Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The pacing grows slack from time to time, but I suspect it will tighten up over the run. The relationship between Balogun’s Monarch and Bell’s Petrushka (who also knows something about parental loss) is quirky without being cloying. By the end, we can believe that Monarch has learned something about reaching out from beyond the books and stories he’s used to cover up the voids in his life to make a deeper connection with unvarnished truth."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Under the skillful and sensitive direction of Tyla Abercrumbie, this Definition Theatre Company production supports the actors' fine performances with evocative visual design, bringing to life the play's poetry as well as its realistic aspects. While the story is rooted in the specifics of its characters and setting, it also speaks to the near-universal experience of the parent-child relationship, a bond of trust sometimes disfigured by well-intentioned deception."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...Director Tyla Abercrumbie does a compelling job at taking us from Philadelphia to the moon and back with gravity forces that allow relationships to manifest themselves back in time. The cast provides a true life narrative of how difficult it can be when you start life already lost in the problematic past of others and the failure to overcome the obstacles they bring."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...“Moon Man Walk” is an 85 minute ( no intermission), that tells us the story of a young man, Monarch (solidly played by Debo Balogun) and his relationships- with his mother, his girlfriend and his father ( well, this one might be better called, lack of relationship). The story is done with lots of flashbacks, but I for one found them a bit dis-jointed and often hard to follow."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...This ensemble of four, which includes Debo Balogun as Monarch, Chanell Bell as Petrushka, Shadana Patterson as Esther and various small characters, and Michael Anthony Rawlins as Kesi and others, works hard to bring these contradictions and tensions that Ijames provides to life."
The Hawk Chicago - Recommended
"...The script, which follows Definition's excellent production of An Octoroon, follows a young man returning to home after his mother’s death. The text touches on several important themes but unfortunately fails to explore any of them in-depth, creating a quite slight (but highly energetic) 85 minutes at the theatre."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...Though the love story between Monarch and Petrushka comes as a bit of a surprise in terms of the script, Bell and Balogun develop a sweet stage chemistry, especially as the audience witnesses Petrushka work to help Monarch through the journey of his grief. In one particularly lovely moment, the two are in Esther's living room listening to her old records, and Petrushka asks Monarch to dance. Though reluctant, he gives in, and the couple shares a moment of peace and fun in the midst of what appears to be the darkest time of Monarch's life. While Balogun's portrayal of Monarch is calm and heartbreaking, Bell's Petrushka is lighthearted, and the two actors create the perfect compliments to each other, helping the audience root for the relationship."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...There are a few moments that stir a light degree of incredulity (Why would a librarian buy books for himself on Amazon? Whose favorite song is "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?) and not all characters are fleshed out equally (Petrushka skews dangerously close to manic pixie dream girl territory). Still, "Moon Man Walk" is winning in its sincere capture of the gravity of intimate relationships, a force enacted on individuals beyond their awareness of it."
