Luther at Steep Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...Lipton, a writer with promise, reveals information very slowly and deliberately, with a notable economy, given the outlandish overall gestalt. But that crucial sense of progression is what this production seems to miss. Although the show is intermittently entertaining - and revealing - on a moment-by-moment basis, it just does not come with an arc you can grasp. Instead of a sense of increasing dislocation, we get a staccato chop that leaves one adrift and, on occasion, bored. "Luther" needs a highly disciplined production, although it's not hard here to imagine all the temptations to the contrary."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...When all three go to Walter's office party, Walter flirts with a coworker, Marjorie laments being a freelancer, and Luther acts out, landing in jail (chained, no less) and facing the possibility of being put down. If Lipton's point is that combat turns people into wounded animals, he wastes a lot of time making it. And if an astute director like Joanie Schultz can't make the satire cohere, it probably can't be done."

Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended

"...At the end of the day, Luther is two plays not particularly well integrated nor developed. One is about the complexities of social interactions - including Marjorie and Walter's marriage - and the other is about returning war vets and their struggles. Lipton has a knack for dry understated humor, clearly seen in lines like, "You smell hungry" and "He really is the kindest soul you ever met; He makes birthday cards from scratch, he loves radio." But its witty dialog and intricate relationships can't make up for what the play lacks thematically. And these elements certainly can't make up for the puppets."

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Somewhat Recommended

"...In it's best moments, LUTHER is this catalyst for random acts of kindness. Schultz pulls out moments of simple goodness from the complex story. Each character has a good deed moment that goes awry. As the focal point of attention, Michael Salinas (Luther) endears with a quiet vulnerability. Watching Salinas go from gentle lap dog to attack is disturbing."