Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The playwright Donnetta Lavinia Grays was raised in Columbia, South Carolina, but now bases herself in Brooklyn, New York. And in her play “Last Night and the Night Before,” the southland comes knocking on the door of New York, child along, for what turns out to be a very difficult ride."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...In Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ intensely plotted family drama “Last Night and the Night Before,” cracks between siblings, parents, children and partners become fractures, then fissures and, ultimately, abysses as deep and wide as the River Jordan. But as the chasms grow ever larger, so does the love binding those on opposite sides. So do the lengths they will travel to save each other."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Nor is filial love a refuge, as Sam tries to please both parents, be unobtrusive to her aunts, and define herself independently all at once. So many currents and crosscurrents risk leaving the audience at sea, but Valerie Curtis-Newton's sharp direction creates a through line, so the incidents and relationships are reinforcing rather than muddling. Every character receives a fully rounded and lived-in portrayal, and the motif of childhood hand-clap chants leavens what otherwise would be too dense an examination of how pain is passed down like a broken double helix."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...Last Night And The Night Before perfectly blends wit and intense emotions that will have you on the edge of your seat watching this two-hour play, with one intermission, filled with sibling rivalries, secrets, lies, love, and disappointments. You will be emotionally drained but glad you witnessed this flawless production by the exceptional playwright Donnetta Lavinia Grays. It will definitely be one of our yearly top ten plays and is a Must-See!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Valerie Curtis-Newton knows this script very well. She guided the original Colorado play-reading as well as its first fully-staged performances. In an excellent production at Steppenwolf, she directs this Chicago premiere of Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ play with authority and care. Staged upon Regina Garcia’s superbly detailed scenic design, that depicts, at once, both the rural and urban settings, and exquisitely lit by Mary Louise Geiger, with sound by Larry Fowler, this is another polished production by this much-respected company. Peppered with moments of much appreciated humor, the play, which is filled with mystery and amour, will touch audiences with its tenderness."
Buzznews.net - Recommended
"...In my opinion, Donnetta Lavinia Grays' "Last Night...." suffers from a lack of a clear antagonist. There are some beautiful lines and certain scenes are precious, but it lacks a certain dramatic immediacy. Other than Sam, we never spend enough time to truly care for these characters. They seem to have it all figured out anyway, after all, the real problem is buried. The rest is just life."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Last Night and the Night Before at Steppenwolf Theatre is a tale of complex family relationships crippled by drug use and violence—but with love as the overriding theme. Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ play, directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, features two sisters, one married and barely getting by with her husband and daughter in Georgia, the other living in Brooklyn with her female partner, both of whom have professional careers."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...LAST NIGHT AND THE NIGHT BEFORE is a moving portrait of a Black family navigating a pivotal moment of transition. By centering the play on ten-year-old Sam, Grays has devised an anchoring device that garners empathy but also really emphasizes that liminal state between childhood and adulthood. While part of Sam is eager to grow up and become a young woman, another part of her-the one that loves playing hand games and hugging stuffed animals-wants to stay young. Likewise, the adults in the play look back on their younger days with nostalgia but must contend with the harsh, complex realities of adulthood."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This is a tightly structured drama that keeps its many layers together. Those layers cross geography, generations, family and sexual tensions, but playwright Grays gives us a full and convincing portrait of a family that works against great odds to stay together and give its members the support and tough love they need."
