Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean Reviews

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...To say Bryn Magnus has a way with words is like saying Lake Michigan is wet. This show, now on view at Chicago Dramatists on Chicago Avenue until September 23, is a transcendent reflection on relationship, on yearning, on what noted couples therapist Terry Real calls normal marital hatred and it is a manifesto on the insecurity of making art with a sidebar to the Imposter Syndrome. It was real, hysterically funny, heartbreaking and artfully crafted, revealing itself like a poetic novel."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Everybody has a different sense of humor, and good comedy is hard to write. I've never been all that fond of the Woody Allen style of comedy, and this new play "Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean" by Bryn Magnus falls into this genre: where the lead is a Jewish man who suffers from neurosis if not outright narcissism. He questions himself and his abilities and, in so doing, turns people surrounding him topsy-turvy with his obsessions. The underlying story neatly captures the angst of what it means to be a writer and putting words down on a page; it also fleshes out the trials and tribulations inherent to becoming a professional singer on stage. But what could happen if these two talented persons happen to be husband and wife?"

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...There is a particularly painful and insightful moment at the end of the first act which reminds us that, in an intimate relationship, neurosis can be contagious. There are a number of other surprises and revelations in this twisty play, as well as some violence that's visited upon the stubborn and irritating but dedicated and deeply faithful Paul. It's difficult to say much more about Moon Under the Ocean without giving away some crucial plot turns, but it's a deep and thought-provoking evening of theatre, complete with original music inspired by the Hurrian Hymn, or the "ur-song," the oldest melody known to humankind, discovered in cuneiform inscriptions on shards of clay tablets dating back to the 14th Century B.C."

Buzz Center Stage - Recommended

"...At first I wasn't digging "Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean," Bryn Magnus' two act play premiering at Dramatists Theater in Chicago. It opens with Paul (Jeffrey Bivens is excellent) sitting beside Vera's (Julia Williams) desk as she reels off brief descriptions of a scene in a coffee shop--but we're not sure why. Is it details for a camera shoot? A cinematographer's script? As Vera flies through the descriptions in a dull monotone, reading many of them with time stamps, Paul fidgets and jumps in and out of his chair."

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"...Director Jenny Magnus keeps things simple in order to keep the focus on her actors. Apart from slides announcing the titles of the scenes, there is nothing unusual in her production. Two seating areas—a dining room table and a desk—indicate whether the scene takes place in the apartment or in the PI’s office, and generally only one area is lit at a time by designer Stefan Brun. The titles also tell the audience when scenes will involve flashbacks, which illustrate the long and happy relationship between Leslie and Paul, who once (apparently) was as free-form as his wife."