Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Cerda's tale incorporates several versions of Joan (including one embodied by the playwright himself, of course) to capture the split between Crawford's private and public personas-or at least what her adopted daughter, whose book came out a year after her mother's death, told us about that split. (For what it's worth, several contemporaries of Joan Crawford disputed Christina's account of her childhood, but thanks in part to Dunaway's extravagant performance-one that apparently she came to regret-that's the Joan cemented in the minds of many.)"
Talkin Broadway
- Highly Recommended
"...I have a hard time explaining the appeal of Mommie Dearest to my straight friends. It's a movie about a tormented Hollywood legend (Joan Crawford) who methodically tries to destroy her own daughter but is destroyed herself in the process. And I guess, to me, it's like some weird meta-story about being gay in a straight world, plus a lavish film metaphor for the children of the haughty "Greatest Generation," all trundled together into one bizarre, glamorous 1981 potboiler, based on the best-selling memoir by Christina Crawford."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...The performances are strong across the board, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Greear, who channels Dunaway-as-Crawford's manic intensity to hilarious effect. Joan Crawford Goes to Hell is not a play for everyone, and it doesn't try to be. But that's not to say that Mommie Dearest virgins would not enjoy it; they might wonder why Adult Christina speaks with a Southern accent while Child Christina does not. They don't need to know."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...As Summer in the city slowly draws to a close, Hell in a Handbag is back to provide Chicago theatergoers with one final, funny, far-out and festive comic treat, to which we can toast with a Singapore Sling. It's a bawdy and ballsy production in typical camp Handbag style, with David Cerda's masterful creativity taking centerstage as the queen of the silver screen. At JOAN CRAWFORD GOES TO HELL, one thing is certain: audiences are going to be in for a flaming good time!"
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Hell in a Handbag Productions celebrates its 25th year with a revival of Joan Crawford Goes to Hell, a sharp, mischievous look at the Hollywood icon through the company's signature parody lens. It is truly perfect timing that Handbag's guiding force David Cerda has chosen to do this play in the hellish year of 2026. First staged in 1999 by Sweetback Productions, the show is currently staged at The Clutch with a fresh cast and a renewed appetite for chaos, blending biography, satire, and Crawford's own self-mythologizing into a hypnotic, magnificent, and powerfully funny indictment of one of Hollywood's greatest movie stars. It's a wildly funny show, bristling with the kind of big, brazen laughs that Handbag delivers better than anyone. The premise is simple and delicious: Joan Crawford dies and lands in hell, where she's forced to relive scenes from her life as filtered through daughter Christina's memories, including the indelible Mommie Dearest moments, from the wire hanger tirade to the all-out battle royale between mother and daughter."
Werner's Theatre Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...The golden age of Hollywood is a favorite subject in film and theatre. For their 25th anniversary season, Hell in a Handbag Productions brings a new view of the era with their campy comedy Joan Crawford Goes to Hell. First performed in 1999, Artistic Director David Cerda has made revisions to his script for this season. What is presented at the Clutch’s venue is a hilarious laugh-out-loud comedy for the audience to enjoy, learn more about the famous actress and what is fact or fiction."
