The Late Henry Moss Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Recommended
"...Hester, in particular, wrings every last comic possibility out of his hired-hack driver, who is never so terrified of the menacing Ray that he can't also keep an eye pinned on the bottle of rotgut he craves. But I found myself most mesmerized by Vogel's Earl, whose bleary confusion and pain offer ironic counterpoint to lines such as "Well, you know me, Ray - I've never been one to live in the past.""
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...The whole cast wows, especially Frank Nall as the hulking Henry Moss and Julian Hester, whose meticulous choices bring fleshy life to a small-town boy from Texas."
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
"...In the role of the terrifying Henry Moss, Frank Nall commands the stage with a charisma at once repugnant and pathetic, but look for Arvin Jalandoon and Yadira Correa's rough-hewn angels to linger in your contemplations long after the brothers Moss have set forth on their respective journeys. "
Gapers Block- Recommended
"...Kaiser Ahmed's direction effectively moves the story from dream to reality and back again and keeps his talented cast in rhythm with the story. Nall is excellent as the very-much-alive Henry. I remember Nall vividly for his Jeff-nominated performance as the cultured and brutal SS captain in the 1999 Famous Door Theatre production of Ghetto. Correa is an exciting and dynamic Conchalla and Hester is quirky and hyperkinetic as the taxi driver. Both Vogel and Musachio bring realism to the constant sibling warfare and Jalandoon's Esteban is believable as the friendly, nervous neighbor."
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...At the center of the show is the titular Henry Moss, Earl and Ray’s abusive, alcoholic father living on an army pension and a head full of Tiger Rose wine. Frank Nall’s performance as this looming, ferocious, pitiable, detestable bastard is probably perfect. He’s so scabrous and lived-in that his fresh haircut is a kind of running visual joke throughout the play, and when he demands of one victim of his company, “Do I look like a desperate man to you?” even he can’t miss the irony."
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
"...Sam Shepard is an acquired taste, a tad to violent and gritty for some but his psychological depth of characters yields powerful drama. The Late Henry Moss is a rarely produced work that showcases Shepard's style of theater. It'll grab you and keep you engaged throughout."
Chicago Stage and Screen- Somewhat Recommended
"...The Late Henry Moss is one of Shepard's less-frequently works, and certainly worth a look at The Artistic Home. The intimacy of the space alone puts the audience right in Henry's run-down flat to take a ride that is exhilarating, if occasionally confusing."
The Fourth Walsh- Recommended
"...Shepard's play of an estranged father is thought-provoking. And Ahmed skillfully uses the talented ensemble to deconstruct THE LATE HENRY MOSS by combining a little mysticism with heavy-duty realism."