Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...Cox mostly cuts away his usual bluster and forges an interesting fellow who's neither likable nor easy to hate. Brady Fuqua, as his love interest, is nicely ambiguous, even when almost naked. And although Amy Matheny's performance is less layered, it's still credible and, on occasion, moving. Under Joe Jahraus' simple direction, the whole evening, an American premiere, has a foggy, sensual quality."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Under Joe Jahraus' direction, Cox captures a neatly beaten down quality (though he mumbles too much at moments of intimacy), and Matheny comes into her own when her character falls ill. But it is Fuqua who is the revelation here, capturing the play's strange undertow to ideal effect. Cellist William Jason Raynovich provides the stringent music, with Thad Hallstein's pressed flower panels deftly conjuring a modern Eden."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...Thiessen speaks to the process with convincing sensitivity, and his faintly poetic dialogue sets up some strikingly resonant moments. However, the play's clinical-diagnosis framing device and blunt onstage nudity are pretty inert, and even allowing for theater's understood compressions of time, people, and places there are waaay too many coincidences in the piece. But Profiles star Darrell W. Cox, Amy Matheny, and Brady Fuqua are all very good."
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Apple does a wonderful job of taking us through a range of emotions and alliances, and the small, well-crafted set works perfect for various scenes ( home, park, doctor's office ) . The actors are on stage the entire 90 minutes, and this staging makes the audience feel fully engaged during the show--watching the actors in the scene, and watching those looking in from the side."
Chicago Free Press
- Highly Recommended
"...this Profiles cast contains some of the best local talent available. As Andy, Darrell W. Cox continues to prove why he is a Chicago treasure. His eager to please, awkwardly passionate husband and lover comes off as an ultra real phenomenon. In fact, Cox’s every breath seems to pulse with honesty and truth."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...Profiles Theatre located in a store front on Broadway, between Montrose and Irving Park is presenting the American Premiere of Vern Thiessen's "Apple", an 80 minute tale of sex, secrets, memories, and three characters whose lives are connected to each other beautifully directed by Joe Jahraus on this very intimate stage with next to no scenery and very little costuming and props. This is what might be termed as a very simple production that indeed gets to the story and tells it well."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...The performances are immaculate. Amy Matheny tends to dominate the stage because her character is the dominating personality. She sounds and looks like a vengeful harpy for much of the show, but Matheny reveals the woman's heart and her bravery as Evelyn's disease progresses. It's one of the most complete and convincing pieces of acting I've seen in a long time."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...In a Chicago theater tradition as bizarre and regular as Punxsutawney Phil, Profiles leading man Darrell Cox turns in a quietly unsettling and organic performance opposite an excellent ingenue you’ve never heard of before. In the ambiguous (and sexually daring) role of the uncertain other woman, raven-haired Fuqua makes a fine impression."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...Apple has an unusual twist and a cello player (William Jason Raynovich) offering music to accentuate the mood and atmosphere of the piece. This moving play is worthy a visit. Cox and Fuqua are terrific."
