Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...A “Mockingbird” is dead without a great kid as Scout and Heffernan’s fantastic performance does, among so much else, the one thing it must do at all costs: it shows us a great American girl who is being well prepared to improve her country."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The ensemble are uniformly superb, and child actors Caroline Heffernan (Scout), Bubba Weiler (Jem), and Zachary Keller (Dill) are strikingly honest and direct in their portrayals. Lee's theme--the struggle between individual conscience and the prejudice of the majority--is stirring and timely."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"...Steppenwolf is always good at delivering smart, and "Mockingbird" doesn't fall short of expectations. The brutally unfair treatment of a black man is a metaphor for intolerance, and Scout's fearless confrontations with town members (from the men stirring up trouble outside Robinson's jail to outcast Boo Radley) demonstrate how parents teach acceptance (or not)."
Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended
"...I cannot imagine a more quintessential American story than To Kill A Mocking Bird and I cannot imagine a more remarkable telling of it than Steppenwolf Theatre’s beguiling production."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Gordon’s production is lovely and efficient, marked by Philip R. Smith’s unsentimental portrayal of Atticus and remarkably assured performances by Heffernan and Weiler, with strong support from the large ensemble. But what’s perhaps most striking is the story’s throbbing contemporary relevance. “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience,” Atticus says. Fifty years on in America, sadly, those words are still necessary to hear."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Atticus, the lawyer, becomes the kids hero as he stand for justice, integrity and fair play in a world steeped in ignorance and racism. Atticus has taught his children to be fair minded so they see the trial as a mockery of justice. Director Hallie Gordon uses Christopher Sergel’s dramatization of Lee’s novel most effectively to both present the atmosphere of rural life and the deep seeded racial prejudice present in America. This coming of age story vividly depicts injustice and tolerance. It serves as a powerful experience that young adults will relate to. The production values shine with players such as Larry Neumann, Jr. and Phillip R. Smith and the outstanding young talents bring to life Lee’s watershed novel. Hopefully, Steppenwolf will fill the house with students to witness a moving piece of theatre."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...Despite its small flaws, this is an incredibly important story, and one that families would do well to share. Families should be aware that this is no Disney film, and if your children are young, there might be some questions after it's all over. Then again, perhaps that is the perfect reason to bring them to this show. Scout often has questions about serious matters, and Atticus unflinchingly answers them as best he can. So it seems that "To Kill a Mockingbird" has lessons for us all."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The story , while about racism, is really more. It is about values and doing what is best for all. Atticus Finch is a man who is not trying to turn the world upside down or to be a crusader that will change the world. he only wants what is fair and just and for sure wants his children to learn from what he does. As he telles them, if you want to judge a man, try walking in his shoes. Then you will know what is just and fair. As we look at what took place some 75 years ago, in a novel that is celebrating 50 years itself, we see that some of the same challenges still exist today. The beauty of this story is that it helps to remind us that it does still exist and that by allowing our youngsters to read or view this work, perhaps, in the future, people may look at this story and try to imagine that events such as this could ever have taken place. Ms. Lee, never wrote another novel, but we should be thankful that the one she did write has left a message for eternity!"
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...If you want to introduce your children to drama, Steppenwolf’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a good start. Most seventh and eighth grade children have already read the book, so it’s safe to say the content is age appropriate for young teenagers. However, younger children may find the themes of murder and rape to be too adult."
