Leaving Iowa at Royal George Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...For better or worse, this is Mitch Albom territory -- folksy sentiment writ large. But unlike some of Albom's best sellers, "Leaving Iowa" has genuine charm and humility. It knows what it is -- a simply structured homegrown comedy and a celebration of the oft-unappreciated parenting skills of the so-called Greatest Generation -- and it lives as happily in its own warm skin as an ear of corn ripening along Interstate 80 on an August afternoon."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...You don't have to be the child of a small-town Iowa couple living in the midst of hog farms and cornfields to identify with everything about "Leaving Iowa," the simultaneously hilarious and touching play by Tim Clue and Spike Manton that is now in the intimate confines of the Royal George Theatre's cabaret space."

SouthtownStar - Recommended

"...Directed by Clue, the show works on many levels. First, it's a very funny play. Here we have Bradley Armacost — one of the best comedic actors in the city — playing Dad with the kind of deadpan, understated humor that is a scream."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Multilayered performances just barely keep the gags from feeling tired. And beyond the somewhat cliched premise is the son's genuine sense of mourning, for his father, for his childhood, and for our nation's loss of its heartland to chain stores and parking lots. Try as you might not to be manipulated into nostalgic twinges, don't be surprised if Leaving Iowa gets you in the end."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...Leaving Iowa grows on you as it meanders its way into your heart. If you stay with the show, the many repetitive car scenes, Leaving Iowa ultimately satisfies as a ‘feel good’ comedy. A quicker pace and some cuts would allow Leaving Iowa to emerge as a wonderful show. As presented, Leaving Iowa echoes “Are we there yet?” as a truism. If Leaving Iowa was a 90 minute piece, dad would say his famous, “You betcha!” with a confident smile."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...Anyone who spent much time traveling in their youth will relate to the memories evoked by "Leaving Iowa". Set Designer Grant Sabin wraps us in an idyllic panoramic postcard of the American heartland. And the five-member cast splendidly fills their American Gothic-style roles."