Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Gilman is looking at how and why a poisoned mindset is formed, particularly among so-called liberals, and the play's intellectual weight pivots on the dean's feelings of white guilt and latent racism, stoked by a previous job working at a black college. Actress Jessica Lauren Fisher delivers her big confessional monologue with just the right amount of ambivalent self-knowledge in this Eclectic Theatre production (directed by Andrew Pond), but the play's center of gravity, its orientation and primary focus - its hand-wringing and provocation - feels fundamentally off. Or worse, trivial."
Chicago Reader - Not Recommended
"...Unlike the work of young playwrights (e.g., Young Jean Lee) who destabilize everyone's assumptions, including those of the audience, this play gives white people a space to say, "Look! It's hard for us too!" Gilman's portrayal of academia is silly and simpering; it's hard for me to imagine an academic like Spinning Into Butter's Sarah Daniels (played by Jessica Lauren Fisher in this Eclectic Theatre production), who conflates her hatred of Toni Morrison's writing style with her distaste for African-American hairstyles. Seriously? Intended or not, the subtle racism on display here is staggering."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...her play does have the power to spark the kinds of personal exchanges that are where real growth occurs, and Eclectic Theatre tells the story effectively. Coming so recently from university myself, I recognized everything represented in the story, and I was lucky in my social issues theatre teacher. Lots of people involved in higher education experience a similar emotional attachment to this play, and be glad someone understands."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...Andrew Pond, an Eclectic Company member, directed this piece. For the most part I understood and appreciated his choices. I thought some of the blocking was a bit static, but they were also limited by the space available. He did a good job allowing the characters to breathe and find their own voices. Many directors try to force to much action onto their characters and audiences. I also enjoyed the work of set designer and technical director Zoe Mikel-Stites, along with scenic artist Laura Carney. There are few things I appreciate more than a well-dressed set."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Nobody paying any attention could honestly say could that they thought 2014 was a good year for race relations in America. Unarmed, black, men were repeatedly killed by policeman with what began to seem like absolute impunity. Some media outlets directly responded by covering unrelated issues, such as affirmative action, in ways that were sensational and seemed aimed at producing further racial animus. However, even narratives that tried to discover the structural causes of institutionalized racism seemed to some divisive and unhelpful. Therefore, Eclectic Theatre Company's decision to open 2014 with Rebecca Gillman 1999 play "Spinning into Butter" about racist acts and how we respond to them and talk about racism is both brave and topical."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Rebecca Gilman’s play sparked a certain amount of controversy when it first premiered in 1999 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and again when it opened a year later at New York’s Lincoln Center. The play was accused of inciting racial problems, but most playgoers recognize that the playwright’s intention was to expose a problem whose existence is often denied. Since then, this country has made some advances in racial relations, but racism, although sometimes buried beneath political correctness, is still just as prevalent as it was then. Eclectic Theatre’s production demonstrates the lasting power and relevancy of Ms. Gilman’s play today."
