Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...This is hardly the most original idea in the dramatic universe, and "Slowgirl" reveals no huge surprises. But although conventionally structured, and a piece that simmers rather than boils throughout, it is an engaging, compassionate and well-written character study. And, as it unpacks itself, you'll likely find yourself touched by how well it charts the loving complexities of families. More interestingly yet, Pierce also touches on how terrible things can happen in our lives at different speeds."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Petersen suggests Sterling’s interior struggles with a wonderful sense of hard-won calm and understatement. The girlishly sexy Gray, sublimely watchable, is a young actress of remarkable talent and smarts. And the intriguing chemistry between these two masters of the intimate stage is delicious to observe."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...This isn't a police procedural, and so the question of who did and didn't do what is not as important as its effect on those forced to keep asking it. With solitude and meditation (even his sexual needs are met wordlessly), Sterling has acclimated to parrots on his porch, iguanas on his roof and the occasional venomous snake. Becky, by contrast, is a thoroughly socialized creature, anthropomorphizing the indigenous beasts as if they were Disneyland animatrons, and sharing her observations in bursts of verbosity designed to bury the truth under layers of persiflage. As she gradually becomes attuned to the spirituality her astigmatic uncle embraces, Sterling confronts the prospect of a disciple bent on joining him in his voluntary exile."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Playwright Greg Pierce treats his characters with immense, gentle compassion, allowing their vulnerability to emerge subtly and in their own time. Aided by Randall Arney's nuanced but intense direction, Gray and Petersen are completely at home within Pierce's sometimes jarring, but highly naturalistic dialogue, capturing the nuances and hearts of each of these characters. Steppenwolf's Slowgirl is low-key and quirky, but highly engaging, making it hard not to empathize deeply with even the most flawed people."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Over the 90 minute one act played out in one week , the unique bond formed by a precocious teen and her middle aged uncle reaches into their souls as each face their realities allowing them to get on with their lives. William Petersen nicely lets Rae Gray command the stage as he patiently waits for her to get her daemons out before reacting. Gray effectively draws out the hidden memories form her uncle. These two play off one another exquisitely in a series of subtly powerful scenes with some dark humor throw in. As in life, many of us have guilt, regret and even shame from acts we have done in the past. How we react to our past and how we chose to either move on or continue to be trapped by those questionable past actions is dramatized most effectively by Petersen and Gray. You’d be hard pressed to see a fined acted two-hander than Slowgirl."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...SLOWGIRL is about guilt and regret. Two people react to their mistakes by running away. When they stop running and start relating, their need for someone to believe them is heartbreaking. SLOWGIRL is a slow-paced maze of humanity. Peterson and Gray take their time in telling their stories. The pace isn't suspense building theatrics. It's real life genuine."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Slowgirl is thought-provoking and will prompt a conversation to last all the way home (as Steppenwolf's productions tend to do), whether you stay for the post-show discussion or not. Director and ensemble member Randall Arney has staged a well-paced conversation carried out with precision by Petersen and Gray. This is not a thriller or straight out comedy, but a more subtle and life-like look at two people and their pasts. I recommend it with certainty."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"..."Slowgirl" entices the viewer with just a few basic tools-two actors, one set, an airtight 90 minutes of playing time, and realistic dialogue that never yields to the temptations of melodrama, sentimentality, or shock revelations. The story unfolds in a natural rhythm that holds the attention from first moment to last. It's one of those productions that the viewer can't imagine being done any differently, or any better."
