Hot 'N' Throbbing at Raven Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Some of the story frankly strains credulity, and Clyde is a depressingly standard-issue redneck. A level of horror-film impatience takes over at times — you may want to yell "For God's sake, get out of the house already!" In fact, a couple of patrons did leave midshow the night I attended, loudly declaiming on their way out that "This isn't entertainment!" But then, that is one of Vogel's points — the lines between pleasure and danger, past and present are not always immediately visible to us. Despite some of the more cliched aspects of the script, this taut and hair-raising production marks the newish Interrobang as a company to watch."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"... It's only with the arrival of Charlene's abusive ex-husband (brutish yet somehow sympathetic Matthew David Gellin) that a secondary theme—the home as a minefield of sex and violence—comes powerfully to the fore. Jeffry Stanton's staging for Interrobang Theatre Project is tense, volatile, and raw from start to finish, helping to mask the script's uneven tone and position-paper take on sexual power dynamics."

Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Vogel’s script takes an unflinching look at the relationship between erotic entertainment and domestic violence. In Charlene’s imagination, she’s able to tame Clyde with sex, but when her husband takes control of the story, brutality replaces sensuality. As fantasy and reality bleed together, the lines between stimulation and sadism are blurred. Violently knocking each other around the room or straddling each other on the living room floor, Hall and Gellin have scintillating chemistry. The script constantly questions who is in command; as the production barrels to its shocking finale, it’s clear Stanton and his impeccable cast are in complete control."