Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead presented by Rubicon Theatre Project at Oracle Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended

"...no matter how much you squint, these characters bear zero resemblance the originals. Royal has a different agenda, anyway -- namely, to tell a story about the perils of being gay in high school -- which has been slapped onto the Peanuts idea. The script is a cheat. It pretends to spoof but doesn't do the homework. As you-know-who would say: good grief."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Ron Popp's well-cast Rubicon Theatre Project ensemble throw themselves into their characters, coming closer to Columbine than Pleasantville. Fans of Peanuts may feel as if the Great Pumpkin has been dropped on them from 200 feet. But there's no shame in asking an audience to give up in order to grow up."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...Rubicon’s simple production under Ron Popp’s strong direction features a comic cast that gets the nastiness and aimlessness of teenagers just right, plus the sometimes existential pondering and silly dance styles of the original Peanuts gang. Chris Kordys’ C.B. is the emotional and honest heart of the production, particularly when he digs into a growing well of grief."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...Royal’s extreme recasts provide plenty of chuckles for fans of the strip, and there’s a lot to be admired in Popp’s production, such as John Gorman’s pitch-perfect set design and cast standouts Michele Gross (as a flailing, performance art–inclined Sally), Jacob A. Ware (a stoner Linus), and Colleen E. Miller and Anna Schutz (Peppermint Patty and Marcie, respectively, as slutty Mean Girls). The only spoilers are Royal’s abrupt, inorganic tonal shift and the woefully miscast Chris Kordys as C.B. Royal’s script calls for Charlie Brown to have grown up into a charismatic, popular Everyman with an emotional range."

ChicagoCritic - Not Recommended

"...This disjointed story has major tone shifts and a contrived plot that implodes credulity. This poorly written piece goes from raunchy parody to gay teen coming out to a preachy piece about how we all need to get along. The play superficially covers bullying, drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence and rebellion. Royal’s characters are stereotypical, underdeveloped and bland."