Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...So there is much here of interest. The main problem is the device of the play cannot help but undermine the seriousness of its themes. That's exacerbated by a structural problem that gives us three characters common to both scenes and two who belong in only one era each. That means both May and, especially, April (those names!) have to keep leaving the scenes for reasons that are, at best, tenuous. Stembridge needed to keep the quartet together for this thing fully to work."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"... Director Carolyn Klein overworks the script's reversal-of-fortune irony and often allows actors to wander where only time machines could take them. Despite sharp performances, the massive effort required to maintain Stembridge's gimmick isn't worth the payoff."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...These five actors and their director have infused this intelligent show with great comic energy and chemistry."
Chicago Stage Review - Recommended
"...Overall the show is engaging and well played. The energy climaxes a bit too early but the pacing and timeline separation techniques remind you that the actors have more to contend with, given the non-linear structure of the complicated script, and they convey this with impressive skill. Seanachai Theatre Company’s production of That Was Then is well worth your time and solidifies them as a welcome addition to their permanent location at The Irish-American Heritage Center."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...That this concept doesn’t devolve into mush is a testament to director Klein’s crisp orchestration of the action and the cast’s sharply delineated performances (though they do rely a bit too heavily on changes in posture to convey changes in social status). Still, Stembridge’s script never quite transcends gimmickry, relying for most of its laughs on easy, lightning-fast now-they’re-up, now-they’re-down reversals and on familiar preconceived notions held by the British and the Irish about each other. The show’s almost redeemed, however, by Amyx, who, as Noel, effortlessly and hilariously flips from playing the drunk, belligerent supplicant to the serenely self-possessed parvenu."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Robert Groth and Jennifer J. Thusing’s sets contribute much to the production. That Was Then is smart glimpse into the simmering tensions that still resonate between the Irish and the Brits. The play also pokes fun at AA attempts to erase alcoholism and the ethics of financial dealing and government corruption. But at its core, That Was Then is a clever com temporary comedy of manners."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...Director Carolyn Klein's lively production is so well timed you can all but hear the bell of a boxing match shuttling us and our subjects instantly from past to present. The postures, expressions, gestures and vocal inflections of a nearly flawless cast add immeasurably, with yeoman work from Ira Amyx, Molly Glynn, Sarah Wellington, and Joseph Wycoff, with Katie Cheely spelling Anne Sunseri at the performance I attended as a surprise interloper. Each actor richly inhabits their own dual world. Glynn's May is the happy little homemaker (and possible enabler) who is embarrassed by her husband's alcohol-spiked rude behavior to their guests."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...For a story that plays on modern events that I’m not very familiar with, prejudices I don’t share, and countries I’ve never visited, I feel That Was Then is very relatable. I might not get the Michael Flatley jokes or completely understand the fiscal situation, but Stembridge writes universal themes and layered characters with wit and charm. The style is ingenious and captivating. Seanachai plucks drama out of global economics."
