Beyond Therapy at Athenaeum Theatre

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...From the appropriately hideous early 80s decor to the cringeworthy epithets that rain down throughout, there's a grotesque incongruousness to this play. Perhaps when it debuted, the way it tweaks sexual mores might've seemed daring, but in 2019 it comes off as ugly and unnecessary. The uniformly talented cast does its level best to breathe life into this dinosaur, but some species are better relegated to the boneyard. Rachel Lambert directed."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...In an era that is easily mockable (read: big hair and shoulder pads), Zachery Wagner has shrewdly created a wardrobe for the actors that is time-period appropriate and yet doesn’t overpower the farce that is playing onstage. Instead of dressing them in bright colors, he and the set designer, Samantha Rausch, washed the stage in earth tones so that the colors wouldn’t speak louder than the actors themselves. Rausch ingeniously shifts the scenes with a painting hanging on a wall, revolving it to reveal hilarious insights into the subconscious mind of the owners of the current room. The stage is split in half, flipping back and forth between different therapy rooms and the restaurant. This choice, made by lighting designer Matt Sharp, brings us to the climactic scene when all characters are on stage, satisfactorily fully lit."

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"...If you can keep yourself focused on the play’s intent, rather than allowing your mind to start contemplating things from a 21st Century perspective, there is a lot to enjoy in this play. It is well-acted, designed and directed. And Christopher Durang is a genius of absurd comedy, so it is often very funny, even if the Equus references go over your head. Beyond Therapy is what Eclipse shows it to be: a very silly product of its era. It really never tries to be anything more."

City Pleasures - Highly Recommended

"...By the time the final scene arrived, you couldn't help but be a little disheartened that this rollicking tryst would be coming to an end. Reminding us with laughter that there are as many roads to love as there are kinds of love, Beyond Therapy did its job well."