Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Barker's feminism is hard to value amid the strident, scatological, symbol-heavy fulminations of this convoluted drama. A triumph of earnest extremism, Ben Fuchsen and Justin Warren's rampaging staging uses shadow puppets and in-your-face acting to ram home a lot of maddeningly undeveloped arguments."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Try as they might, the cast is at sea at attempting to make something coherent with Barker's dialogue. Directors Fuchsen and Warren don't provide the proper guidance by offering an overarching approach to the material, so we get a mishmash of self-aware comic mugging and serious dramatic acting styles."
Centerstage
- Recommended
"...This production features a youthful, eight-member company brimming with enthusiasm and intensity. Within the tiny confines of the Oracle Theatre every inch of space is utilized and spectacle comes creatively in the form of shadow puppets and blowing fake snow. Often the audience's close proximity creates more discomfort than enjoyment, especially when the crowd is covered in confetti or when a dagger-wielding soldier seems too close for comfort. But if controversial contemporary dramas are your cup of tea, you'll probably enjoy your trip to "The Castle." "
Gapers Block
- Recommended
"...David Steiger's portrayal of engineer Krak is an obvious standout. His grasp of Barker's twisted poetry is impressive and assured, and he delivers each passionate speech with ecclesiastical fervor. Steiger's astuteness is offset by Jason Rice's sloppy, but oddly mesmerizing performance as "honorable" knight Stucley."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...The black-box approach works on the most practical levels. We’re impressed by the directors’ conceit (with credit to set designers Chris Neil and Kristina Carr and lighting designer Sean Campbell) to have the actors rearrange the lighting instruments to suggest the castle’s rise. But aside from Victoria C. Gilbert, who brings an engaging mix of wit and gravitas to the witch Skinner, and Dave Steiger as the architect Krak, the cast is too enamored of broad humor—too much Python, not enough DeMille."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...The Castle demonstrates Oracle Theatre production and staging skills (fine direction by Ben Fuchens and Justin Warren) as well as their ability to stretch the envelop of theatrical boundaries. Kudos to them for their chutzpah in mounting Barker’s weird play. This is both a provocative work and a fun theatrical experience. If you have an appetite for something totally out of the box–get to Oracle Theatre and catch The Castle–it'll widen your outlook as to what theatre can do."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Not Recommended
"...I am convinced Barker in his "Theatre of Catastrophe" mode must have been under the influence of mind altering drugs when he penned this outrageous train wreck of a black and bleak farce. The Oracle cast is really to be admired (or pitied) for laying it all out there and plunging head first into the vast abyss of Barker's absurdist imagination. Co-directors Ben Fuchsen and Justin Warren have come up with a tiny theatre in the round production that plays out like a theatrical lap dance. There is no safety barrier between the actors and audience, and with no fourth wall to break it's pretty much an anything goes bedlam."
Chicago Theater Beat
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The production comes so close to hitting a home run but gets lost at third base. The inherent anger in the text is clearly communicated, and the actors come across as being infatuated with their words. It’s the kind of production with a lot of yelling, and a lot of passion but not a lot of depth. One standout performance comes from Victoria C. Gilbert, who manages to find some truth in Skinner the Witch. Although a lot of the show does not work, she’s got a powerful presence, especially in the killer second act."
