Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The other great pleasure that flows from what is billed as an all-Latino production at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre is the chance to see some actors who would not typically be cast in these rich roles. Director Ricardo Gutierrez's production, staged in the intimate confines of the upstairs Richard Christiansen Theatre, clearly is a modestly budgeted affair. The set (mostly the interior of Eddie's apartment, where Italian immigrants are hidden until passions explode) is so basic, it probably would have been better to get rid of the walls altogether and go for a more conceptual staging. Miller's 1956 play certainly offers that opportunity, being narrated, noir-style, by the lawyer Alfieri (Mark Ulrich), who smells trouble long before it happens."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The characters remain Sicilians and Sicilian Americans, exactly as Miller wrote them; the setting remains the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, exactly where Miller put them. So (a) the point is elegantly made that illegals are neither new nor ethnically specific, and (b) that point is never permitted to distract us from the devastating progress of Miller's narrative and its vivid realization in Gutierrez's production. Ramon Camin leads an exceptional cast as Eddie Carbone, the longshoreman who gets unnaturally rattled when the niece he's raised from childhood falls for a charming but undocumented young man. "
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...The focus of our story is humble longshoreman Eddie Carbone, a devoted caretaker to his wife, Beatrice and his orphaned niece, Catherine. When a pair of distant Sicilian relatives propose to enter the United States illegally-a not-uncommon occurrence in this Italian-American ghetto-he generously offers them shelter in his home, little anticipating that an attraction will spring up between his ward and the handsome young Rodolfo, who arrives possessing a diversity of accomplishments to expedite his assimilation."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...In what is mostly a strong cast, Camin proves to be the weak link. His Eddie lacks the fire to match up with either Marquez or Munoz. That either one of these women ever listened to this man in the first place is surprising. Munoz and Rivera-Vega provide the show much its spark. Their chemistry fizzes and pops, with Rivera-Vega's proving incredibly likable without ever quite giving you a reason to trust him. The show is directed by Teatro Vista Artistic Director Ricardo Gutierrez, who brings a disappointing domesticity to Miller's fable. The set by Regina Garcia is the same kind of period-appropriate living room set that one could find on any number of shows. Eddie's actions are meant to reverberate throughout the community at large, but the presence of said community is never felt. This is felt most strongly in the play's final moment, when the set is transformed from an interior to exterior with an awkward transition that stops the action dead. In missing the community, Gutierrez misses the very reason this play is still relevant today."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Make no mistake, A View From The Bridge is a play about communities, and how in-groups and out-groups even form in communities with common goals, but the specific community is less important than the idea of "outsiders" in a country built and resided in by immigrants and descendants of immigrants. As Catherine's love interest, Rodolpho, Tommy Rivera-Vega plays it sweet, and strikes a perfect balance between ethnic pride and the wide-eyed idealism Catherine is enraptured by and the innocent boyishness that evokes so much of Eddie's disdain. It's an ensemble-wide effort, really-one that communicates the asterisks in the American Dream for immigrants, Italian or not."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...The collective triumph of this production certainly extends to technical aspects from set designer Regina Garcia’s simple home and Christine Pascual’s period clothing to the dramatic enhancements of lighting designer Brian Hoehne and sound designer Christopher Kriz. Teatro Vista’s achievement, representative of the best that Chicago storefront theater can be, stands up to the finest dramatic work I’ve seen this season on any stage."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...We see Eddie's pent-up sexual desire and his homophobia explode into tragedy. His journey unfolds as high drama. The cast was solid, particularly Sandra Marquez and, of course, Ramon Camin whose truthful emotional rage and genuine angst came across effectively. This is a worthy production of a classic Miller work."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...In Timebends Arthur Miller writes about the first production of A View from the Bridge in 1955: “I had accepted the chestnut that good actors, regardless of type, can surmount anything. They can’t.” The talented ensemble attacks Miller’s A View from the Bridge with energy and sincerity, but the play’s working class Red Hook environment and challenging dramatic structure lead to a production that is more melodrama than Italian tragedy. All of the actors are committed and emotionally engaged and there are many crowd-pleasing moments in the two-hour running time. However, the illusion never quite takes shape and by the muddled end the actors, director and design team seem confused by the text."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This is a strong story about love, loyalty, jealousy, hate and survival with an ending that you will not see coming and a solid performance by each and every member of the ensemble. It is the ensemble that can make the production whole and each person, no matter the size of their role, who make sup these parts of the whole is responsible for the total production being a true theatrical experience.This is not one of Miller’s greatest plays/scripts, but Teatro Vista has made it a wonderful evening of theater. Thanks to the ensemble members:Todd Garcia, Patrick Falco, Joel Maisonet, Diane Herrera Pina and Antonia Arcely."
The Fourth Walsh - Recommended
"...There is a homespun Americana about this play. The no-collar workers have the heart and humor and honesty of genuine employment satisfaction. The sense of community is strong. And respect is a life necessity. Even though Arthur Miller’s A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE is riddled with nostalgic sensibilities, the fall of a man over his femme fatale is timeless. Teatro Vista utilizes an all-Latino cast as its authentic storytellers. Their VIEW looks back and forward to see how love changes everything, for good or bad...forever."
Splash Magazine - Recommended
"...Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge is truly a magnificent play. It is both a psychological character study and a classic Greek tragedy. It’s by far one of Mr. Miller’s best written plays, greatly exceeding his often sluggish and depressing Death of a Salesman and the overtly political The Crucible. But like many of Mr. Miller’s works it is often misunderstood. Contrary to what many think, A View from the Bridge is not a profound McCarthy-era allegory nor is it a comprehensive morality tale. It is instead a fiery, striking, idiomatic psychosexual horror tale of one man’s self-destruction. It is a story filled with primitive passions and repressed desires. And while Teatro Vista’s current production is no doubt entertaining, enchanting even at times, its main problem is that it’s too simple. This production is missing the underlying yearning of deep passions, the sparks of sexual chemistry and tension that are the main cause of so much of the discomforting pressure in this remarkable script."
