Cooperstown Reviews

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Golden goes to unexpected places in this humane and often witty play, directed with a light hand by Brian Stojak, but the stakes never reach fever pitch. The cast--especially Tracey Kaplan as a waitress equally obsessed with Bob Dylan and baseball and Chance Bone as her would-be paramour--deliver warmhearted performances that demand attention even as the story bogs down in expository monologues."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...The Theatre Seven production is pleasant, if uninspired, under Brian Stojak's direction. Cecil Burroughs is low-key and rock-solid as Junior, a not-unkind man who plays his cards close to his vest. Tracey Kaplan as tough-tender Dylan impresses with her energy and sharp attack. Set designer Michelle N. Warner provides a suitably realistic but generic diner, but lose the jukebox: it was an ancient relic even 1962. Costume designer Brenda Winstead shines where she must, with Grace's stylish period outfits (nice pearls!)"

Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended

"...In an effort to be politically correct, Golden loses some of the historical accuracy and believability of the drama. All of the characters refer to Robinson as a black hero, but the term black wasn't widely used in 1962 and was considered a derogatory term by many black people. (Negro was the term used in that era, but Golden seems to skirt around using it.) The marriage of Grace, who is Asian (another term not used at the time), to a white man is another sensitive issue that is never addressed."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"... Golden’s sidelong approach works well in a crucial moment when Sharree lashes out at the angelic diner denizens. Thanks in large part to Lathrop’s stirring vulnerability (large, friendly eyes belie her brittle demeanor), we see how the reverberations of racism can infiltrate even the best-intentioned relationships. For the most part, though, Cooperstown’s stakes are too low for it to soar. Stojak nonetheless directs the well-structured material briskly, and the universally committed cast brings it home. As the bigwig’s wife, Emjoy Gavino skillfully provides the only hint of scheming artifice in a world otherwise devoid of bad guys."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...The characters are believable, the plot is hardly new or revolutionary, but there is an honesty from key characters–Burrough’s Junior and Bone’s Huck that gives Cooperstown an empathetic truth that resonates with us. Cooperstown nicely deals with the trickle-down effect of a changing time. This play foreshadows our grappling with race issues as well as the major changes in Major League baseball that finds the Dodgers in LA and the Giants in San Francisco. Golden has a unique way of storytelling."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...Cooperstown takes on some big themes in an extremely effective and intimate way. As the press notes indicate, there are no true villains or heroes in the play (at least not on stage), but all five characters are real and human in ways that transcend black and white. It's a terrific piece of writing and all five actors are given room to shine and soar. Ashleigh LaThrop is a tiny little sparkplug as Sharree, whose social activism juxtaposes beautifully with Cecil Burroughs' gentle and even measured Junior. There are some wonderful moments and chemistry between Chance Bone and Tracey Kaplan as the two rabid baseball fans, while the radiant Emjoy Gavino is a class act as Grace."

Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended

"...Far believable is the sweet romance between waitress and baseball stat savant Dylan (Tracey Kaplan, sometimes truly difficult to understand thanks to her machine-gun speed speech) and Huck (Chance Bone), a plain-spoken out-of-towner with a similar passion for America’s Pastime. It’s a lovely subplot, although it wouldn’t hurt to tone down Dylan’s tomboy streak a tad – when she becomes almost physically ill after kissing Huck, she seems more like a prepubescent girl than a young woman."