Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...Right from the get-go, the dialogue is recognizably Mamet, with lines like, "I know a guy who ate a chair, just 'cause nobody stopped him." Director G.J. Cederquist has assembled a first-rate cast that slips into this grease-stained, rough-hewn milieu as if they've lived it their whole lives, including Sean Bolger as a veteran seaman with regrets a mile long, and Peter Moore as his colorfully embittered shipmate. Moody much? You bet. Funny, too. These are hyper-sensitive galoots who perceive slights and insults around every corner, and it is their flaws that make them so intriguing. Isn't that always the way with Mamet?"
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Director G.J. Cederquist has found some terrific local character actors, with many weathered faces among them, to play the seven salty roles in this 85-minute drama. And Nick Horst is just right as the eighth fellow — Dale Katzman, the young, innocent, sweet-faced, well-fed college sophomore (and Jew) who has little experience of the world, but is not entirely gullible. Though slightly wary, Dale is a willing sponge for everything the more battered and less privileged men on board can impart. They are “lifers.” He is a visitor."
Chicago Reader
- Not Recommended
"...Lacking high stakes, this rambling character study serves as a sketchbook for Mamet's more significant tales of male camaraderie and competition. The eight-member ensemble under G.J. Cederquist's direction fail to capture either the terse rhythms of Mamet's dialogue or the gulf between the young cook and his shipmates--a crucial element in a piece about a boy in the company of men."
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"..."There's justice out there, but no mercy" an old salty once said of the endless waterways. For the brief 80 minutes of our voyage from Duluth to Chicago aboard the T. Harrison, however, Mamet extends mercy to his brothers of the moment, and in doing so, allows us a glimpse of an all-but-invisible world lying at the economical foundations of life as we sheltered consumers know it."
Centerstage
- Recommended
"...Lakeboat is an enjoyable little trifle that also serves as a glimpse of a bygone world that, for all its flaws, contains more than a bit of romance."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...
After several similar vignettes of seamen bullshitting about drinking, women or what happened to the missing man Dale replaced, you may find yourself repeating “fuck” in your head. But then, in a pair of slyly observed scenes, Mamet snaps us out of it: This is in fact a play about boredom, the stories we tell ourselves to combat it, and the beauty we miss in the workaday. Don’t miss the details, says Mamet’s version of Life on the Mississippi. Steep’s sharply rendered, deeply lived revival certainly doesn’t."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...Lakeboat is filled with Mametspeak that include raw language, unfinished sentences and crude imagery. This early work demonstrates Mamet’s fine ear for the language of the common folk. The stories are engaging, pathetic, and disgusting – yet -we are captivated by being in earshot of these crude guys. It is a foul-mouthed work that may offend some. The ensemble work here is amazing, especially from Eric Roach, Jim Poole, Sean Bolger and Peter Moore. Come ship-on for a 85 minute ride to experience the thought and dreams of working class stiffs."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Recommended
"...Lakeboat can be added to Steep's list of successful shows. David Mamet's use of American realism is superb. “Lakeboat” is one of those rare tales often over looked by the general public. Fans of David Mamet's work will greatly enjoy this production, while those who have never seen a David Mamet play may not fully grasp the underlying message. Honestly it's just a play about real people in a real environment, an excellent story and a good laugh."
Reviews You Can Iews
- Highly Recommended
"...Now let's quit beating around the bush and talk about a guy in this play named Eric Roach. Maybe you've heard of him, because he is the highlight of the show. Now I'm sure you all realize that Eric is my work husband, but that doesn't make what I'm saying less true.
He plays this guy named Fred that has had a rough string of luck lately with the ponies and the dames but has high hopes of getting it all straightened out."
Chicago Theater Beat
- Recommended
"...The action from one end to the other end provides waves of lulling instead of rocking intensity for the perfect storm. The Steep production actualizes Mamet’s characters with tanker-like distinction. With a little more speed from the tugboat, this Lakeboat will cruise full-steam ahead."
