Sandalwood presented by Tympanic Theatre Company at The Side Project

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Caffrey raises disquieting questions about what it means to be human-and (especially in light of recent public comments by the father of Sandy Hook murderer Adam Lanza) provocative ones about the provenance of evil. But Aaron Henrickson's production for Tympanic Theatre comes across as ponderous, largely because of a self-consciously allegorical approach that all but ignores the characters' motives. I'd like to know a lot more, for instance, about what drives the carpenter; as things stand, he's a cipher who nevertheless has to carry the story. Ironically, the 80-minute show only comes alive when Anthony Stamilo is onstage playing the dangerous but endearing son."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...And like a proper Western, the violence is colorful and dramatic without feeling important. The whole performance is color and shadows and some great sound effects. It makes up for the father, who as written is too morose, too apologetic and too distant. He's just like his surroundings, a ghostly half-human with style but no heart. That's the other key half of the Western that's not in Sandalwood: the immediacy of a drawn gun. Everything can feel a bit far away, even when shots are fired, and the play could pick up the pace by ten to 15 minutes. But at the end of the day Sandalwood remains a worthy experience that brings, albeit imperfectly, a new twist to an old genre."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...Sandalwood is an allegory that begs the question of the effects of genetic inheritance of sin and violence. Sandalwood creates an eerie atmosphere with a strong performances by Sean Thomas and Anthony Stamillo. This world premiere work is tightly written and demonstrates the craft from Dan Caffrey as a playwright. If they would project a tad more and tighten up the pacing, Sandlawood would become as hauntingly effective play.It is worth seeing."