Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Schwimmer, who obviously has a particularly tough challenge vanishing into his ensemble of old, turns in a poignant, richly textured and demonstrably heartfelt performance as George Gibbs. I've seen a fair bit of Schwimmer's post-"Friends" stage-work in London and New York and I've never seen him better."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Thornton Wilder's charming yet haunting play grew out of the Great Depression (it debuted in 1938) and clearly was devised to make audiences ponder the ineffable and altogether mysterious nature of human existence -- that notion of being and nothingness that we are continually aware of, but which we are hard-wired to ignore, simply because dwelling on it would make life all but impossible."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Giving the play shadings of middle-aged regret may be an imposition, but it jibes with Wilder’s theme of impermanence. The conceit isn’t the problem; the problem is that it remains undeveloped. The production actually loses its potentially fruitful elegiac quality as it closes in on death. Though the quotidian first act is lovingly evoked, the heavier second and third acts often seem bloodless and safe."
Examiner
- Highly Recommended
"...Our Town allows audiences – albeit for a brief, shining moment in time- to “realize life while they live it.” If that all sounds like movie-of-the-week mush, rest assured it isn’t. Shapiro and Thebus have crafted an 'Our Town' that provides an achingly vivid view of the world in all its wonders."
Windy City Times
- Recommended
"...the Lookingglass production is earnest, respectful, unshowy, capably acted, beautifully lit and entirely pleasant. But it's neither particularly distinguished nor distinctive except, perhaps, in certain elements of design, such as designer Janice Pytel's natural toned linen and cotton costumes for everyone, which give the show a very summery feel."
Chicago Free Press
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The worst case is David Schwimmer, easily a quarter century too old to play 16-year-old George Gibb, a misfire made worse by Schwimmer’s tendency to dumb down George into a goofy, dopy dreamer full of teenage angst and sullen self-pity. Less forced and more focused, Laura Eason’s Emily fares better, especially in the powerful third act when she returns to her 12th birthday. Merely going through the paces, Joey Slotnick may look fine as the all-important Stage Manager and narrator. But his illustrated lecture, especially in Wilder’s rhapsodic apotheosis, is perfunctory to bland; there’s little sense of wonder at the mundane miracles he describes."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...The performances by this stellar cast are all powerful and in reality, the actors and the direction taken outweigh the "dated" script of Wilder. They are strong enough to keep the audience into the story. This is an ensemble theater company, doing a play written for ensemble- done to perfection."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...The Lookingglass Theatre is reviving Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” in a warm, honest production. Audiences with a special affection for the play will be well satisfied. Those who reject the play as a slice of saccharine and bogus nostalgic Americana with pretentious philosophical overtones may be converted into the Wilder camp."
Centerstage
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The approach has drawbacks. The show doesn’t have enough theatrical excitement, and the generally reflective mood made the intensely emotional moments in the third act feel like they came from nowhere. The production is not thrilling or devastating, but it is quietly moving—and that’s a genuine achievement."
Chicago Stage Review
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Without reaching the emotionally evocative potential of the script, we are left with a lovely cover of a famous old song. With the exception of a remarkably delightful rendering of Rebecca Gibbs by Louise Lamson and a compelling stage manager portrayed by Joey Slotnick, the band does it justices, but by no means makes it their own."
Time Out Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The marketing line on this revival is that the reunion of so many longtime ensemble members would bring with it an onstage chemistry unattainable through artificial means. Strangely, the most marked aspect of this production is a seeming lack of connection among the actors; it’s the reunion itself that seems artificial."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...The sense of community and family, with strong ethics and much toleration of the human condition, come across powerfully despite being under played. The third act vividly gets us to understand the ultimately value of living each moment of each day to the fullest—something that we lose sight of in our fast paced world. It teaches us to appreciate the wonders of our lives, no matter how small. Our Town is a classic that Lookingglass Theatre respectfully presents. It is a fine ensemble piece worth seeing."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...Joey Slotnick's genial, low key portrayal of the Stage Manager anchors the production in an honest and unadorned ensemble ethic. Slotnick's pantomime of making an ice cream sundae is so real I was ready to ask for a third spoon. Even Chicago's favorite Friend and Lookingglass founder David Schwimmer melds himself effortlessly into the ensemble."
