Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Ronan Marra's somnolent direction would be the culprit. The show needs some giddyap, but boy, oh boy, this production takes its time and moseys at it own pace; every moment has another moment of its own. Reverential awe tends to suck the life out of anything, and in this case Marra comes awfully close to losing the goodwill of his audience."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...The Signal Ensemble production casts its spell from the start, as a young but wonderfully old-timey trio of musicians (Jason Adams, Elizabeth Bagby and Nathan Drackett), sings classic American folk tunes that easily conjure the Depression era, and the Georgia cotton mill town where McCullers' story unfolds. And it is sustained to the bitter end as we hear the final words of the Narrator (Vincent L. Lonergan, who beautifully sets the tone throughout with his pitch-perfect performance)."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Albee captures the folkloric, even epic, quality of McCullers's tale about a twisted love triangle involving Miss Amelia, the mannish moonshiner who runs the town's cafe; Lymon, a freakish "brokeback" who stirs her affections; and Marvin Macy, the roughneck who falls for Amelia and then vows vengeance when she rejects him. Ronan Marra's well-acted, beautifully designed staging balances gothic grotesquerie, dark comedy, melancholy lyricism, and shocking violence, and live music enhances the atmosphere."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...there's more to McCullers' piece than atmosphere, and that's where Albee comes in—or doesn't. Core characters are in place, but not necessarily intact. There are two pivotal actions that define the action in McCullers' story, both involving Amelia, the proprietor of the Sad Café. Albee's presents them minus emotional background. So it is that Amelia's marriage and her decision to take in a "brokeback" stranger who claims to be a cousin make about as much sense as if the brokeback decided to fly to the moon in the final scene."
Chicago Free Press
- Recommended
"...Capturing McCuller’s alternately brooding and sleepy atmosphere, Ronan Marra’s music-rich revival fully conveys the claustrophobia that throws these loners together and ultimately forces them apart. Despite some lackadaisical pacing as torpid as if Dixie’s humidity weighed it down, McCuller’s grasp of the mystery of love creates a very pensive plot. Invigorating it throughout, Vincent R. Lonergan, a fervent narrator, seems fascinated by his talespinning, as if he can’t wait to know what’s next."
Centerstage
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Signal Ensemble Theatre's intimate basement production at the Chopin Theatre comes complete with a live band performing American classics. The script is guided by a charming narrator (Vincent L. Lonergan), who provides a running synopsis of the action unfolding on stage. While informative, this narration does impede the momentum of the play, highlighting moments where Albee's adaptation suffers in comparison to the original text."
Time Out Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Marra’s assured direction serves the text well. Scenic designer Melania Lancy once again proves adept at solving the puzzle of the Chopin basement with a handsomely rendered general store, and a live three-piece band backs a very capable cast led by Simone Roos’s dynamic, nuanced Amelia. Aaron Snook as Cousin Lymon delivers a physically impressive performance, though his vocal affectations cause some of his lines to be lost (a problem shared, to a lesser extent, by much of the cast)."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...Amelia and Marvin’s relationship becomes a weird love triangle when Lymon bonds with Marvin against Amelia. So many questions and plot holes weaken the show. The production values and the excellent ensemble acting together with the terrific live folk music were enough for me to enjoy this troubled work."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Recommended
"...Director Ronan Marra has assembled a strong cast of actors to bring this strong story to life on the very small stage of the Chopin downstairs, and Melania Lancy's set gives us the small town general store/cafe feeling. The story is about Miss Amelia, the owner of the general store in town, a strong woman who has the best liquor around. She is a loner, until one day a strange hunchback arrives and as it turns out is her cousin. Aaron Snook, who I am sure found it difficult to work in this position and utilize the canes, did so very realistically and gave a solid performance."
