Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...The play struggles mightily with the way electronic devices now dominate campuses - too many scenes start with "I just got this text," and the play gets trapped in one-way conversations, often involving a laptop with a veiled screen, a camera and some struggling attempt at sexual connection. "Teddy Ferrara" would greatly benefit from spending a moment or two in the off-campus universe."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Directed by Evan Cabnet, the large cast is effective. But from the start, the writing is on the wall, and we've read it many times before."
Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...The schemes of slimeballs can still make for entertaining drama, and director Evan Cabnet's cast of attractive actors acquit themselves with earnest solemnity in their generic roles. This doesn't absolve Shinn of attempting to manipulate us as cynically as his pragmatic predators do one another. When the clueless closet-bisexual recoils from the corruption of his gay constituency, only to be consoled by his savvy girlfriend with the equivalent of "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown," we cannot help but resent the bait-and-switch foisted upon us."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Evan Cabnet valiantly does what he can with a script that eventually becomes much ado about nothing. However one suspects that, with editing and rewrites, Shinn’s play just might become courageous enough to satisfactorily address its controversial subject."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...But Shinn puts so many balls in the air that some of them inevitably get dropped, and some of Cabnet’s terrific cast members feel underserved: Nozicka, Rashaad Hall as a student reporter, Jax Jackson as a transgender grad student and Janet Ulrich Brooks as the university’s provost are giving their all to characters that feel like placeholders. Even Benzvi doesn’t get to play out the end of Gabe’s story, which takes place offstage. It’s galvanizing to see a diverse young cast tackling frank, unbowdlerized considerations of vital LGBT issues, and on the Goodman’s stage no less. If only it felt more like a seminar than a lecture."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"...Teddy Ferrara, a new play by Christopher Shinn having its world premiere at the Owen Theatre in the Goodman, is a perplexing work on several levels. Loosely based on the Tyler Clementi suicide a few years back, Shinn's drama weaves its way through the complex socio-political climate of our higher institutions of learning. LGBTQ acceptance, as well as other ethical issues are explored, examined and debated by students and administrators alike, with each character allowed their own voice in a very complex environment."
Stage and Cinema - Not Recommended
"...Despite Evan Cabnet's manically diversionary staging, Teddy Ferrara has nothing true, let alone new, to offer. (Well, there is one interesting observation: That bigotry depends, not on the 99% of us that hates to hate, but the 1% that lets it happen when we're not looking.) But, otherwise, yes, stop the presses!: Gays can be unfaithful even as they talk about loyalty; Straights hide their hidden desires; Universities prefer to paper over problems with task forces that lack both task and force; and college journalists are little better than Internet scandal-mongers. If any of this seems like late-breaking news, rush over to Goodman Theatre for a reality check and relevancy overhaul. Everybody else can skip this superficial treatment of a modern true-life tale."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...In the last analysis, I find myself sympathetic to Shinn’s project. As DOMA goes to the Supreme Court and as states for the first time reject constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, insisting too stridently on inherited narratives of “queer victimhood” feels forced and disingenuous. Queer people—no longer uniformly marginalized to the closet—have an opportunity to recast themselves as committed agents of social change. The implications for queer storytelling are immense. Unfortunately, Teddy Ferrara doesn’t quite pick up on them."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Somewhat Recommended
"...At moments, Shinn's script and Cabnet's direction broaden our understanding of the political, media and peer influences that manipulate our perception and reaction. Powerful stuff! It's the shift into scenes from "Saved the Bell: The College Years" that don't ring true. Despite the trite aspect, noteworthy performances from smarmy Adam Poss (Drew), studly Josh Salt (Tim) and an intriguingly complex Ryan Heindl (Teddy)."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...The talent in this production is solid, the set (Lee Savage) is simple but functional and the lighting(Keith Parham) works. Director Evan Cabnet uses the stage in the smaller Owen , well but on a few occasions, the players, facing away from the audience forces us to strain to hear the lines. I have always liked the old way directors worked, "play to the back row", but today it seems that to be more realistic, the actors speak in conversational range, so a lot of the story gets lost on a portion of those in attendance. There are some light tones ( mostly handled by Mr. Clear and Ms Brooks) but the overall story is one that is real and scary, yet because there is an attempt to cover too much, it gets a bit confusing. There are several things that change the course of the lives of these students and the University President. There are a number of unanswered questions for these people, and I wish it could have been chopped down to less stories with more answers."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Somewhat Recommended
"...The performances are generally very good. The male actors look and sound like college students. It's difficult to assess what contribution director Evan Cabnet makes to the production. I don't see how a different directorial approach would make any difference. The script is too diffuse and too long. Most critically, it shies away from meaningfully engaging the issues it raises in favor of melodrama and soap opera."