Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...“My life was like an iceberg. You could only see a little part,” the boy says. Though its own ambiguities sometimes threaten to sink the story, “For the Loyal” still provides a sometimes-compelling portrait of how abusers operate in a system that would prefer to remain blind to sexual abuse."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...While dramatically contrived, the approach gives Blessing free reign to raise any number of thorny, discomfiting issues (like how a well-reasoned decision to hustle may make a teen something more than a simple victim). At the same time, Blessing reduces Toby to a moral imbecile and gives Mia no choices beyond violence or silent capitulation. Still, the rich performances in director James Yost’s production make for an engaging, disturbing evening."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Exhortations to be "loyal, brave and true" are commonplace in songs designed to rally the troops—military, religious or athletic—but what happens when the actions spurred by these values come into conflict? This is the query posed in this Chicago premiere play by the prolific Lee Blessing."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Though it seems to require indulging in heavy-handed dramatic manipulation, Blessing — and Interrobang co-artistic director James Yost — trigger some abrasive questions about the virtue of any loyalty that takes truth hostage. However hypothetical, the character clashes are believable — enough to stir in onlookers that painful, powerful, all-defining question, “What would you do?” And also “loyal to what?”"
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Lee Blessing's play "For the Loyal" was completed in 2015, several years before the #MeToo Movement began. But the piece, receiving its Chicago premiere as part of Interrobang Theatre Project's RAW Series, in which plays are stripped of their classic stage elements so that the emphasis is put upon the script itself, could not be more timely or welcomed as a viable springboard to initiate discussion. Interrobang Co-Artistic Directors Georgette Verdin and James Yost have made a bold and emphatic choice in bringing Blessing's well-constructed and intriguing work to Chicago audiences."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This production fulfills Interrobang’s promise. It’s raw. It jettisons the story directly to the forefront, stripped of fancy scenery and costumes. Lee Blessing’s play is powerful and often difficult to experience, but it’s given a production full of power and passion that explores the current #MeToo movement from a different point of view."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...As Blessing winds and blends alternate realities throughout the play, we find ourselves asking Interrobang's thematic question again and again: what is the truth here? Since this is part of their RAW series, the tech is minimal, but Yost brings out the kind of performances from his actors that make it easy to immerse anyway. And in a glorious final silent moment, he allows Gise to remain alone onstage pondering her future, the look on her face speaking volumes. If you are a fan of great writing, powerful acting, and moral complexity, see For the Loyal. It will not disappoint you."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...While some moments in Interrobang Theatre Project’s production are stronger than others, the ideas underneath the piece are what will continue to rattle through your head long after curtain call. And at only 78 minutes, For the Loyal’s deep dive into self-interest and misplaced loyalties is certainly a ticket worth considering."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Against the customs of the court and the media, Blessing’s interpretation directs its attention to Mia and the children (three boys, all played by the chameleonic Richard David) rather than the perpetrator. As the only woman—and pregnant, at that—Mia is tasked with rising from righteous fury to hysteria when her husband, led by the bombastic head coach Hale (Josh Zagoren), does nothing. The boys complicate the incident with their own narratives of neglect, shame, guilt, anger and desire."
