Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Somewhere buried in "Adirondack Chair Circle," a new play by the very capable playwright Stephanie Alison Walker, is a complex and empathetic play about a loving, suburban mother so overwhelmed by her child's choice of a nonbinary identity that this unmoored mom flails around, looking for support in circles in which she does not really belong."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...In the new play "Adirondack Chair Circle," a small group of well-off women meet regularly in one of their suburban backyards, always over a gorgeously crafted charcuterie platter, to plot strategy. Their goal: to get books they consider dangerous, morally repugnant or just age-inappropriate removed from local school libraries."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...The play goes overboard several times: Do we really need the Proud Boys? And actual book burning? But for the most part it earns the title’s allusion to Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, another meditation on mothers and children and how the latter can end up as pawns in their mothers’ struggles for power, identity, and control."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...Director Pam McKinnon plays it fast and funny with this bright cast. It's a catalogue of where we are at right this minute, from viral postings to swilling hard kombucha. Todd Rosenthal's ingenious set design takes us from suburban back yard to pickleball court to school board meeting with a slight of hand shift."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...There’s an infection somewhere in the body politic. For most, removing books from a school library is a clear-cut, black and white issue. There is no argument worth hearing. There is no compromise to be had. And we easily, thoughtlessly dismiss the faceless forces on the opposing side. As the nation digs in its heals deeper, and we remain as dangerously polarized as ever, in walks playwright Stephanie Alison Walker to disrupt all of that with her stunning, brilliant new comedy, “Adirondack Chair Circle,” now playing in its world premiere at the Steppenwolf under the direction of Pam MacKinnon."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Steppenwolf’s latest production is a biting comical and satirical look at hypocrisy. The members of a conservative Right Wing action group, and their righteous obsession with censoring freedom of speech, results in a do-or-die push to ban the library books they deem pornographic. Fueled by crows, charcuterie boards and Kombucha, the moms call this the fight of their lives. But their burning battle contradicts the lives they’re living. Portrayed by a cast of gifted actors in peak form, Pam MacKinnon’s expert direction transforms a familiar topic into a story that’s as timely as today’s headlines. And how playwright Stephanie Alison Walker spins this tale of suburban terrorism, especially during the play’s final moments, is played out by a trio of hypocritical, maniacal mammas who pretend to want only what’s best for their community."
Buzz Center Stage
- Somewhat Recommended
"...I went into Adirondack Chair Circle wondering what a new play about book bans could add to a conversation whose arguments most of its audience could probably already recite. A world premiere at Steppenwolf seemed worth giving the benefit of the doubt; perhaps it would serve as an accessible way into a larger examination of attacks on education, parenthood and the politics of protecting children. By the end, I was still wondering what, beyond an opportunity to laugh at Republicans, this new play felt that it had accomplished."
Third Coast Review
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Stephanie Alison Walker's Adirondack Chair Circle, now receiving its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, drops audiences into familiar comic territory: suburban moms... ha ha, school-board politics... tee hee, book bans, pronoun battles, social-media warriors, and enough charcuterie to feed a small army... ho, ho, ho. And that ain't Santa Claus. It's the sound of an audience settling in for an evening of easy laughs at the expense of people they already disagree with."
Chicago Theater and Arts
- Recommended
"...Three suburban mothers meet to plan the removal of offensive books from the local high school in the world premiere of Adirondack Chair Circle by Chicago playwright Stephanie Alison Walker at Steppenwolf Theatre Company directed by Pam MacKinnon."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...As another Election Day comes and goes, it’s pretty much impossible to fail to notice the extreme divides between the political right and left. We are inundated by commercials and mailings, many of which attack opponents in the most vile ways. We read (or desperately try to ignore) article after article online. Some of us have to keep our feelings and opinions in check even among family members to avoid vitriolic arguments that both sides, revved up by like-minded people on social media, believe to be the absolute truth…even when they are not."
PicksInSix
- Recommended
"...The stellar world premiere offering of “The Adirondack Chair Circle” by Chicago playwright Stephanie Alison Walker at Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater, now extended through December 13, is one of those pieces that expertly delves into political satire at a time when such satire in America is so often overcome by the realities that currently exist. In other words, as the writer PJ O'Rourke muses: "American political culture quickly and always outpaces any attempt to satirize it." But this sturdy play, full of awareness and wit and even a charming element of magical realism, does its best to circumvent such issues and encourage proper debate between strongly drawn characters."
Curtain Call Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Adirondack Chair Circle is a wickedly smart, hilariously uneasy and a razor-sharp new comedy about the most dangerous force in American life: a Mom’s group with a mission. This is a play about book-banning, but it’s a comedy less about books than it is about the terrifying human need to devoted to a cause to keep friends."
Splash Magazine
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The bottom-line problem here is: the play is a relentless mockery, a shaming of those who are portrayed as political naif’s. The redeeming attributes include humorous, sharp dialogue and the great acting we’ve come to expect from this fine theatre company. The cast is so spot-on that it almost carried the day, despite the extra unnecessary hour in length. If Chair Circle had been 90 minutes long instead of 140 (including intermission), if the bird had been more continent, than maybe the play could’ve worked. As it is, the “badguy” conservatives end up “dumped-on”, and it seems unfunny and unfair. What was really interesting, and could’ve pulled this play into focus if developed, were the group dynamics. In a small group set with a task, leadership will always emerge, but the result will always be only as strong as the weakest participant. This reviewer would like to have learned something about the character’s backstory, the off-stage families for whom the efforts were made, and seen some positive resolution."
Allie and the After Party
- Recommended
"...A group of conservative, suburban moms meet every Wednesday to discuss their plan of attack to convince the school board to ban certain books in Adirondack Chair Circle. They face an uphill battle especially when being challenged by their liberal-minded counterpart. Not quite hitting the marks for a satire, it feels more like a play to show this book-banning argument through a different lens, but still gets a smart quip or two in there to keep the tone light."
Werner's Theatre Reviews
- Recommended
"...The world premiere of Adirondack Chair Circle at Steppenwolf Theatre is a voice of comedy and reason for 21st century America. With elements of children’s education, book bans and conflicting political views, Stephanie Alison Walker’s world premiere gives laughter and profound food for thought to its audience."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...As the audience gathered for the opening of “Adirondack Chair Circle” at Steppenwolf Theatre, you could hear the Monkees’ “Pleasant Valley Sunday” on the sound system. The song tells you what you’re in for—snarky views on the wide lawns and narrow minds of suburban conservatives."
