Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The ending has hope, and I am all for hope, but it somehow does not ring entirely true in a play that is, up to that point, unstinting in the truth of its emotional undercurrent. It feels like Gardley felt the need to pull us out from this story of young men with potential who are cut down at the knees, but he found the how-to vexing. No shame there. Outside the doors of the theater the leaders of the city and the kids who walk some of its streets, are still struggling with that very same question."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Marcus Gardley's new play, "The Gospel of Lovingkindness," takes the form of a memory play. Yet it deals with issues that are every bit as of-the-moment as yesterday's headlines."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...Gardley's language is a strength of the play, but it's also problematic. Leaning into the poetry robs the play of a satisfying amount of activism, both in the plot and characters. Perhaps that's the point Gardley is making: too much talk, not enough action."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Yew's staging, on a fascinatingly ethereal set over which Kevin Depinet hangs floating signifiers of place and memory, isn't all somber; in fact, it's often blisteringly funny, and also contains well-handled bits of otherworldly whimsy, as when Mary and Noel are each visited separately on the Pink Line by a 152-year-old Ida B. Wells (Williams, absolutely delicious here and as Mary's post office coworker)."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...No question, it's hard to imagine more solid, grounded, non-negotiable acting, as rooted in the play as it is in Chicago. Also, no question, forgiveness under these circumstances-when justice has failed to complete the crime-amounts to a ferocious force of nature. Mary's powerful peacemaking may not short-circuit the cycle of violence but, as Yeats said, "A terrible beauty is born." Driven home by Bruce like a message from God, it's a force to be reckoned with. To that extent, so is this too-recognizable, utterly unfresh new play."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...The Gospel of Lovingkindness is a religious oriented wish-fulfilling tale that puts faith ahead of sound problem solving. It is a nicely written work that is merely a 'fell-good' show that doesn't really resolve anything. Terrific performances, particularly by Jacqueline Williams and Cheryl Lynn Bruce, make the show worthy. If only Gardley made a more substantial stand by offering practical solutions to gun violence."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...I can see the story Gradley wanted to tell, and that story shines through especially at the beginning and again at the end. It is a touching, wonderful story of shattered dreams. His trademark style of poetic dialogue serves him well in these sequences. If only he had managed to bring that same expertise to the latter half of this work, instead of sinking into a somewhat preachy tone, this could have been a truly remarkable new work. He set up what could have been an interesting dichotomy between the two mothers, but in the end is never fully played out and leaves the evening unsatisfying."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...I mentioned at the start of this review that there have been many responses to Chicago’s gun violence, and what sets “Lovingkindness” apart are three things: it’s authentic voice, which balances humor with tragedy (indeed, anyone riding the CTA will hear these voice around them); it’s humility regarding the murder, and it’s refusal to cheapen the victim’s suffering; and finally, its respect of its characters. Too often, judgements are rendered towards the residents of Chicago’s South Side (and by individuals with no right to do so), and “Lovingkindness” reminds us all that beyond the headlines, beyond the statistics, beyond the bloodshed, there are real, compelling people living in those communities – and their stories deserve to be told."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...Marcus Gardley shows he can write intense dialogue leavened with bursts of sharp humor. He's taken on a major and vital theme by exploring the dangers of life in the ghetto and his playwriting heart is in the right place in attempting to end the drama on notes of hope and inspiration. The actors do their part with their versatility and heart-felt performances. It is a sad commentary that the most credible parts of the play deal with the danger and despair that permeate the inner city. The upbeat passages sound noble and constructive but rhetoric can't alleviate the down-to-the-ground problems that infect urban inner city life."
The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended
"...Gardley preaches social change and responsibility. He intertwines plenty of humor throughout his cautionary parable. The normalcy of his characters and their playful banter keeps the dark subject light. The violence is not sought out. It's a happenstance. In its aftermath lies the personal duty to heal and not let a wound fester."