Love and Understanding Reviews

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...This 1997 play by Brit Joe Penhall occasionally shows its age (landlines? pagers!), yet offers a timeless study of a love(less) triangle. Freud required three to play out his family romance, and here it's all we need for drama that is surprising even in its predictability. Michael Woods is mesmerizing as Richie, the archetypal narcissist/addict. His bulbous eyes radiate charisma and vulnerability, need and terror—this is the sort Kerouac meant when he wrote of "the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time.""

Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...The cast of three are all able actors. The story is about a young couple, both Doctors,  Neal ( Joel Reitsma) and Rachel ( the enchanting Stella Martin) who share their lives and an apartment/Flat in London. They are overworked and underfed ( when it comes to sharing their lives) when an old friend comes to visit. Richie ( deftly handled by Michael Woods) has just lost his girlfriend and is a druggie who over the years has always been able to manipulate Neil to get what he wants. In this case, it is more than money and drugs or even a place to stay, but in fact, Rachel that is on his short list of things that he should have, that Neal does."