'Night, Mother Reviews

Daily Herald - Recommended

"..."'night, Mother" is an eloquent, ultimately wrenching play that is not for everyone. Yet I found its depiction of quiet despair deeply resonant during this time of heightened anxiety. And while suicide underpins the drama, "'night, Mother" is not about suicide, at least not entirely."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...None of this is overtly present in Norman's script, which featured white actors (Anne Pitoniak as Thelma and Kathy Bates as Jessie) in its Broadway premiere. But this production shows us how the meaning of a script can change by changing the representation of the characters. "

Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended

"...Director Diane Sintich embroiders a tense real-time drama about this mother-daughter relationship in Marsha Norman's 1982 play, 'night, Mother, for Invictus Theatre Company. Jessie (Courtney Gardner), divorced and depressed, calmly tells her Mama Thelma (Takeisha Yelton Hunter) about her plan to commit suicide tonight. Over the course of the evening, Jessie goes over all the requirements of running the house, cleans out the refrigerator, straightens up her bedroom, folds laundry and reassures her mother that she indeed loves her. But she can't bear to live any longer. Jessie has suffered from epilepsy since childhood. ("They're seizures, Mama, not fits!") She also has untreated depression."

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"...There is something marvelously compact about Marsha Norman's 'Night Mother, a play that begins with a grown daughter informing her mother that she will be killing herself before the night is over. Its dialogue structure and simple, clear emotional content make it a nearly perfect choice for a video presentation in a pandemic, and Invictus Theatre and director Diane Sintich bring it to life in a Zoom production that, though marred by overzealous editing, features two honest, wrenching performances that will break your heart."

PicksInSix - Recommended

"...Both Yelton-Hunter and Gardner expertly navigate the virtual challenges of the medium to deliver poignant performances. Gardner’s empathy, mixed with the single-minded enthusiasm of a person who is preparing for a vacation from which she will never return, is in sharp contrast to Yelton-Hunter’s pragmatic efforts to understand the true relationship between a mother and her daughter."

Picture This Post - Recommended

"...At the root of this play is a story about a mother and daughter - one full of love, but also pain. Talk of mortality and impending time clock breaks down barriers -unleashing pure honesty to pour out. Norman's script takes dark turns; however, there are also moments of hope and comedy, letting us feel the joy in this mother/daughter relationship."

Playtime - Highly Recommended

"...Tekeisha Yelton-Hunter and Courtney Gardner both offer devastating performances in this Zoom production: Each woman embodies her role without giving way to excess. Gardner is particularly effective in her portrayal of Jessie, a woman who is simply tired of the struggle of living and who concludes that ending her life is preferable to continuing."