Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...The hijinks in George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's 1939 farce have antiqued around the edges, but Mary Redmon's eager cast perform them as if they were putting on a world premiere. At its worst, the show mistakenly equates volume with comedy, but the best moments offer a risible throwback to an era of grand silliness."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...The production boasts strong leads in Circle Theatre veterans Jon Steinhagen and Kieran Welsh-Phillips. Steinhagen wisely underplays the sometimes-blowhard Whiteside with a dry delivery, while Welsh-Phillips projects both Maggie's hard-boiled smarts and her vulnerability. They are surrounded by myriad characters, some making merely momentary appearances, and this is where Circle Theatre saves bodies, having 16 actors play 26 roles. Some players are solidly sincere (as they need to be) while others are appropriately oversized (as they need to be), but the body count is not quite enough to fully suggest the growing frenzy within the Stanley manse."
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
"...Oak Park – “The Man Who Came to Dinner” is the funniest play in American drama. There may be a few votes for “The Odd Couple” or “The Front Page,” but the George S. Kaufman-Moss Hart masterpiece stands above them all for its mix of great comic dialogue, exhilarating characters, and clever plotting."
Wednesday Journal - Recommended
"...Circle Theatre's new production, The Man Who Came To Dinner, is hardly a new play. It opened on Broadway 72 years ago in 1939. Written by the team of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, this zany old comedy is still full of laughs. It's also delightfully dated — in a good way. The play is an enduring, cohesive period piece, a charming glimpse into a time just before World War II."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...It’s hard to understand why Circle, with its immensely talented actors, an impressive new space and a stated mission to produce “innovative” theater, would include Kaufman and Hart’s 1939 work in an otherwise interesting season. The play feels archaic, at times awkwardly dated; the referencing of Egypt in the last act offered a telling moment of audience awareness that registered as a missed opportunity."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...With various other out-of-town friends dropping by to see Mr. Whiteside, including Beverly Carlton (Noel Coward) and Banjo (Groucho) – both played wonderfully by Jerry Bloom – there is never a dull moment. The ensemble is strong and acts fly by. I was shocked that nearly three hours had gone by when we left the theatre. The Man Who Came to Dinner is an iconic period piece and the Circle Theatre Company have recreated those halcyon antebellum days to a most enjoyable effect."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Bob Knuth has designed a set that fills the stage and gives the appearance of a large stately home. The costumes by Elizabeth Wislar and lighting by Gary C. Echelmeyer along with the sound design by Peter J. Storms are the icing on the cake. I will also say that Circle should give credit to the props master for this one- there are a great number of hand props as well as unusual other pieces and they are truly well done. This is the 1930′s and even the telegrams appeared to be fitting of that time. Doing this old time comedy is something rare in today’s “theater world” with many theater companies leaving them on the shelf or to the college and community theaters to perform, but Kaufman and Hart need to have players and a director who understand the work to get it just right and Ms. Redmon and her crew did just that!"
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"...The Man Who Came to Dinner proves to be an entertaining show and ends on a hilarious note that keeps the audience laughing as the actors take their bows."
