Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...But here is what "This is Modern Art" barely even mentions: Graffiti comes at a price. It can be invasive, self-important and disrespectful of the property of others - and plenty of struggling folks have had to clean graffiti off something they own or love. Graffiti can be inartful, for goodness sake. More importantly yet, graffiti had the effect of making people feel unsafe in the city. It terrified people. It was only when public officials declared themselves determined to wipe it out that cities finally came back to life, with broad benefits."
Chicago Sun Times - Not Recommended
"...No amount of classroom discussion will scrub clean the irresponsible ideas promulgated in this play. The most honest response from the audience (I saw the show with a house packed full of high school students) were the giggles and “oohs” sounded when Seven kisses Selena."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...It was at once an act of artistic expression, social protest, and criminal vandalism—guaranteed to rattle the art world and media establishment, set the Twittersphere abuzz, and send the young rebels underground, if not to jail. This world premiere, written by Idris Goodwin and Young Chicago Authors artistic director Kevin Coval, is simultaneously celebratory and cautionary—clearly sympathetic to the artists' point of view, but not blind to the impact their reckless act would have on their own lives. Director Lisa Portes's staging is greatly enhanced by the vividly colorful visual design by Brian Sidney Bembridge (set), J.R. Lederle (lights), and Liviu Pasare (projections)."
Gapers Block - Recommended
"...The 85-minute play breaks the fourth wall now and then to tell the history and explain the vagaries of graffiti writing, which involves a lot of "graffer" jargon. Chicago has a long history of graffiti writing in public places, both the illegal variety and that done on "permission walls." From expressways and railroad underpasses to abandoned buildings, graffiti writing is a colorful, vibrant part of urban life."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...But this latest production from Steppenwolf for Young Adults, co-written by playwright Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval of Young Chicago Authors and youth-poetry incubator Louder Than a Bomb, struck me as holding the kids' attention with even greater raptness than other shows I've seen with student audiences at Steppenwolf over the years, such as The Bluest Eye or The Elephant Man. The excellent SYA programming almost never comes across as pandering or preaching to its audience. But in Goodwin and Coval's portrait of a fictional crew of Chicago graffiti writers to whom the play assigns the real-life 2010 tagging of an outside wall of the Art Institute's Modern Wing, This Is Modern Art presents its teen viewers with characters with whom they could share both their shoes and their steps."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...They succeed in elaborately tagging the building, but the penalty if they are caught is harsh: five years in prison and a million dollar fine. Forced into hiding, the friends are separated from each other, and cut off from their chosen world. It’s a grim fate, so the play can hardly be accused of pretending graffiti art has no consequences. One of the protagonists dies, although the staging of this scene is confusing and his fate remains unknown to the other characters, so they never explicitly say what happened."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...The Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of "This Is Modern Art" is well-cast, well-acted, intense, interesting and a crazy kind of educational. I learned way more than I wanted to know about how to create graffiti! On the other hand, the message it's sending to the enthusiastic teens in the audience is seriously skewed. Because I have such mixed feelings about the play, I give "This Is Modern Art" 3 Spotlights.
Graffiti art ranges from tags (initials) to 'pieces (as in masterpieces). Graffiti artists (at least in Chicago) call it bombing when they go out to work on a 'piece. Since their art rarely remains in view for long, they try to place in highly visible locations."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This production is sharp, exciting and stimulating, both visually and emotionally. It will entertain, educate and is guaranteed to prompt heated discussions about the nature of art and the place for graffiti in our world. It must be pointed out that this art form, often destructive to an architect’s work, is not to be confused with gangland graffiti marking. This play is in praise of the struggling artist, not the gang-banger. Kudos, also, to those responsible for assembling the informative and thoughtfully edited printed program that every theatergoer receives. It provides a wealth of facts and opinions about this art form that most audience members will find fascinating and inspiring. This entire theatrical experience, while it undoubtedly will inspire debate, can’t be denied. It’s production that’s meant to be seen."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...Although the story veers into melodrama with Seven and Selena's love story, Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin have written a raw, visceral narrative that gives graffiti artists the humanity and genius the headlines rob them of."
