Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...But before you can deconstruct, you have to build new foundations of emotional interest, and Berry doesn't follow a radical reimagining all the way - for example, Miriamne's father Esdras (Norm Woodel) feels very rooted in tradition, almost stereotypically so, which makes you wonder where Berry was going with this melange of old-world characters and progressive ideas. The production gets stuck in the middle; it is, I think, a show defeated by the enormous challenges of the script."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Jonathan Berry, a director renowned for tackling “difficult plays,” certainly had his work cut out for him with “Winterset.” Anderson’s drama is not easy to follow at the start, and often feels overly contrived. And while it contains some of the same notions to be found in John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath,” it is far more convoluted. Yet for all its imperfections, there is something here that ends up tugging at your soul, and Berry’s fervent cast grabs hold of the play’s characters, and all their twisted loyalties, with impressive conviction."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...This resurrection from Griffin Theatre Company is chock-full of the sort of weighty poetic verse and scrumptious dialogue found in any good Shakespearean tragedy. Righteous indignation runs aplenty but with a soft touch, notably from Demus and Larry Baldacci as the unsettled Judge Gaunt. Jonathan Berry directs a fantastic cast, and the anarchist sentiment of the play, even its subtle sense of unnerving populism, feels especially relevant nowadays."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Winterset is certainly a political drama, but one that is more timeless than it is merely timely: Anderson composed his script with a keen and empathetic, poetic eye, and his voice is as sympathetic toward justice and truth as it is understanding toward those who hide from it with violence or fear. Under the guidance of director Jonathan Berry, Griffin's production of Winterset is one of the few Chicago shows I'd say demonstrates the potential of theatre in Chicago."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Winterset is a tough and beautiful play. Griffin Theatre's production of Maxwell Anderson's Depression-era play, directed by Jonathan Berry, is admirable, simply staged and appropriately performed, and, for the most part, excellent."
Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...Nonetheless, the play is not an easy journey for contemporary viewers. The complex plot that references several offstage events can be hard to follow, even for those who remember the basics of the Sacco and Vanzetti case from high school textbooks. The dialogue, written in blank verse, is a tough match for the story's social realism. But despite the mixed results, Winterset provides insight into the lives of people who are wracked by fear and regret."
