – sometimes overplaying the comedy, or the screaming. Much of her staging on the floor of the small Rivendell stage was not visible to audiences at the back of the theater. Whatever tension is in the script dissipates immediately. And most importantly, I never believed a moment of it."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Cor Theatre’s first production of its new season follows its mission statement of exploring the hero within, while acknowledging that certain intrinsic values connect us. As a riff on symmetry, Erin Courtney’s play is an interesting creative exercise. If it were part of a new works festival, this piece would stand out as fascinating and noteworthy. The play definitely inspires thought and discussion because it elicits so much empathy and terror from its audience. However, with so many questions left unanswered by the end of the performance, it remains a frustrating, confusing experience. Despite thoughtful staging by a passionate director, a talented cast of committed actors and some excellent technical support, while exploring life’s symmetry, this play ultimately feels very uneven."
NewCity Chicago - Not Recommended
"...A flop is a painful thing for everyone concerned, but as with all adversity, there are lessons to be learned. So it is with this ten-car pileup of a play presented by the newborn Cor Theatre."
