Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...But this short, two-act play only goes so far in terms of its ambition. And Shattered Globe's production imposes too much of a romantic, sepia-toned, prairie-style gauze on the whole thing rather than focusing on the visceral nature of the athletic life. Especially for an athletic young woman in the middle of a patriarchal nowhere, playing toward a revolution."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"..."The Tall Girls," Meg Miroshnik's lovely, heartbreaking play about five young women in a dead-end Midwest town during the Great Depression, is one of those all-American stories that not only beautifully captures a very specific time and place, but also suggests the inner lives of those with big dreams undermined by countless social obstacles. It is, in the very best sense of the term, an old-fashioned play, with richly developed characters and a tightly woven story. And for its Chicago premiere by Shattered Globe Theatre, director Louis Contey has gathered a perfect, tightly knit ensemble."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The show opens with Jean, played by a graceful Angie Shriner, getting off the train in rural midwestern Poor Prairie to take care of her cousin and bury her secrets. She meets Haunt Johnny, a basketball-wielding stranger played by Joseph Wiens, who soon signs on as basketball coach for the local teens hell-bent on getting "downstate." The challenges of a time when the government wanted to curtail female athletics feel extreme but all too relevant-this is a play about "play" not as a luxury but as a potentially life-changing force."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Miroshnik's script can become muddled at times, almost as though its early reliance on sports cliches can allow it to skip ahead to the good stuff. However, Contey's production is warm and amiable, with well-staged basketball scenes that tell the story while minimizing the chance for error. (No matter how many times you rehearse, the ball might still not go in the dang basket.) The cast across the board is wonderful, while the set and costumes by Amanda Rozmiarek and Sarah Jo White, respectively, do a great deal to bring the play's Dust Bowl setting to life."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...This show is both dramatic and compelling as the cast have amazing basketball skills as well as fine acting talent. I was impressed by the performance by Angie Shriner and Joseph Wiens. This is a winning play that is more than “A Play About Playing Basketball!” The six players here score a hit."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...There are just not enough plays/stories about girls' hopes and aspirations, so when something as well-written as "The Tall Girls" comes along, you have to embrace it. Shattered Globe's production of Meg Miroshnik's play is beautifully acted by a talented cast. "The Tall Girls" is nostalgic, uplifting, exciting and heart-wrenching."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This lovely little play is charming and highly entertaining. It’s filled with the struggle, the dreams and the need to escape the inevitable that so many of us feel these days. It’s a story about earning self respect, against all odds, and becoming a family. Meg Miroshnik’s quiet little drama, dusted with moments of comedy and warmth, is a hoop dream for six desperate souls on the prairie."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...The Tall Girls follows a basketball team, and as such, requires a strong ensemble to carry the story from moment to moment. Shattered Globe's production certainly does not fail to meet that challenge. Contey helped highlight the chemistry between these girls, and it truly feels as if you are watching a group of friends work towards a common goal."
