Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"..."East Texas Hot Links" has some formative similarities with that great writers' oeuvre: an ensemble cast, a slow initial build, a love of language, a historical setting and a subscription to the moralistic Wilson value system of never violating the well-being of the community for personal gain. But it's not only a much shorter play at just 95 minutes, but in some ways a riskier piece that comes with a brutal climactic event that requires actors to confront present-tense danger in a way that Wilson mostly eschewed. Wilson, who worked hard to make what happens in his plays feel inevitable, had a lot in common with the ancient Greek tragedians; Lee and Parson are both interested in the mechanisms of plot-based thrillers with their real-time surprises and sudden switches of energy and action."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...There isn't a weak link in this hot cast. Willie B. serves soul-filling servings of wisdom and wit as the bawdy intellectual Adolph, who cryptically offers, "Feed me with your death, and I'll feed my brother with mine." Kelvin Roston Jr. is all hilarious braggadocio as Roy, Alfred H. Wilson is the sober voice of reason as the upstanding Columbus, Anji White steals the show as the powerhouse shop matron Charlesetta, David Dowd is painfully naive as the enterprising Delmus, Juwan Lockett is deliciously awkward as the odd-duck XL, Geno Walker plays Buckshot with imposing swagger, and the always indomitable A.C. Smith is intense as Boochie, the hand of fate."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...East Texas Hot Links was first produced in 1991 by Black Dog Productions and the Met Theatre in Hollywood, California, so it's a widely known production. However, I never like writing about the entire play or giving away its explosive ending for those who may have never seen this production. You can read other reviews if that piques your interest. With that said, Whether this play has previously interested you or you are encountering it for the first time, Court Theatre's production promises to enthrall you with a captivating theatrical experience. It's phenomenal!"
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"..."East Texas Hot Links" by Eugene Lee, tells a story from the summer of 1955 about the Top o' the Hill Cafe, an African American establishment run by Charlesetta Simpkins (AnJi White). This is a place where friends and family come together and where stories are swapped, memories are shared, good-natured ribbing takes place, and the latest news is discussed. The cafe could be considered a place of refuge in this segregated community, where black people are impoverished and are "supposed to know their place.""
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...I was skeptical when I learned that Court Theatre was staging "East Texas Hot Links." The Pulitzer prize nominated play first debuted in Chicago at Onyx Theatre Company in 1995, with subsequent productions in 1998 and a recent one at Writers Theatre in 2019. Although it's not rare for a play to receive so many renditions, interestingly enough, each production has been directed by Ron O.J. Parsons, who has kept basically the same cast since its premiere. This piqued my curiosity enough that I felt compelled to see the show for myself. After the performance, fellow theatergoers shared this was the finest version of the play they had seen. I would have to agree. This production had me tingling from start to finish."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...There is a stellar production of Eugene Lee's signature play "East Texas Hot Links" playing now at Court Theatre in Chicago through September 29. It is an articulate, impactful play that echoes in one's mind long after the curtain comes down in its eloquent and painful comment on the remnants of the civil rights movement in America, how it continues to resonate and affect so many of our societal mores. It bears the unmistakable stamp of the great director Ron OJ Parson, who has a relationship with this piece that forces us, in its sheer professionalism alone, to see an unencumbered view of what Jim Crow has done to our world and continues to do today."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...The play delves into profound themes of racism, a broken community, and the struggle for a better life. After a series of revelations, the group bands together to save Delmus's life and decides that the only way to stop the town's troubles is to eliminate XL. As the story unfolds, it will leave you utterly shocked."
