The Seagull at The Artistic Home

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...It's not a radical reinvention, and it doesn't need to be. The strong cast and Estle's mostly precise moment-by-moment building of the story bring us back into the heart of Chekhov's comedy of loss, and occasionally they show us glimpses of just how different things could be for us, if only we ourselves were different people."

Theatre By Numbers - Highly Recommended

"...Director Cody Estle uses the smallness of The Artistic Home’s space to great advantage throughout Christopher Hampton’s translation of “The Seagull.” There can be no clutter on the stage, so Mary O’Dowd’s props are kept to what is quite necessary: Treplev’s manuscripts, Arkadina’s umbrella, alcohol for the many who imbibe. The breadth of the estate must be completely communicated by the actors, who marvel at the beauty of an unseen lake, and despair at the lack of horses available to ride to the far-away train station."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...Still, despite sagging in the middle, Estle’s Seagull starts and finishes very well. He cleverly was able to fit the entire play onto Artistic Home’s set, which scenic designer Jeffrey Kmiec built out of old wood with chipped paint to supply the feel of the proud, but struggling, estate. Estle also captured the right tone for Chekhov. The humor provided by the secondary characters is as dry as can be, particularly Lapidus’s sardonic performance, and that of Kaiser Ahmed as Medvedenko, the local teacher and punching bag. Hébert’s performance in Konstantin’s play is a study in good bad acting."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Clocking in at over two-and-a-half hours, this production began to lose momentum towards the climax, eventually sitting down at its finish. This was not only because of the quietness of the action, but also the making up for it with pathos and long-held, brooding looks on the part of the desperate Treplev and other actors. Too, the play seems to lack heart for its honest but bleak finish, as if the writer himself wished it was not so."

The Fourth Walsh - Somewhat Recommended

"...Although the close proximity aids these experiences, the nearness doesn't always work to pull me in. Sometimes, it pushes me away. A scene where Scambiatterra straddles West might look searing and sensual from a distance. Where I'm sitting it looks physically awkward and a little odd. Chekhov's long, rich soliloquies also don't have the same impact when it's in-your-face. When Hebert spirals out of control in front of Hester, I'm right in the middle of their exchange. I keep looking back and forth as if it's a conversation. I see Hebert losing it but Hester's nonresponse feels unnatural. Later, Hester rips paper with a meticulous deliberation that drags. When the drama turns theatrical, being in the room is less engaging. The intimate connection is frayed. I'm no longer part of their human experience. I'm in the audience watching a performance from a distance. It works against what I believe is Estle's intent."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...As with any character-driven drama, the result hinges on the strength of the acting. The players, under the direction of Cody Estle, deliver in word and act, down to split-second twitches of the mouth only visible to a select corner of the audience. On the tightly framed black box stage, they are grandiose, neurotic, paranoid and generous, gliding and then divebombing toward the inevitable end. This is a production that scintillates then incinerates."