It Is Magic Reviews
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...Even as the proceedings seem to take a metaphysical (or perhaps mythological) turn, Maher never slackens the tension between silly and serious and never allows his characters to stoop to cheap laughs or gratuitous dramatics. There isn't a second when there's any doubt that any of these people don't believe in what they're doing. A very earnest question is at the heart of this play, the question every artist must ask sooner or later: how and why do you go on in the face of overwhelming indifference?"
Third Coast Review- Recommended
"...If It Is Magic sounds like it has a lot of inside-theater about it, never fear. Yes, theater folk will especially enjoy it (the call-back joke, “acting is a trick”), but if you’re enough of a theater fan to read this review this far, you will too. It’s not a perfect play but it’s a guaranteed 95 minutes of theatrical pleasure with a very clever script and excellent performances by all five actors."
NewCity Chicago- Somewhat Recommended
"...While the magic is very real (an undeadening that shocked me awake) and the script well-conducted, there is a lack of specificity in the rules of the universe and the journey of its characters. Despite having clearly marked story beats and sharply delivered humor, the live experience felt blobby between those measures and would bottleneck at moments of tension into a starkly visioned piece of theater."