Dorian Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...What Rapley, as director and choreographer, has devised are moments of dance and exaggerated movements spliced into scenes of naturalistic dialogue, resulting in two styles -- the abstract and the naturalistic -- intertwined into one."

Chicago Sun Times - Recommended

"...Kevin O'Donnell, another House Theatre regular, has created a compelling score for "Dorian." Collete Pollard's set -- an elegantly architectural curtain -- adapts to many scenes with fluid ease (with lighting courtesy of Lee Keenan and Rebecca A. Barrett). Debbie Baer's costumes are neo-Victorian-meets-Anthropologie. And Tracy Otwell has shaped the twisted mask that reflects Dorian's aged and ugly soul."

SouthtownStar - Highly Recommended

"...As directed and choreographed by Tommy Rapley, with a melodic original musical score by Kevin O'Donnell and exquisite portrayals by a wonderful cast, this production is a pleasure to behold."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...this visually striking production captures the essence of the story, about a handsome libertine whose corruption is reflected in an increasingly grotesque portrait while he remains unblemished and eternally young. Employing dance, mime, and stylized gesture, Dorian focuses on the relationships Dorian has with his decadent mentor Lord Harry Wotton and artist Basil Hallward. And in this homoerotic version, the painting comes to life, encouraging Dorian's wickedness. A talented 12-person cast and creative staging and design make this by far the creepiest version of Dorian Gray I've seen on stage or screen."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...What sets Tommy Rapley and Ben Lobpries’ world-premiere adaptation apart from other adaptations is that the duo has opted for the risky option of attempting to tell the story through dance and movement. (They use a minimum of words, so those looking for a faithful adaptation should pick up Wilde’s original.) And I’m happy to report that theirs is a stunning achievement."

Chicago Free Press - Recommended

"...No question, Rapley’s appropriately stylized revision is thrilling stuff, aesthetically consistent with Wilde’s love/hate affair with youth and beauty while perfectly tuned into the overkill of American affluence. As propulsively narrative as picturesque, the dance episodes are crisply delivered, easily as eloquent as the acting."

Gay Chicago Magazine - Recommended

"...Oscar Wilde’s original “Dorian” enveloped many communal and social ills, including corruption, sexual tension, suicide and murder. It also portrayed the dangers of an unconscionable soul; that a person’s looks and magnetisms often falsely portray what truly resides in a person’s psyche. This adaptation brilliantly uses body language and dance to accentuate this message in a unique and refreshing way. Well done."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...In translating Wilde’s tale to a dance opera set in the New York art scene of the 1980s, Rapley pulls a similar trick, replacing verbal intricacy with visual fireworks. Everything about this production looks gorgeous, from its elegant set to its exquisite costumes (designed by Collette Pollard and Debbie Baer, respectively). But the real star of the show is the dance."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended

"...The manner in which these performer/athletes throw themselves into their work is truly awesome. Wilde fans should not expect a faithful translation of the novel, but rather a unique homage presented from a contemporary aesthetic. The ultimate value of such a work may be debatable, but Rapley's vision is excitingly performed nonetheless."