The Liar Reviews
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...In Pierre Corneille's 1644 farce, Dorante (Josh Hambrock) spits elegant, dubious fibs whenever he talks. Arriving in Paris, he quickly stirs the scene with lies about what he's done and who he's seen. As adapted by David Ives, the repartee comes fast and furious, with plenty of bounce and verve."
Stage and Cinema- Somewhat Recommended
"...Whatever was subtle in 1644 seems ballistically blatant in Ives's self-referential script. The cloyingly clever dialogue is so crammed with anachronisms that this Liar will soon be more dated than Corneille ever was. Perversely broad and loud, Rutherford's anything-for-a-laugh 140-minute staging exaggerates what was already outsized. The sensible thing would be to pull back from Ives's buffoonery and, as much as the plot permits, make these personages plausible. Alas, far from seeming like defensive attempts to conceal his adolescent insecurity, Hambrock's tall tales get increasingly tedious-and feel more like Ives's desperate efforts to jump-start a sputtering plot."
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
"...To conclude: Promethean Ensemble Theatre's current production of The Liar is a treat for the senses-especially if your sense of comedy inclines to farce-and the perfect pick-me-up of entertainment to help escape from the cold and dreary spring showers."
PlaylistHQ- Highly Recommended
"...Dorante has just arrived in Paris and he immediately begins spinning tall tales. The stories get more and more complex as his lies mix with misunderstandings leaving the audience trying to figure out what's really happening. This is all while they are speaking in rhyming verse. It's a wildly funny adventure that keeps the audience fully enthralled."
Picture This Post- Highly Recommended
"...Although the play is highly wordy, the cast never stumbles over words or fumbles a joke. The comedic timing is never lost. Brendan Hutt portrays the man who cannot lie and serves as a narrator/commentator over the action. Hutt embodies this role with an ease that almost makes it impossible for him to stand out. His acting becomes invisible. Megan Delay portrays a set of twins with wildly different personalities with grace and hilarity. She steals every scene in which we are privileged enough to see her."
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...While the women may be mannequins for absurd fashions or pawns to secure titles, Clarice, Lucrece and their twin maids, Isabelle and Sabine (humorously portrayed by Megan DeLay), are far from docile and scheme as well as their oppressors (ahem, suitors). Politics aside, the Prometheans deliver an evening of over-the-top fun that will leave your abs smarting with glee."