Eelpout! Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...There is an entirely Midwestern sub-genre, or niche, of rural ice-fishing plays, including “Guys on Ice,” which claims to be the world’s first ice-fishing musical. And, of course, there are other plays where underwater creatures function as metaphors of projection and transformation, the surreal “Big Fish” being one. “Eelpout” uses some of the same themes of male bonding and projection as it explores both the perils of masculinity and how friendship can cross over into previously uncharted territory."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The actors commit to the scenarios with earnestness that never shades into twee self-awareness. Barajas, as the lively eelpout and object of Sven’s affections, is particularly good, but Ohringer’s well-directed cast finds the right tone. What might seem ridiculous on the surface of the story, like the world under the lake, turns out to have a bit of magic and wonder to it."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...Shattered Globe Theatre reels in a fishy tale titled Eelpout! for its 35th-season finale at Theater Wit. Playwright Paul William Kruse serves up a story about society and queer identity set in the wilderness."

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

"...Eelpout! wears its influences on its sleeve. Cinematically, Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water (2017), and further back, his compatriot Alfonso Cuaron’s marvelous Y Tu Mamá También (2001), are its most obvious antecedents but as the play went on, I found myself thinking more and more of the great American absurdist Edward Albee, specifically his Pulitzer-winning Seascape and even more so, his first play The Zoo Story. More than anything else,"

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Eelpout!, now being performed by Shattered Globe Theatre, hosted at Theater Wit, is a new play on these themes that depicts a small stag party at a Mille Lacs ice lodge. A very sweet mostly-comedy written by Paul W. Kruse and directed by Jeremy Ohringer, it uses fantasy to explore a changing friendship between young men, one of whom really doesn’t want to share the other, but also isn’t sure he was meant to live among people at all."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Are you in the mood for a most unique comedy—a funny, fast-paced farce especially made for smart, very liberal theatergoers? How about a surreal story peppered with bizarre characters, unexpected events and filled with non-sequiturs and homely homilies offered by mild-mannered Minnesotans? Have you been hankering for a camp entertainment in which friends become lovers, fish can talk and the sweet mysteries of life can be found at the bottom of a deep, frozen lake? Well then, have I got a play for you!"

Buzz Center Stage - Highly Recommended

"...All’s well that ends well in a play like this. ‘Eelpout!’ is a precise evocation of the many styles and languages of the varieties of love that dare not speak their name, or perhaps, may not even have a name. Highly recommended, Shattered Globe’s ‘Eelpout!’ runs through May 30, 2026 at Theater Wit in Chicago."

MaraTapp.org - Highly Recommended

"...Call this one an enchanting Minnesota Little Mermaid but with a man. And please think Hans Christian Andersen and not Disney even though the ending is more Disney-happy than Brothers-Grimm-gruesome. Eelpout! is such a delightfully wacky story that it’s fortunate its constantly changing currents carry one along leaving little time to ponder the impossible watery twists and turns it takes."

BroadwayWorld - Recommended

"...The world premiere of Eelpout! concludes Shattered Globe Theatre’s 35th anniversary season at Chicago’s Theater Wit. Founded in 1991, the company has built a reputation for presenting both canonical works and original plays that center on bold, challenging perspectives. A little slow to start, this new comedy ultimately offers a distinct and surprising take on Midwestern masculinity and queer identity."