Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...McCraney writes the richest dialogue of any scribe of his generation, and his Act 1 family scenes are extraordinarily vivid and vital. The performances from those in Shelah's orbit are very strong: Hopper is beautifully nuanced, Ron Cephas Jones and Jacqueline Williams are filled with life, and the young actor Kyle Beltran is one of those guys who can suggest pain, hope and quotidian veracity all at once. The piece dances deliciously for its first hour."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...At the center of “Head of Passes,” the fervent, questioning play by Tarell Alvin McCraney that is now receiving its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre, there is a house that can no longer stand, either literally or figuratively."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...But that's no reason to stay away. For one thing, the kinks are sure to get worked out soon enough. For another, there are plenty of don't-miss performances. Alana Arenas is stunning as Shelah's profoundly troubled daughter, Cookie. Jacqueline Williams applies an expert touch to the obnoxious middle-aged relative, May. Glenn Davis projects a combination of charm, calculation, and the fatal sense of being too clever for his own good as mama's favorite, Aubrey. Chris Boykin radiates the requisite glow as the angel. And Kyle Beltran has an angelic voice as a friend of the family called Crier (though he'll be replaced in that role after May 19). Most important, see this show for the privilege of watching a daring playwright on the verge of a great career."
Centerstage - Recommended
"....Bruce does everything within her power to smooth the transition and in fact is wonderful throughout the entire show. The cast in general is very strong, as is Landau's direction, but Shelah is by far the play's riskiest role. Bruce more than rises to the occasion, she occasionally surpasses it. And even though not all McCraney's ambitions are relaized, "Head of Passes" is still a fine script. That the risks taken this time did not succeed is by no means reason to stop taking them. Quite the opposite. If there were more plays as daring as this one, then theatre would be in fine shape indeed."
Chicagoist - Recommended
"...From the first moments of the play, we learn that Shelah is ready for deliverance, not only from her problematic life but from the guilt that goes along with it. Despite the ever-shifting marshlands beneath her feet, Shelah has rooted herself in her faith - McCraney has built a powerful show around this steadfast woman who has come to terms with suffering. Whether or not Shelah truly deserves it is a question she'll keep asking herself until the answer is no longer relevant."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Time itself seems to telescope as Shelah struggles to hang on to a peace that passes understanding. It's a deep, raw, painful depiction of grief by Bruce as a woman whose faith is a literal life force. And as McCraney cathartically suggests in Shelah's salvation, even the tiniest human connections can contain the divine; sometimes, after all, there's God so quickly."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...McCraney has been a member of Steppenwolf since 2010. Director Tina Landau has been his collaborator on major work since the beginning of his professional career. The ambitious scope of their latest undertaking attests to their deeply sympatico relationship."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...Given the magnificent Cheryl Lynn Bruce’s bravura performance as Shelah, which melds Mother Courage with Mother Teresa, it’s easy to overlook the mind-boggling trust in providence to which she testifies and to simply bathe in the reflected glow of so much hard-won holiness. The drama is billed as an “an interrogation of faith,” but it’s no Book of Mormon – meaning McCraney’s answer is as smug, safe and serene as any sermon delivered to a contented and drowsy congregation. Besides this tour de faith, there’s also a peculiarly Steppenwolf payoff – the first-act finale in which the two-story house cracks open and slumps into a pit (design by David Gallo). Even if McCraney addresses the failings in the writing and concept of this world premiere, you will likely not see such an amazing set in future productions. As for this outing, if you’re ardently attached to the Book of Job, you will not mind Head of Passes half as much as I did. Yes, I felt the pain. But redemption? Not at all."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...In brief, Head of Passes is an ambitious and boldly lyrical examination of faith and the power of prayer. For unlike the more placating sentiments of a standard Sunday sermon, McCraney’s sense of faith is not easily won but rather forged in the depths of misery, and it is a sense of faith from which not even the strident doubter is excluded. For as Kierkegaaard said, “Faith is the highest passion in a man. There are perhaps many in every generation who do not even reach it, but no one gets further.” In this sense perhaps, Head of Passes pushes us all to our limits."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...HEAD OF PASSES is a heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, and soul-stirring experience. It's the type of show that continues to percolate conversation long after the curtain. Aside from the writing, directing and acting, there is also a phenomenal house designed by David Gallo. Initially, it's impressive just to see the details in the depth of the house. Later, Galla's construction is gawk-able."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This is a total production. Every little piece fits to perfection. From the set, the lighting( Scott Zielinski), the costumes (Toni-Leslie James), The sound and original music (Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen) and the crew who handled the movement of many props and set pieces during the show and between the acts"
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...The performances are all well up to the mark. Glenn Davis is outstanding as the high-energy son Aubrey. As Cookie, Alana Arenas gets too little stage time to tell her complex story as the drug addicted, bitter young woman, but she dominates the action during her handful of minutes. James T. Alfred is fine as Spencer, the other son, and Ron Cephus Jones and Kyle Beltran are outstanding as the father and son waiters who have their own family issues. Jacqueline Williams injects sass and humor into the story as Mae. Tim Hopper nails his character of the doctor, a white man comfortable in this black household and genuinely disturbed by Shelah's refusal to take her deteriorating medical condition seriously."
