Caravaggio presented by Silk Road Rising at Chicago Temple

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...As Stoppard's success proves, there's a big audience for smart plays (and films) about the complex relationship between art and religion. With work, this could be one of those plays."

Daily Herald - Highly Recommended

"...it's a solid piece of theater given a solid world premiere by director Dale Heinen and the Silk Road Theatre Project. The intimate production, which unfolds on Lee Keenan's sumptuous, burnished set, features projections of the artist's paintings and has an autumnal look thanks to Keenan's evocative lighting that recreates the luminosity and chiaroscuro of Caravaggio's paintings."

Pioneer Press - Recommended

"...there's a magnificent cast at work here. As Caravaggio, Mike Simmer's feverish intensity propels the piece. From the humanity of his paintings comes the crashing, crushing truth that 'the loneliness of the spirt and the loneliness of the flesh are one and the same,; a truth Simmer delivers with primal, howling fierceness."

Chicago Reader - Not Recommended

"...Stringing together various predicaments connected only by the painter's continually thwarted quest for truth, the play seems to start over every 20 minutes. There's little action, so the talented cast only postures for most of the two-hour show. Dale Heinen's world-premiere Silk Road Theatre Project staging is full of beautiful images, but ponderous pacing underscores the script's inertia."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...Though not perfect, Silk Road Theatre Project’s Caravaggio is an approachable drama that tries to examine the thought and feeling behind the transcendent paintings of the great Baroque master. Its messages also demand contemplation for today."

Gay Chicago Magazine - Recommended

"...Director Dale Heinen compiles a gifted ensemble both on and off-stage to vividly bring this work to life. Lee Keenan’s remarkable lighting design adds much to the dramatic moods of the play and recreates some of Caravaggio’s masterpieces on stage with awe-inspiring effect. Cast members assume the positions of the painting’s figures while Keenan’s brilliant lighting accurately transforms the set and performers into a living, three-dimensional rendition of the magic created on the canvas."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...it’s a bit disappointing that this production of such sophisticated, three-dimensional sensuality is lavished on a play with such a one-dimensional view of art."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...This is a well acted work filled with sharp lighting and nice set design by Lee Keenan. The use of period glimpses of Caravaggio’s paintings as backdrops added depth to the show. Mike Simmer’s Caravaggio is a memorable character worth getting to know. Silk Road Theatre Project is emerging as a quality theatre company as evidenced by this fine production."