Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...The show features some 19 actors, each of whom has a monologue about life. And when you only have one short speech, there is a strong temptation to fall into a wide-eyed, showy sensibility. That traps a few of the recently deceased, although some of them are very poignant. St. Angelo tends to throw romantic gauze over the proceedings, which tends to create a repetitive rhythm that needs a firmer jolt."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...The ambitious multicultural, Latino-based UrbanTheater Company has assembled a massive and very effective cast of 19 actors for Jose Rivera’s verbal chorale, “Sonnets for an Old Century,” directed with a mix of otherworldly and this-worldly intensity by Madrid St. Angelo and Juan Castaneda."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...There are a few lovely moments in this UrbanTheater piece directed by Madrid St. Angelo. A woman keeps trying to finesse her turn, throwing out bits of trivial information, only to be forced to start again until she gets it right. A fool complains that the old sitcom Happy Days was his idea. But the overwhelming majority of the speeches have an earnest, elegiac sameness to them that grows more and more tedious as you realize that they're not going anywhere in particular: they just are, one after another."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...The play is a series of monologues, each delivered at the very moment the speaker realizes s/he has died. That immediacy is felt in many of the speeches, and the best ones share short, moving stories of a vital memory or defining moment. Unfortunately, too many speeches veer into melodrama, and after awhile, they all sound similar. Still, there are several standout performances, and the play’s single-minded focus on finding meaning in a wide range of human experiences is admirable."
Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended
"...UrbanTheater Company has taken on a script that traverses the mortal coil to extract the essence of what is, as much as what was or what lies ahead. Sonnets for an Old Century manages a vibrant celebration of life in the midst of a somber dreamlike parade of the dead. These lives may have been extinguished but their hearts still beat with the lingering longings of the living, reflecting a humanity that transcends death. Rivera’s script is staggering and lovely. UTC’s production does it proud."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...
The performances are somewhat uneven—unsurprisingly, given the ensemble’s size (19 actors) and relative youth. (Indeed, you may find yourself wondering why every soul in this metaphysical waiting room died young.) But director St. Angelo weaves them into a compelling whole, with a great debt to movement director Esteban Andres Cruz. The visual design is less successful; Liviu Pasare’s video projections seem generic and washed out under Jordan Kardasz’s murky lights."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Sonnets For An Old Century is a stylish soundscape that brings Jose Rivera’s lyrical poetry to life as a voice for folks to have their say before its too late. Along the way, audiences are treated to a wonderful moving theatrical experience. The creatives at Urban Theater Company sure are marvelous storytellers. This theater company is having a positive impact on the Chicago theatre scene. See this show and you’ll know why."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...This is a sparkling production filled with humor and sadness. This play is a celebration of life itself and since none of us can say what truly takes place at that moment, that last moment, let us take heart that perhaps Mr. Rivera’s ideas might just be it. Being part of the rep at Steppenwolf, Urban shares the stage with two other companies, making performance schedules a bit odder than normal."
Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended
"...The reason why the aforementioned storytelling series are successful is because they strive to tap into a place of vulnerability without the protection of pretense. Sonnets for an Old Century will probably turn off quite a few audience members because of just how much it clings to its loftiness. If the actors and director could find a way to make each piece vulnerable, despite the laughable dialogue, this would be a much more powerful play."
