Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Isaac, a young Chicago actor with a lot of potential, skillfully captures a character who has suddenly been confronted with terrifying depths of human cruelty and that shakes him to the core. And when Langford has the stage, when this fine actress gets the chance to represent the real human pain on the ground, the piece hits you in the gut."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Miller’s play can feel a bit forced at times, but she covers a lot of ground, and like a good working journalist, she knows what she must do to make her story accessible. The subtly angry-sexy scenes between Carlos and Maryka are perfection. And there is fine supporting work by Brian-Alwyn Newland, Eddie Jordan III and Ebony Wimbs. You will not walk away indifferent."
Centerstage
- Highly Recommended
"...Nick Bowling’s 7-member cast, many of whom play multiple characters, is as skilled and powerful as any ensemble found on Broadway or the West End. Gregory Isaac is strong and compassionate as Carlos; Kelli Simpkins brings pluck and determination to Jan. But it is Mildred Marie Langford who, as Hawa, is the heart and soul of this play. As the young, English-speaking Darfuri teacher and gang rape victim, Ms. Langford puts a face onto the hundreds of thousand Sudanese refugees with dignity and valor."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...
An English teacher, Hawa clings to her education as if it were a sacred talisman and the last thing she has left, repeating over and over to herself the name “Lily Bart” (the heroine of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth). Her harrowing, heartbreaking experiences convey what mere facts cannot: the overwhelming disgrace of efforts to snuff out human life."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...This is a face paced, intense work that has powerful visual and deeply personal intensity presents the dilemmas and complexity of warfare in Africa. Kelli Simpkins and Mildred Marie Langford were particularly impressive. Without turning into sentimentality or propaganda, director Nick Bowling finds an effective, bone-riddling staging that brings the horror of violence to our front page. Since the genocide in Darfur continues, this play is both relevant and timely. This is a show with terrific production values and effective acting. Don’t miss this theatrical gem."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...Nick Bowling’s staging is as sensitive to this ethical crisis as is this balanced and brave script, which gains even more verisimilitude from occasional dialogue in Arabic with translations supplied. Mildred Marie Langford plays the all-suffering Hawa with the dignity of Antigone, her unsung courage a contrast to the more human motivations of all around her. Kelli Simpkins is the journalist weighing the human cost of seizing this story against the greater harm of losing it. Despite a bad case of compassion fatigue and humanitarian burn-out, Gregory Isaac’s Carlos stands up for the final right—privacy—of these much hurt I.D.P.s (internally displaced persons). Tyla Abercrumbie provides perspective as Maryka’s editor, her pristine office a contrast to the burning films and projections designed by Mike Tutaj. Ebony Wimbs is poignant as the Sudanese relief worker who becomes collateral damage in this cruel saga."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...This is a Chicago premiere and another production that TimeLine can be proud of. They continue to bring us thought provoking stories that can only be regarded as “think pieces” and reasons for us to want to know more through other sources and discussions with family and friends. This is a stylish production as well with great use of projections and videos ( Mike Tutaj) on a sterling set by Amanda Sweger utilizing this venue’s changeable space to perfection. The music and sound by Andrew Hansen along with the lighting of Nic Jones and Jesse Klug truly makes this a play that should be seen by all. The other cast members, Tyla Abercrumbie,Eddie Jordan III,Brian-Alwan Newland and Ebony Wimbs fill in the other pieces as characters and translators and the fight scenes ( choreographed by Tyler Rich) add a lot of realism to the overall picture that has been painted by Bowling and Miller."
Chicago Theater Beat
- Recommended
"...Yet for all its drawbacks, In Darfur is compelling. Simpkins brings dark humor, an aggressive edge and a reservoir of compassion to the reporter’s role. As Carlos, Gregory Isaac captures the mix of burned out fatalism and stubborn idealism that come of doing good under hellish circumstances. And Langford brings both a gentleness and a steely, survivor’s resolve to a role that is both physically and emotionally demanding."
