How To Live On Earth presented by Chimera Ensemble at Flat Iron Arts Building

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...In short vignettes, each candidate is seen with his or her loved ones as they prepare to leave. These scenes are funny and poignant in equal measure because these are perhaps the last times these people will ever see one another. You don't have to go to outer space to make your life mean something, the play seems to say, but the threat of such a trip sharpens one's idea of what truly matters. Gwendolyn Wiegold directed."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...Audiences recalling the recent Redtwist production of Kaufman's Sagittarius Ponderosa will be relieved to find the author employing a less abstract narrative this time, with expressionistic effects limited to a few flourishes of the light board. Gwendolyn Wiegold's direction of the tightly-focused Chimera cast downplays the premise's credibility-straining technological dimensions to highlight the emotional conflicts, making the question most likely to be debated in post-show discussions whether it's better to seek happiness where you already are ( looking to a spontaneous road-trip vacation for satisfaction of wanderlust, for example ) or to abandon everything dear to you in search of a specious utopia."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...At 90 minutes with no intermission, the story functions like a short story, a format ideally suited to science fiction. If you dig in too deep into the premise, you may start to see the seams of the story. Why would such an important mission be staffed by essentially the same process as American Idol? Wouldn't they just pick a group of gifted scientists with no ties on Earth for obvious reasons? But because of the short run time, those are questions that really only bubble up after the show. In the moment, How to Live on Earth is a charming and interesting meditation on ambition and the search for a sense of belonging."

Buzznews.net - Recommended

"...Director Gwendolyn Wiegold has drawn a very consistent level of performance from these nine actors, allowing the essence of Kauffman's intriguing story to come through in this 90 minute show with no intermission. The fresh style and youthful energy of this cast are well worth seeing and we recommend you not miss the chance."

The Hawk Chicago - Recommended

"...Overall, the quality of the writing and unique setting generally offset the inconsistent acting. It is highly likely that the questions posed in the narrative will resonate with the balancing acts we do every day on Earth. If the concept intrigues you and you'd like to explore the human, emotional cost of such a grand ambition, then this show comes recommended and is well worth your time. (Ryan Moore)"

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"...How to Live on Earth argues that big dreams are needed for the species to survive, but it also shows the sacrifices that must be made by the dreamers, who give up their lives or parts of their lives in an effort to do something meaningful. Maybe, it tells us, life would be better if we allowed ourselves to find our joy in the lives we are already living."

NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...How could a play about settling Mars barely touch on the moral issue of whether such a vast effort means abandoning Earth to its man-made, climate-altered fate? Perhaps, in this Young Adult-toned work, such a question is too much of a downer. Instead, the play focuses on lovers’ quarrels, parental disapproval, sibling rivalry and other sitcom staples as the four candidates await word of their acceptance or rejection into the mission. Millennial stereotypes abound as the characters whine and pose through the brief, rapid-fire scenes. The monotony is punctuated by out-of-body moments of cosmic longing, marked by David Goodman-Edberg’s dramatic blue lighting and Steve Labedz’s eerie sound effects."