Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Frankly, I think the racial themes of this play mostly end up as a distraction, and they feel dated, in a way. Johnson, who writes fine dialogue and has a very compassionate view of the world, is on firmer ground when he's probing the workplace dynamic in more inclusive terms and the general challenges of getting along with different folks in confined quarters."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Mallen and Jones, superb actresses, create such an intolerable level of tension at their adjoining desks that it would be comic were it not all so warped and damaging."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...The result is a mess of intra-office manipulation, where race is tossed around and examined to moderate success. (Though success with such a difficult issue means providing more questions than answers.) Jones and Mallen's interplay is the strongest and most psychologically complex in the play, not because of race but because it shows what happens to two competitive women in a male-dominated workplace when the gloves come off."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Rivendell director Sandy Shinner and a cast led by Tara Mallen and Ora Jones as the warring desk-dwellers, flanked by Eric Slater and Lorraine Freund, delve the intricacies of their superficially recognizable, but ultimately indistinct, personae for the 90 minutes before Johnson runs out of questions he raises, but never answers. The show's publicity conveniently identifies its theme as "post-racial America," however-a topic always good for convening a quick symposium before everyone goes home."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...Megan Wilkerson gives us a set with many of Chicago's neighborhoods printed on the walls. We see Lakeview side by side with Englewood, subtly reminding us that we are two cities in one. Director Sandy Shinner transitions scenes with disorienting sounds and lighting changes illustrating the increasingly paranoid states of mind of both Jaclyn and Illeen."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...There is some forward motion in Jaclyn's wringing the prejudice out of her coworkers, and this does reflect the theme-that racism is no less violent today despite being veiled in innuendo and politeness. But most will get that at the outset; on its own, it doesn't make for the most satisfying resolution."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...It is unlikely that you will ever forget how the play gets its name-go see it to find out. "Rasheeda Speaking" is first up in Rivendell's season theme of "Stirring the Pot". Indeed, the pot is stirred. This is a meaty script that will give you something to chew on for quite some time."
