Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Under director Marti Lyons, this Sideshow Theatre ensemble bring Jacobi's riveting tale to life without pulling any punches or muting his message. Sarah Price, in particular, plumbs the depths of her hapless character (loosely based on the real-life victim, also the subject of the 2011 indie Compliance), and moves us in the process."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...Regrettably, there's not enough at stake here to make Mai Dang Lao compelling and unavoidable. But, fully as tight as Steppenwolf's cleaning crew, Sideshow's believable ensemble-Price, Fletcher, Frederick, Tyler Meredith, Andrew Goetten, and Jim Poole (as the voice-over caller)-work well together (even when they're not meant to). Price is especially affecting as an innocent dreamer who's meant for more. But Jacobi sheds no light on the actual event (which has apparently happened more than once). It's just one more case of blue-collar bad luck. No, this is not the future anyone thought they'd get. Welcome to America."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...Mai Dang Lao uses its subjects for dark comedy for seventy minutes, and then attempts to shift into an overwrought, picturesque validation of their suffering at the very end. It's a jarring conclusion, but not one which completely spoils the insights, enjoyment, and drama which came before."
Around The Town Chicago - Not Recommended
"...Upon entering the Richard Christiansen Theater, upstairs at The Biograph,Victory Gardens, one sees a replica of the MacDonald's back on the corner of Fullerton and Lincoln. William Boles must spend a great deal of time there as his detail is superb. I knew that the play, "Mai Dang Lao" dealt with an incident that took place in a fast food restaurant and understood that playwright David Jacobi may have strayed from the actual events to avoid lawsuits and to make his tale more dramatic with some funny moments, here and there."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...This production needs a few adjustments for it to be the biting social drama that David Jacobi intended. Right now it feels like a Twilight Zone episode. It may be the script that needs some changes. It might be the director’s focus and pacing that doesn’t quite build logically toward the frightening climactic turn of events. The story is certainly riveting and the plot becomes unnerving. But, as it now plays, this production is just too strange and confusing, with an unexpected ending that feels almost tacked on."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...Mai Dang Lao is a sinister delight. The subject matter is unpleasant, sometimes shocking, but always realistic. Sadly, I wasn't surprised by the events or their outcome, even before I learned the true story. Thanks to stellar work on everyone's part, this difficult play resonates sharply in a culture that's increasingly distrustful and violent. Go see it!"
Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...The worst offense, however, might be those bloody spotlights and the near-end soliloquy. Oh, that soliloquy. Taking its cues from something resembling metatheatre, the character of Sophie begins to become aware that she’s perhaps a spokesperson for all of America’s sins? Our own sins? Actually, I’m not too sure. Perhaps the director and the playwright weren’t too sure themselves."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The conflict comes to a head when a caller claiming to be the police telephones to accuse Sophie of shortchanging customers, resulting in a vicious interrogation that brings out the Cotton Mather in everyone. The ending, however, is not Arthur Miller but John Milton-enacted with astonishing authenticity of place and person by every member of the cast."
