Black Cypress Bayou at Definition Theatre

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...Part family drama and part murder mystery, Calhoun’s “Black Cypress Bayou” is packed with cultural richness, and trauma, but never feels too heavy. Instead, it feels familiar. Calhoun is a Texas native herself, and I see in her script the delicate dance between religion and superstition that I saw in my own elders."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Directed by Ericka Ratcliff, Calhoun’s story deftly weaves together past and near-present: it’s set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, before the vaccines were available, but it covers a broad spectrum of family history for the Manifold women at the center of the play. The separation required by the virus serves as a stand-in for the spaces between them caused by personal secrets and the trauma of racial and economic injustice."

Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended

"...With laughter and wit, Calhoun's Black Cypress Bayou artfully explores the darker sides of guilt, ancestral trauma, supernatural retribution, land rights, systemic injustice, and those involved in an oppressive societal system. Under the direction of Ericka Ratcliff, the narrative is both playful and nuanced, shedding light on the complex fears that surround the experiences of Black individuals when considering calling the police, capturing the deep-seated distrust and historical violence that have pervaded many Black communities, which Calhoun's play skillfully invites the audience to engage these profound and often uncomfortable truths."

Buzz Center Stage - Highly Recommended

"...Under the smart, lively direction of Ericka Ratcliff, this production hums with comic electricity and emotional undercurrent. Ratcliff clearly trusts the text, allowing its humor to bloom organically while never losing sight of the deeper currents flowing beneath the laughter. The result is a staging that feels both buoyant and grounded—like the bayou itself, shimmering on the surface while concealing depth below"

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"...There is a magic about the bayou. Ancient trees draped in Spanish moss enrobe an ominous waterscape blanketed by fog and mosquitos. History is alive and present in the bayou. Its watery confines provide a feeling of refuge before dissipating into an inescapable dread which hangs in the humid air. Indeed, for many Black Americans, the bayou is a space that envelops with a sense of both healing and harm, where the ancestors could find respite from oppression amongst the dangers of its untamed environs. It is a place with an otherworldly electricity capable of activating a portal between our world and the ethereally mythic beyond, compressing time into a moment of boundless existence."

Allie and the After Party - Recommended

"...A dark comedy as two daughters and their mother determine what to do to not be implicated in a crime while also discovering a family secret. Part realism, part supernatural, Black Cypress Bayou combines laughter and family silliness in times of stress and heavy feelings."