The Bird Feeder Doesn't Know at Raven Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...And unlike other plays I've seen recently, where the financial burdens of caring for the elderly and infirm were never really discussed, it's clear that Ingrid and Herman have real reasons to toss nickels around like manhole covers — his pension, like that of many elderly people, has been cut in half due to corporate shenanigans not of his doing. Even in its more obvious moments, the performances in this highly relatable Raven production delineate with some gutsy clarity the frustrations of growing older and of taking care of loved ones who hate their own impending mortality."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Todd Bauer's bleak drama, a world premiere directed by Jonathan Wilson, concerns an elderly small-town couple facing the inevitability of leaving their home for assisted living. Herman (Chuck Spencer), arthritic and forgetful, resents his failing physical and mental powers."

Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...Contrasting with the sketchiness of Bauer's script is Timothy Mann and Mary O'Dowd's richly detailed museum-accurate stage decor ( including the oh-so-symbolic broken clock ). Christopher Kriz' sound design likewise provides chronological orientation during the occasional flashbacks. Under Jonathan Wilson's deft direction, the actors almost succeed in connecting the dots scattered over a text offering plenty of opportunity for post-show discussion, but no coherent story to anchor it."

ChicagoCritic - Not Recommended

"...While I appreciate Bauer's depiction of the inflexibility of aging couples, I found both to be unlikable folks. Herman is a weak personality who always gives into Ingrid's demands. She is so controlling that we easily hate her. Why after all the psychological abuse Everett suffered, he still feels the obligation to help his parents speaks to the power of 'mother's guilt' that still controls the son. This drama leave the issues unresolved as Herman takes the coward's way out. If that had only happened an hour earlier, we all would not have had to sit through more of this depressing play. I wonder who the audience is for this play? Seniors like me (and others I spoke to) feel the play is offensive and 20/30 somethings found the parents as bigots while also wondering why Everett would ever return home? Bauer does show how ignorant parents stifle a physically challenged son but ultimately shows the effects of a controlling mother. This work plays as a 'downer.'"

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...“Bird Feeder” will not redefine the confines of modern theater, but that’s not the point – what it represents is life on the stage, and that is what makes Chicago theater so profoundly beautiful."