Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"..."Chapatti," which is directed in its premiere by BJ Jones, is a long way from the Martin McDonagh gothic sensibility, or the multihued existential angst of Conor McPherson, and I don't claim O'Reilly is yet anywhere near the level of those great living Irish playwrights. But there is, nonetheless, some clever stylistic and emotional switcheroos in this 90-minute, two-character play that turns out to be a good deal less sentimental than you first think."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Mahoney is in top form — agile, crisp, volatile and, as ever, a minimalist who can achieve maximal effects. And Slusher, a true actor’s actor in this city, is so real, so full of barely suppressed fire and self-mocking indomitability, that she has you watching her every move. Best of all, they manage to sidestep sentimentality without sacrificing the special chemistry between them that is all but irresistible."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The star attraction is John Mahoney as Dan, a retired laborer who can't get over the death of the woman he's loved for 30 years. But it's Penny Slusher who provides all that's worthwhile in this world premiere staging of a hokey two-hander by Irish playwright Christian O'Reilly. Slusher plays Betty, an aging divorcee with nothing but a brood of cats (19 of them and "counting," she says) to take the edge off her loneliness. Literally running into Dan at the vet's, she sets about bringing both him and herself back to life. If only she could do the same for the show as a whole."
Windy City Times
- Recommended
"...Oh, but who cares when you have John Mahoney and Penny Slusher at their most charming, lending their talents—well-honed by BJ Jones' savvy direction—to a play calculated for appeal to aging baby-boomers, to dog and cat lovers, and to anyone claiming Irish ancestry? As with Northlight's 2013 Stella and Lou, the play's spare scenic requirements also render it attractive to theaters with small budgets and those with core ensembles of—ahem!—mature actors."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...Pessimist Dan (Mahoney) and bubbly Betty (Slusher) recount much of the tale of their meeting, and how they found themselves living such lonesome lives before it, in alternating monologues, which feels right here. After all, these are two folks who, consciously or not, need someone to talk to, someone to really hear them. The two actors spark something delightful in one another onstage; why shouldn’t we listen?"
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...Chapatti is a warm, gentle story demonstrating that love and romance can happen again even after many years. This wonderfully charming two-hander is both hopeful and uplifting. John Mahoney and Penny Slasher render two of the most heartfelt and empathetic performances seen on a Chicago area stage in years! Credit Christian O' Reilly with writing a gentle, sublime and honest script that drills home the need for and the power of human companionship. While dogs and cats can aid us thought the lonely rough spots in our loves, there is no substitute for tender human connections. Gaining love and romance, at any age, is the ultimate joy we can hope for. Does Betty get Dan into a relationship? See this sweet 90 minute one act to find out. Their journey is worth taking with them."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Artistic director, BJ Jones, "Chapatti" is 90 minutes of our watching two lonely , somewhat content people find that there is more to life than what they have been living. What makes this production so very special is the cast assembled ( this is a two character play) to bring this man (John Mahoney) and this woman ( Penny Slusher) to life. They are amazing actors who truly make you feel as if the fourth wall has been lifted and you are in fact peering into the lives of two lonely people. That is what theater is al about and under Jones' solid direction in this very intimate theater, we do feel every emotion that they are feeling as they feel it."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...BJ Jones has beautifully and sensitively directed this exquisite dramatic pas de deux, allowing his characters freedom to roam the perimeter and interior of Jack Magaw's sparse set that effectively combines several households and the vet's office into one room. Dan and Betty's story is vigilantly watched over by Magaw's enormous wrought iron cemetery gateway and his omnipresent projection of monuments and tombstones. In spite of only two actors being on stage, the audience is able to clearly imagine the other people and pets who populate this 90-minute one-act. Mr. Jones has guided both of his superbly accomplished actors, John Mahoney (last seen in Northlight's highly acclaimed "The Outgoing Tide" and well-known for his role on TV's "Frasier") and Penny Slusher (remembered for her roles in Northlight productions of "Sense & Sensibility" and "A Life") through a story that's not only heartfelt; it's real."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...The play’s unorthodox structure comes across as inevitable and the two characters have a dramatic heft and even intelligence that would be lost in performances that went for the easy laugh and the easy tear. Doubtless there are many actors who could make Dan and Betty come alive, especially skilled especially Irish actors. But it’s hard to imagine two performances more perfectly attuned to the nuances of their characters. We end up really caring about these aching souls and you could sense the audience rooting for them to recognize that their salvation rests with each other as the play winds down to its “will they or won’t they” conclusion. It’s the finest kind of acting, because it doesn’t seem like acting at all."
