A Separate Peace Reviews

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The story, set during World War II, centers on the tragedy set in motion when Gene impulsively causes Finny to fall from a tree. Nancy Gilsenan's script efficiently compresses the narrative while making Finny a more fully developed character than he is in the novel. Under Jonathan Berry's direction, Jake Cohen gives a finely detailed portrayal of the emotionally evolving Gene, and Damir Konjicija's Finny burns with an urgent need to live on the edge."

Talkin Broadway - Somewhat Recommended

"...Director Jonathan Berry successfully navigates the changes in tone from exuberant to tragic. He directs his cast to be a bit less New England aristocratic than he might have, a choice which probably makes it easier for audiences to see the universal themes in the piece. The set by Chelsea Warren—a dorm room bunk bed just below a tree branch which figures heavily in the action—is simple and suggestive. She and costume designer Alison Siple might have done more to suggest time and place, given the importance of World War II to the play, but the overall direction here seems to have been to keep the visual references less specific."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...Finny is a character you’ll not soon forget. Damir Konjicija gives Finny a robust energy with loads of charm and charisma while Jake Cohen deftly plays Gene with a honest naivete. Will Allan as the misfit, nerd leper, Chance Bone, as Brinker, Curtis M. Jackson, as Chet and Govind Kumar, as Bobby were fine as the classmates. Alan Wilder as Mr. Prud’homme completed the cast. Their are lessons in this effective play for all the teens struggling to cope with the dark side of adolescence. Kudos to Steppenwold for Young Adults for mounting this classic. I’m sure the teens will relate to this play."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...Trust is of great importance and when an accident takes place and the ever athletic Finny is injured, we question why and what took place. Knowing that time is 1942 and the War was taking place, a lot of the conversation is about if it is really happening or just people talking. Each of the boys has an attitude about that as well and as the story progresses, the war becomes a major part of their story. As young men, I think most of us felt we were invincible, that we could do no wrong and that we would never get hurt taking risks. In many cases, we lucked out and nothing happened to take away these feelings, but for others, they learned the realization that we are all just human and therefore vulnerable."