The Grown-Up Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Somewhat Recommended
"...But I couldn't help comparing this relatively thin tale with his fellow dramatic fabulist Noah Haidle's "Smokefall," which has had two runs in recent years at the Goodman Theatre. That play too involved disappearance, lifelong searches for lost family members, regret and meditations on the fleeting nature of our mortality. But where Haidle hit home runs with sorrowful insights, Harrison (himself a writer for "Orange is the New Black") is hitting at easy-target whiffle balls. (Did you know that Hollywood is filled with shallow-yet-desperate people?) Despite the stylistic flourishes, the grown-up stakes aren't there."
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...Jordan Harrison's quirky little 75-minute show defies easy categorization. Part fever dream, part live-action cartoon, part contemporary version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this highly episodic one-act follows the life of an American writer from childhood obscurity to Hollywood acclaim, with special attention to all the odd characters he meets along the way."
Gapers Block- Somewhat Recommended
"...A meditation on time and life--and the problem of deciding when, if ever, you're a grownup. That's kind of the story of Jordan Harrison's The Grown-Up at Shattered Globe Theatre. Directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, the cast of six actors moves through 18 scenes of varying lengths. In each, Kai (Kevin Viol) has moved on in his life, aging a bit but still trying to believe in the magic of the future. The 75-minute play is impressionistic, sometimes entertaining, but the scenes don't create a coherent plotline and the story doesn't build our interest in Kai."
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
"...For all the appeal of Shattered Globe’s production (a welcome departure from the company’s usual diet of standard-issue revivals), though, Harrison’s central metaphor remains elusive. Kai becomes a respected science-fiction author, and there’s the suggestion that he’s found himself inside one of his own stories. So is this a paean to the power of imagination? Or a commentary on life’s brevity? Annabelle’s investigation muddies the stream, as does the interpolation of an old-time pirate tale; still, the colorful journey is enjoyable."
Theatre By Numbers- Recommended
"...“The Grown-Up” is a magical, multi-headed creature, recognizable to anyone that has ever built turrets out of couch cushions or decided that their orange shag carpeting was actually deadly lava. It is a gorgeous fairy tale built out of nothing, instilling you with equal parts childlike wonder and ache of any adult caught up in the memory of a place that is forever out of your grasp. Playwright Jordan Harrison tells this bedtime story with more castor oil than you’d expect, being so accustomed to happy endings and easy answers. That’s the thing about fables, though, they are warm, familiar and comforting, the way life never is."
Stage and Cinema- Not Recommended
"...There is no grown-up in The Grown-Up. If only this stylistic exercise meant more. But it’s infatuated with its own motor-mouthed make-believe. “Can you see magic?” is the wrong question. “Can you tire from too much addlepated whimsy?” That one the play answers."
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
"...Overall, I found the imaginative power in this piece heartwarming. I had less patience for the scenes not directly related to Kai and Annabelle; Rosie exists mainly to have an epiphany the other characters later reach on their own after she has been removed from the action, and the developments on the pirate ship don't provide any new information. But they are fun to watch, establish atmosphere, and in only seventy-five minutes, we're never pulled away from the main story for too long. I think most people who have a sibling will recognize Kai and Annabelle's relationship, and share his surprise at how much life changes without your being conscious of it."
Chicago Stage and Screen- Highly Recommended
"...On their classic 1980 album Remain in Light, Talking Heads frontman David Byrne asked with pointed abstraction “Well, how did I get here?” The sentiment is echoed in Krissy Vanderwarker’s director’s statement. Disbelief is a common reaction to the maddening ways that time moves. The Grown-Up asks us to reconsider how we measure time and the criterion we use to define success. In this world, as in our own, life amounts to a series of unmarked doors. The only thing to do is step through to the other side."
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
"...I'm not exactly sure how to describe "The Grown-Up", Shattered Globe Theatre's new production. As we walked out, my friend said it was definitely "out there". "The Grown-Up" is abstract, imaginative, surreal. I can't say I didn't like it, but I can't say I liked it either. This is one of those plays which everyone will see differently. I give "The Grown-Up" 3 Spotlights."
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
"...Shattered Globe continues to entertain and inspire with its excellent caliber of storytelling. This wonderful script by Jordan Harrison, in a well-cast, brilliantly directed production by Krissy Vanderwarker, is the culmination to a fine season of plays by this ever-impressive theatre company. Harrison’s haunting play will delight audiences, make them think and feel and bring a tear to the eye. This doorway through time is presented in a brilliant production that’s an absolute must-see."
Buzznews.net- Somewhat Recommended
"...Shattered Globe has the talent to justify the one-hour run time of this play. Director Krissy Vanderwarker's aesthetic inserts some personality to this static drama. Actor D (Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel) plays a few of roles, but really becomes a focal point of the play as a secretary trying to keep up in life. Gonzales-Cruz provides most of the laughs and the most intriguing performance."