Sister Cities Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Somewhat Recommended
"...So "Sister Cities" doesn't quite connect the road map between these women. But there are points along the journey that may well resonate for those who have felt like strangers in the homeland of their own families."
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
"...Chimera Ensemble's production starts rough, though Norma Chacon and Rainee Denham turn in fine, passionate performances; Chacon in particular blazes throughout as the spoiled youngest daughter. Others in the cast seem stiff and uncomfortable, and the pace of the show is at times too slow. As it progresses, however, the quality of the acting and pace pick up, thanks in large part to Freedman's superb storytelling. Ashley Neal directs."
Theatre By Numbers- Somewhat Recommended
"...No matter wherein lies the flaw, the play suffers from a disconnect between the seriousness of its myriad topics and the intensity of focus laid upon them. I came away from the play thinking about the issues within the play, but still somehow not having any emotional investment in what I’d just seen. I hunger for an empathetic link to the material that brings me into closer contact with moments of intense human behavior."
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
"...One of my sisters (I have three) is fond of that old saying - friends may come and go, but sisters are forever. Colette Freedman's insightful play, "Sister Cities", reaffirms that adage. Although sisters may quarrel - and frequently go for the jugular (because we know exactly who/what/when/where it is) - in the end, that shared history means everything. At times, I could see and hear my own sisters, which is what made "Sister Cities" feel so real."
The Fourth Walsh- Somewhat Recommended
"...The show isn't dull. Freedman sneaks in some interesting twists. It just feels forced. The sisters are each dealing with multiple issues. And the additional mishaps seem unnecessary. They are four sisters with a genetic bond, a childhood and separate lives. There is plenty to humorously untangle without all the expository prose. Nicole Fabbri (Austin) utters my favorite line of the show. She says something like, 'It's not that I don't like you. It's that I don't get you.' That's real sister-speak! I totally get that simple notion."
NewCity Chicago- Somewhat Recommended
"...There is an inconsistency between script and performance in “Sister Cities.” The guard that all actors hold up keeps us at arm’s length. From the beginning, the shield is up. It affects an irregular tempo, it perpetuates the same emotional arcs from scene to scene. Even in a script that feels like a very dark episode of “Full House,” there’s a sense of reduction to the characters: the unseen aspects are untouched in performance."