Superior Donuts Reviews
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
"... Letts’ play, which careens between comedy and tragedy and is uncannily suited to this moment, is about many facets of the American dream as it looks at how race, class, history, immigrants, innate genius, bad habits, pop culture, optimism and violence all feed into the crazy business of success and failure in this country. And the marvelous actors here inhabit their roles —as well as the terrific down-on-its-luck donut-shop set designed by Jennifer Thuysing and Bob Groth —to perfection."
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...A hit at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company's own Uptown space last spring, this remount is being staged at the relatively chi-chi Royal George Cabaret in Lincoln Park. But Matt Miller's staging still feels authentically grubby, starting with the set by Bob Groth and Jenniffer Thuysing (a dead ringer for a pancake house I used to frequent at Broadway and Lawrence). In Arthur, Richard Cotovsky has found the part he was born to play."
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
"...Richard Cotovsky and Preston Tate Jr. repeat their roles as the phlegmatic Arthur and mercurial Franco, as do Karl Potthoff, playing the ruthless gangster Luther Flynn, Paige Smith as the pragmatic Max Tarasov, and an ensemble generating the kind of empathy sparking real-time vocal responses from opening-week playgoers. The room at North Avenue and Halsted Street may be larger, dictating slower pacing and longer scene changes, but the warmth and intimacy of Letts' most optimistic play to date remains undiminished. Now that the election's over, why shouldn't we celebrate the humble doughnut as a symbol of the American Dream's resiliency?"
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
"...Authenticity is important to Chicagoans. If you cut a thin crust pizza into pie slices instead of checkerboard squares, you are not an authentic Chicagoan. If you need to shift from Drive to Reverse more than once while parallel parking, you are not an authentic Chicagoan. If you grew up in the suburbs, even a foot outside of the Chicago city limits, you are not an authentic Chicagoan. How then is this Oklahoma carpetbagger Tracy Letts able to write a play as authentically Chicago as Superior Donuts? While Letts had already spent two decades in Chicago by the time he wrote Superior Donuts, it takes no less than his Pulitzer-caliber talent to pass the Chicago sniff test."
ShowBizChicago- Recommended
"...The production has adapted nicely to the Cabaret space using Bob Groth and Jenniffer Thusing's set design. There are some bad sight lines but that is a function of the theatre proper. Mr. Miller keeps the action moving at a quick pace, but smartly allows his actors to find their own rhythm. The play itself is still problematic, with its predictability more prominent as the play ages; and there is still that ridiculous fight scene which derails the script and from after that point, the play never fully regains its momentum."
Stage and Cinema- Somewhat Recommended
"...Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood is no stranger to crime—gang violence and shootings have contributed to a prevailing perception of the area as unsafe. But perhaps the worst crime is how Superior Donuts, while embracing the diversity and economic struggle of the area, betrays the neighborhood by opting for a well-worn plot twist to heighten its action. Letts is capable of creating stronger moments, evidence by an unexpectedly poignant moment late in the second act: “Lady,” an old, likely homeless woman who frequents the shop (and is beautifully brought to life by Joanna Maclay) is helped to her seat by a large 300-lb Russian man (Bryan Kelly) who doesn’t yet speak English. It’s in these quiet moments, when two people interact and relate so humanly, that the play speaks the loudest."
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
"...Letts' characters painfully adapting to the changing world of Uptown Chicago results in a comic drama that is an honest portrait of contemporary urban life. Ultimately, Superior Donuts works mainly due to the fully developed Arthur and the empathetic Franco characters. Max, the Russian, is the comic relief character filled with sharp barbs. The stinging dialogue filled with dark humor establishes Letts as a playwright adept at realistic and naturalistic story telling. Superior Donuts is a funny and nostalgic look at Chicago's storefront retailers as they struggle to hold on and resist change. Chicagoans will love this play. Preston Tate, Jr's performance demonstrates his acting skills. This cast also demonstrates the rich stable of non-Equity actors who grace the stages of Chicago storefront theatres. This Superior Donuts tastes good and goes down smoothly. I kied the Mary-Arrchie production better than the original Steppenwolf Theatre production."
Chicago Stage and Screen- Highly Recommended
"... Mary-Arrchie had a big hit with this production last winter earning it several Jeff Nominations, including Best Production. It has returned in a commercial run in the Royal George Cabaret. Can it sustain a long run in a bigger house with $50 tickets and without star power? I hope so, as it’s a good production of a great play."
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...One of the great things about the Chicago theater scene is that when a show does well at one of our smaller storefronts, and the cast is still available to do so, it moves to another stage, allowing more Chicago audiences to partake of the excitement generated by the original. Over the years, The Royal George Cabaret on Halsted has been one of these hosts. Solid productions such as "Killer Joe" and "A Steady Rain" were remounted in this, the smaller venue in the depths of the building and now, Mary-Arrchie Theatre has moved its highly acclaimed production of Tracy Letts' "Superior Donuts" to this intimate space- with the original cast! How great is that?"
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
"...In a world riddled with strife and constant change, it's comforting to spend a couple of hours in the theatre with people learning to bravely face their problems with fortitude and optimism and to see their future possibilities within a cup of coffee, a homemade donut and each other."