Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...We are such stuff as dreams are made on. So, we better pick the right dreams - and fight like hell for them. That's pretty much the message underlying Sean Kelly's "Psychonaut Librarians," now in a world premiere with The New Colony. But given the malaise apparent in many sectors of the nation these days, it's not a bad place to start an adventure/fantasy tale. And if you're looking for some goony escapism - well, director Krissy Vanderwarker's lo-fi, high-octane staging offers plenty of that as well."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Though Kelly's script throws off sparks of sly, strange comedy, its bouts of serious message making ("Our souls aren't in our bodies, our bodies are in our souls, so what's there to be afraid of?") feel like excerpts from a Scientology kids' show. Both the tale and Krissy Vanderwarker's wildly erratic New Colony staging fall apart before their 80 minutes are up, despite the much-appreciated efforts of Morgan McNaught and Michael Peters to make something viable of their supporting roles."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The show can feel at times like two different plays that have been soldered together: one an earnest, philosophical head trip, the other a goofball fantasy romp. One takes its story about expanded perceptions very seriously—with dialogue that’s like if a blacklight were given the gift of speech—while the other has funny costumes and werewolves. Though Vanderwarker mostly does a good job of marrying the two forms together, there are times they still fit awkwardly. And yet at other times, the clashing tonalities actually feel quite fitting. After all, this is a show about embracing the chaos of a fully-lived life. And life, with psychedelic drugs or without, is anything but tonally consistent."
Theatre By Numbers - Somewhat Recommended
"...Too much is left to the audience's imaginations to supply, which ironically is the beauty of books. Much of what one can glean from a book is then processed in each reader's own imagination. But, the trick in writing a good book, perhaps one that gets published as opposed to a few hundred pages that should remain in someone's bottom drawer, is knowing that you must provide a complete enough picture that the reader doesn't have to fill in so much that it is overwhelming."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This new play, by a theatre company known for their inventive new works, is sheer escape. It's stuffed with unexpected humor, warmth and exciting daring deeds. It also offers a sweet, positive message of the importance of love and caring that, in today's climate of apathy and sorrow, we can all use."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...This play is an excellent addition to The New Colony's stack of world premieres. Though some metaphors might have gone too deep to really mean anything, the general ideas presented are ones you'll still think about after it's all said and done. The show pairs just the right amount of fun and lightheartedness with some serious thoughts and ideas."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Garnished with camp, theatrical magic (finger puppets are a crucial plot point) and a story of coping and love filtered through an allegorical fantasy, "Psychonaut Librarians" has echoes of "Labyrinth" and "The Pagemaster" but still manages to very much be its own beast."
