Even Longer and Farther Away presented by The New Coordinates at The Den Theatre

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...It's filled with "mountain folk" who seem as old as the trees around them-like Trudy, played by Deanna Reed-Foster, whose earthy power sizzles beneath a patient and observant exterior. But despite an interesting big reveal about Elliot's father, the show's emotional depth and character development hardly measure up to the setting's potential."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...Despite the production’s flaws, however, we’re effectively immersed in the world of Marcantel’s pilgrimage play thanks to the work of set designer Ashley Woods, and it’s a comfortable and charming one. The Den Theatre’s upstairs main stage is transformed into the 100 Mile Resort, in which audience members are invited to sit among the resort guests as the story unfolds. The space is rustic with a mystic air suggestive of a little magic lingering in the mountains of Appalachia. Unfortunately, the magical part of Even Longer and Farther Away’s magical realism only kicks in a few times, leading us down a lackluster and predictable path of surface-level self discovery."

ChicagoCritic - Not Recommended

"...Even Longer & Father Away is a fantastical quest of tropes in search of a cliche: the angry, young man gone native-accompanied by his comedic confidant, his young-but-mature sister, and her happy-go-lucky boyfriend-quests stubbornly for what he thinks he needs, but instead encounters a wise, mystical woman on a mountaintop whose perfectly felicitous stories lead him exactly to what he always really needed. We've all seen this story in one form or another, so why tell it again? With exactly zero unique twists or insights to offer, this play is unentertaining and eminently forgettable."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...Getting lost in the wilderness in order to find yourself is as old a story as storytelling itself, and New Colony's production of Even Longer and Farther Away has taken up residence at the Den Theatre to deliver yet another iteration. Fortunately this one is well worth the price of admission, not because of its original spin but because it's telling us a tale we already know and love all over again."

Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended

"...I wanted to like Even Longer and Farther Away much more than I actually did. The idea of mourning a lost parent by taking a journey isn't original, but if done right, it can be both heartbreaking and rewarding. Sadly, this story is neither. If playwright Marcantel had been slightly less cliche with her characters and dialogue, Even Longer and Farther Away would be much stronger."

NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...But post-intermission, the setting shifts and the magic is lost. Elliot’s slow redemption that began in the first act is shot as he proves to be an insufferable jackass. Unfortunately, his arc takes too long and comes at the expense of developing all the other characters. Trudy becomes only a trope and Roy’s sassy asides never amount to a full person. Like Alexis and Jack, Roy is only seen in relation to Elliot’s story. Archetypes are revealed to be stereotypes: Trudy as the magical black woman and Roy as the sassy gay best friend."