Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...In the central role of Sandy, high-school graduate turned flexible massage therapist, Laura Coover has all the right qualities, including a smartly sardonic style, a vulnerable core and bright eyes that suggest her character wants, and is capable of, so much more than performing sexual favors for $40. The other dead-on performance comes from the Eclipse veteran Nathaniel Swift, who cleverly captures the slippery sensibility of a just-getting-by cop, going nowhere and, luckily for him, at peace with his own total lack of ambition."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Under Anish Jethmalani's insightful, crackerjack direction, Scott (in a wonderfully understated performance) and Coover (a petite blond knockout with star quality, who also is a sensational actress) create the perfect chemistry. Swift (who has a few moments of full frontal nudity) brings just the right mix of devil-may-care hedonism and sensitivity to Doug, with Gioppo just right as the flashy good time girl he quiets down. As for Richlan, she delivers the play's most crucial speech with every bit of clarity and self-knowledge it requires."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...This intimate Eclipse Theatre production has a couple of crucial holes: neither Kevin Scott's Curt nor Laura Coover's Sandy is fully convincing. Still, if Scott and Coover can't muster full-spectrum devastation, they and the rest of a smart cast make good use of the colors available to them."
Chicago Free Press - Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Anish Jethmaluni expertly brings forth Curt’s two-faced despair as he tries, passionately, to mold Sandy just as Beth has tried to mold him. Jethmalani fails to accentuate the emotional significance of Duke Ellington’s “Blue Serge” to the piece, though, offering only a brief introduction to the music which has such a special pertinence to its main characters and could have offered the audience a gateway to the tight beauty of Gilman’s world."
Chicagoist - Highly Recommended
"...These are real people, and you might be surprised at how relatable they are. The cast, under the direction of Anish Jethmalani, embraces the show’s comedy without sacrificing depth or sincerity, while keeping things moving at a swift - but not rushed - pace. We’d be remiss if we didn’t call out Laura Coover and Kevin Scott for their stellar performances, but really, the acting is great all around. We could keep going, but we want you to stop reading this so you can buy your tickets."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Scott masterfully conveys Curt’s complete collapse in the face of possible fulfillment, down to the true-but-self-damning class realities of his twin closing monologues. Coover brings a perfectly believable, perfectly contemporary naturalism to her postinnocent yet vulnerable portrayal of Sandy, even when Gilman’s sanguine take on the sex industry is at its most Pollyannish. And Swift and Gioppo make sharp, vivid, sexy work of every walk-on."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Blue Surge is a powerful look at the personal quest for meaning and fulfillment that makes the characters feel human. Curt and Sandy slowly begin to experience the bliss of following their hearts. This is a moving and provocative work filled with truthful performances and loads of heart. You’ll remember your visit to this small town."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Jethmalani has done a masterful job of bringing Ms. Gilman's characters to life and the cast makes each character so real you almost think they are people you know, or at least have met, in your life. Guess what? They are real. They do exist. The chemistry between Mr. Scott and Ms. Coover as Curt and Sandy blossoms at just the right pace and we see a reversal of child/adult as the story comes to an end. It is a sad ending for them with Curt in the least favorable position of all, but he can still dream."