Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Gift is a tiny space and all of this unfolds within a few feet from the back row. One finds oneself hoping love will save some of these souls and that Dee can come to terms with the circumstances of her birth, and even that Ace will achieve his quixotic quest, although time would not appear to be on his side. And then there's Keys' Miller, a character who seems to be able to transcend all of the limitations of this place by sheer force of will and physical strength, only be sucked into the ice, just like everyone else."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...At its core, “The Royal Society” is about a daughter’s expedition in search of the mother she never knew. But the play exists on so many levels — and is such a goofy, painful, honest exploration of the relationships between men and women, parents and children, man and nature, and the human capacity for dealing with (or being driven off the deep end by) social isolation that any single description is absurdly limiting."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The claustrophobic confines of the Gift Theatre’s tiny storefront space in Jefferson Park are the perfect setting for Mat Smart's intimate drama, set in and among the small huts that make up the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Smart adroitly balances the twin elements of his story, informing us about the unique demands of working in this harsh environment and telling us the story of a young neophyte, ably played by Aila Peck, who comes to the bottom of the world in search of answers about her mother’s death there years ago."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Even though The Royal Society of Antarctica runs three hours with two short intermissions, the time goes quickly due to Smart's engrossing story and the production's perfect pacing. John Gawlik's deft direction, Megan Truscott's spare and ingeniously simple set, Alarie Hammock's utilitarian cold-weather costumes, and Mikey Moran's evocative sound design replete with violent winds and mysterious whale music all serve to bring this unusual story vividly to life-even to the extent of tempting and inspiring you to go and see this pristine landscape for yourself."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...By the time I saw “Royal Society of Antarctica” it had already received considerable acclaim so I was surprised to find the small house less than full. Perhaps it had to do with the sub-zero temperatures outside and the knowledge that The Gift tends to produce extremely convincing plays. Its production of Mat Smart’s new play is no exception. A set ( Megan Truscott) of austere barracks and full of rag-tag items that one hopes might one day be useful because no-one is quite sure how to dispose of them (Rita Thornton), remote but bright lighting (Michael Stanfill), and most of all, costumes (Alarie Hammock) appropriate for the polar weather, made sure that we knew for that night Jefferson Park in Chicago would be the bottom of the earth."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Directed with an accurate pulse on these very real characters and their relationships with each other, John Gawlik has made this three-hour play seem to fly by in half that time. Ironically, for a play set in Antarctica, this production’s filled with moments of profound warmth and scenes that draw the playgoer into this strangely unfamiliar environment at the bottom of the world. Theatergoers looking for an entertaining, enlightening, thought-provoking play this Spring must share biscuits-and-honey-butter with the crew at McMurdo Station."