Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...There are certainly some striking parallels to be found with Parke's story; the reformer with less-than-pure motives and personal peccadilloes remains a constant type across the ideological spectrum. But the airless nature of Graney's script, which director Geoff Button can't enliven despite some fine work by both actors, means that the cerebral buzz of "Sugarward" is short-lived."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Though Graney has a flair for witty dialogue, his clumsy compression of events in the confusing second act undermines the story and its moral. Directed by Geoff Button, the two-hander features excellent performances by John Henry Roberts as Parke and Joel Ewing as his three antagonists. "
Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Graney's Sugarward is definitely historically informative and certainly offers plenty to contemplate. It's just too bad that as a drama, there isn't much there when it comes to characterization."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...The play’s second half is stronger than its first, which often gets bogged down the sheer “Britishness” of Graney’s characters. Once Ewing enters as Chester and Parke has finally presented with a worthy opponent, the script’s pulse quickens and the show is off. But some judicious trimming would be nice. Director Geoff Button keeps things on their toes, though seems like he has a hard time varying the staging. What with only two actors and the Side Project’s dime-sized playing space to work with, a few climactic confrontations end up fizzling slightly. However, the play really does come together in the final moments, as the price of sugar and the price of blood become one and the same. There are no heroes in “Sugarward,” only winners."
Time Out Chicago - Not Recommended
"...Casting a single actor in multiple roles is one of Graney’s most common tricks, but there’s no solid grounding for Joel Ewing to alternate among his three parts; rather than enriching the storytelling, the splitting just makes the characters look flimsy. Ewing does fine work differentiating Parke’s servant, his major rival and his political predecessor, yet the tripling comes across as a ham-handed way of adding variety to a bland script."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"...Though Mr. Graney’s script could use some editing (especially halfway through the first act and a quarter of a way through the second) the bones of this piece are all there for taking, proving once again that he is one of the best new playwrights on the scene."
WBEZ - Highly Recommended
"...The Side Project has spent the past dozen years quietly doing fascinating work in a space tiny even by Chicago-storefront standards, one in which "fascinating" can quickly become "overpowering" or even "horrifying" if play and performance aren't gauged just right. Happily, in the world premiere of this stylized history play by Sean Graney, director Geoff Button and his extraordinary actors John Henry Roberts and Joel Ewing hit every mark."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Sugarward is a perplexing work that is saved by the fine work by Roberts and Ewing. Graney’s themes are a tad too general as he tries to deal with local rights versus British interests; the mistreatment of slaves; and the trappings of power. Sugarward is an actor’s showcase. It is worth a look."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...I loved everything about this show, from the unique script to the top-notch performances and direction, to The Side Project’s intimate performance space. Congratulations – and thanks – to Sean Graney for another beautiful piece of theater."
