Hatef*ck at The Den Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Well, as the title implies, that initial acrimony gives way to passionate physical and intellectual fireworks. (Kudos to Samantha Kaufman’s inspired intimacy direction.) “It’s not my job to make Muslims human,” Imran declares. “We are human,” Layla retorts. Lew Mirza’s script is loaded with direct-to-the-gut revelations but also subtle moments that tease out the nuances in how Layla and Imran have become the people they are in a place and time that’s all too quick to reduce them to convenient tropes about burqas and bombs."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Despite its shocking and sophomoric title, “Hatef*ck” is a lot deeper and more forceful than one might initially imagine. Brilliant dialogue, wonderful acting, and great direction unite in a vigorous and intriguing performance, having to do with issues of identity and what it means to be a Muslim in the contemporary United States."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Mirza’s plethora of ideas come at the audience so rapidly that they often overwhelm. For the non-Muslim theatergoer it may be difficult to take in and comprehend every detail. But her main themes are pronounced and obvious. Layla is smart in her belief that cliche-ridden novels, like those that Imran writes, are dangerous and contribute to other people’s unfounded fear and misunderstanding of Islam. However, as these two headstrong individuals continue hurling hurtful words at each other, we see evidence that there’s really a fine line between love and hate, and we’re also reminded that opposites do indeed attract."

Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended

"...Still, it leaves its audience-the audience who choose to see it despite the title or maybe because of its titillating nature-with the powerful recognition that there is a lot more going on in Islam than Fatwas and Jihads, which is something we definitely ought to know but too many of us clearly don't."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Director Ishak makes fantastic use of the spartan surroundings by set designer Paloma Locsin, consisting of nothing more than an overstuffed couch and a clothes rack atop a circular stage. The use of different vertical levels during dialogue is Olympian, with scenes where both characters switch positions every other sentence—tumbling over furniture or sprawling on the floor—while not missing a beat of dialogue."