Skin for Skin Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Somewhat Recommended
"...The bright spot here is Silver's performance as Ayyub. He does indeed capture some of the Job-like qualities of a man who, at the outset, is a prosperous and happy man of business, faith and family who is stripped of all that he believes in. It's a performance with nuance, subtlety, and color in the midst of an overly simplistic black-and-white morality play."
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
"...As two flawed people following orders, Lindsey and Michaels illustrate the complicated, often disastrous consequences when personal and political grievances collide in a conflict zone. But too enmeshed in biblical quotes and a cliched backstory, Ayyub is a less than fully realized and sympathetic character. "
ChicagoCritic- Not Recommended
"...Skin for Skin needs to be rethought as it now plays, it is underwritten with no rationale for the actions of its archetype characters. Plot development and motivations are lacking. This play reminds me of Trump-like tweets. Most of the characters were also underdeveloped forcing the presentation of each to be more cliche that real. If you are going to write a play about use of torture, your set-up must be credible or it comes off as amateur propaganda. That important subject deserves better."
The Fourth Walsh- Somewhat Recommended
"...Pasulka's story is not new to this political climate. The idea of securing intel through torture, specifically; waterboarding, is an ongoing heated debate. And in this show, the most riveting scene is the waterboarding depiction. Watching the soldiers perform the drowning-like ritual is a gut-puncher. Beyond that torture sequence, Pasulka's story falls flat. We're not emotionally invested in his characters. It never gets personal. Most of the interactions feel mechanical. The overall story misses marring us with the true implications of torture. I left the theatre newly educated about waterboarding but not haunted and horrified by the inhumane practice. SKIN FOR SKIN just scratches the skin when it could have bruised me deeply."
Picture This Post- Highly Recommended
"...Skin for Skin does what theater can do best. We go beyond headlines into the human and moral dimensions of what unfolded in Abu Ghraib, or perhaps still does, in so-called black sites today. If that thought doesn't already make you shudder today, it likely will after you see Agency Theater Collective's Skin for Skin."