Merge Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite being an enthusiastic buyer of their consoles, there was a lot about Atari I didn't know until I saw this aptly low-budget show, which is performed by a potentially capable ensemble cast and directed, with some clever ideas but not enough consideration for truth, by Andrew Hobgood. One theme that Davis teases out beautifully is that Atari's main economic problem came from consumer's resistance to updating hardware every year or two. Once people had bought a console, they expected to be able to use it for ever."
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
"...Atari's rise and fall is one of the iconic cautionary tales of the computer era. Founded in 1972, the company built the video game industry on such mesmeric amusements as Pong, Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Centipede-growing exponentially before imploding in the early 80s. Spenser Davis's new play tells the tale in formidable, often fascinating detail, from primitive antecedents through creative thefts, fateful buyouts, and clueless managers to the arrival of Nintendo in 1985."
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
"...The show’s best moments and performances are its calmest and quietest. Pearlman steals every single scene she’s in as the droll, sarcastic Patti, as does Omer Abbas Salem as a slimy WB exec named Manny. With the rise and fall of Atari, Merge has a great story to tell. It’s just hard to hear it sometimes over all the racket."
NewCity Chicago- Somewhat Recommended
"...“Merge” is as much about choosing what world you want to live in as it is about the history of video gaming. In that regard, this play needs to pick what kind of a world it is in: a zany, yet dramatically grounded historical comedy or an elevated adventure where the possibilities are endless."