The Vandal Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Recommended
"...What Linklater knows - and what this carefully crafted production conveys - is the knowledge that when our darkest truths come out, they usually do so in ways that we cannot anticipate and to people whom we might not even know that well. We're all stuck waiting for the same bus in the end."
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...In Beckettian form, those truths come out of two people waiting for a bus, talking a whole lot of nothing and everything. The play itself errs in the ending's supernatural twist, but at least up to that point we're led by director Shade Murray, whose excellent eye for reality shines through these characters who munch potato chips, drink, and lament and celebrate that most overwhelming state of being: living."
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...To say too much more would do a disservice to Hamish Linklater's narrative, elegantlly structured to reveal itself piece by piece before unveiling an unexpected twist. Suffice to say the boy, amid all his grandiose philosophizing about Cool Ranch Doritos "flavor dust," has something real to say about the agreed-upon fictions and lies we tell ourselves to get through the day. Shade Murray's clean, spare staging gives his three excellent actors (Gillmor and Miggins as father and son is a terrific bit of casting) an expansive slate on which to leave their emotional mark."
Stage and Cinema- Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Shade Murray presents The Vandal simply and starkly, even abstractly, allowing Linklater’s sprightly dialogue to speak for itself. The scene is set with the noise of a real bus stopping and starting, courtesy of sound designer Rick Sims, but the bus shelter itself is represented by set designer Dan Stratton’s collection of smooth white surfaces. Thus, Miggins and Thulin are left sitting on a white box rather than an actual bench. It’s an odd, but not ineffective setup. This Midwest premiere production, like Hamish Linklater’s play itself, is best when remaining within the realist mode. The Vandal’s bizarre conclusion ruins an otherwise keenly observed drama."
The Fourth Walsh- Highly Recommended
"...THE VANDAL is a riveting enigma. It is almost an interactive experience as the audience, along with the characters, actively sift through all the tales to determine the truth. Linklater’s story of stories also has unexpected charm, humor and twists. The surprising moments made me mist up, laugh out and prickle all over."