Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...There's exceptional work on display up and down the massive cast, but Allison Latta is a highlight as a force of nature whose homecoming forever upsets the balance of a tightly knit "moral" community."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This play, which at a two-and-a-half hour running time, feels a bit longwinded, is an opportunity to view one of Henrik Ibsen’s early, seldom-produced dramas. The new adaptation gives it a modern feel and this stellar cast makes this production immediate and moving. In today’s world, where the most selfish, wealthiest men are controlling everyone else in this country, with very little regard for anyone else’s welfare, this production speaks to 21st century audiences of a very familiar way of life."
The Fourth Walsh - Recommended
"...I really enjoyed PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY. Although untangling the cast of characters and their relationship to each other proved tough, the story was relevant and timeless. Latta’s slap and exclamation at the end left me hopeful for the real world."
Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Running two-and-a-half hours, Pillars of the Community is a dialogue-rich production heavy with big ideas and little action. Roberts’ performance notwithstanding, Pillars’ messaging about capitalism and the repercussions of leaders acting in their own self-interest gets bogged down by an ending that lacks the emotional payoff one typically expects from Ibsen."
The Hawk Chicago - Recommended
"...While it overstays its welcome a bit, the effort and talent of Strawdog Theatre are well-worth seeing. The world building and immersion of this production are astounding thanks to powerful acting and clever stage design. Despite its issues with pacing and a lackluster ending, Pillars of the Community draws the audience in with its strong cast, interesting character arcs, and powerful thematic presence."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...The inexorable movement of the well-made play becomes a trap for Karston that will spell death for him and his family, unless he can summon the courage to change course at the last minute. As Ibsen grew more comfortable with prose he drifted from the plot-driven well-made-play, but in this instance, he injected the formula with his keen perception of what motivates people to free or destroy themselves. With ideal design and casting, Strawdog's revival is an opportunity to see this play at its full potential."
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...For all its issues in terms of acting and look, the production still manages to pack a punch, thanks to the underlying strength of Ibsen’s story. There’s nothing dated about Karsten’s double-bind situation: that to protect his public honor, he must live a private lie. As Ibsen’s bourgeois hero finally comes to understand, he can be a pillar of rigid order and smothering idealism or an authentic, feeling, flawed human being, but he cannot be both."
