Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Shawn Douglass' production has a cast of 10 (the play originally was performed in London with 16 actors) including David Darlow, Emjoy Gavino, Mary Poole, Linda Gillum and Raymond Fox. They all are highly skilled performers, capable of reaching well within themselves. So, although it has some moments of genuine revelation, why is this particular production not as exciting as should be the case?"
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
... Perhaps if Churchill had winnowed her examples by half and let a few develop beyond punchy pop-up demonstrations, the 80-minute evening might have some impact. But especially in director Shawn Douglass’s trajectory-free staging for Remy Bumppo, the life-changing and the quotidian receive equivalent weight until nothing much matters."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...In my view, this work is much more about information than about love. To the degree it touches on love, Churchill seems to illustrate that, to a considerable extent, love is shared information: memories of places and events, history, knowledge of each other's physicality and personality traits, fears and desires. I don't know whether that diminishes love or elevates information, and I don't think Churchill knows, either. A Remy Bumppo company member described this play as "a Rorschach test," an apt description of vignettes we all might see differently but probably enjoy equally."
Edge - Highly Recommended
"...This show is different. Fans of linear plot, of context, of narrative arc might find themselves frustrated. I urge these theatergoers to try to get past it. As Sandys suggested before the first curtain rise, "take the ride." Although one might not connect with every scene, you'll find yourself nodding your head in silent agreement often. Who among us hasn't been on the receiving end of pleas from a loved one -- share with me, open yourself to me -- only to feel the sting of rejection and regret when that data proved to be more than the listener really wanted? "
Gapers Block - Recommended
"...Churchill's script comprises seven sections; her intro asks that they be performed in the order written but that individual scenes within each section can be performed in any order. Randomizing or unrandomizing the scenes would make no difference. Love and Information expresses our ADHD culture and our paranoia about security and privacy while illuminating our need for those human connections."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Churchill’s experiment here is a mixed-bag. The play’s deliberately-ADHD nature is thrillingly familiar, but in a production like this it overwhelms the actual material. In this case, Snapchat might be best left on our phones."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite some rocky starts, the production is effective at landing the emotional punch of that viewpoint some of the time. A few stand-outs are David Darlow as an elderly man driven to paranoia by dementia, who believes his wife (Mary Poole) is an imposter, and Raymond Fox and Penelope Walker debating the efficacy of prayer. Other scenes are light-hearted and funny, such as when a pair of One Direction fans panic when they realize even Google cannot tell them everything about their crushes."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Caryl Churchill's fresh, contemporary new play is like one of those collections of open-ended scenes that drama teachers love to use in theatre classes. The characters, who may be played by any gender, race or age, all want something different. What that something is must be determined by the director and his actors. The playwright contends that these moments portray people offering or searching for information, and Churchill connects this to our eternal need for love and approval. In an array of sight-and-sound bites, much like a well-written collection of short stories, the audience will find an assemblage of drama and comedy that connects and depicts modern life, as we know it."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...Director Shawn Douglass earns major applause for orchestrating the production so fluently, and when given the chance, carving intriguing playlets out of the shards of dialogue that Churchill bequeaths to the production."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Love and Information is, in no uncertain terms, brilliant. Incredible writing by Caryl Churchill is matched by a smart, innovative production bolstered by strong acting work, well-executed design, and outstanding direction. Remy Bumppo has created something amazing."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Director Shawn Douglass' talented ensemble of ten inhabit over 125 characters, while un-shelving, re-shelving, unloading, reloading and creating set pieces out of those banker's boxes. Never mind how they memorize all those words; how do they remember which box?"
