Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended
"...The production, directed by Ian Streicher, is also problematic — although I don't know how any director could have made this script work. Corbett plays very young; she's hardly believable as a woman who has been married nine years. Burgher, a decent actor, tries his best to stay attached to something solid, but it just feels like he's saying the same things over and over and over again."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Though friends call them “the perfect couple,” and Jim seems content, Franny clearly needs to shake things up. And once Jim senses how serious things are, the couple engage in all sorts of arguments, games, hopeless foreplay and serious angst before — spoiler alert! — something of a “life is a dream” (or nightmare) twist is revealed. The actors give their all, but the play is more pedestrian than illuminating."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...There's a nice wit to the dialogue, and an air of truth to the issues raised. But Kalleres has to strain some to get us to the climax, which is both creative and contrived. Eric Burgher, Maggie Corbett, and director Ian Streicher don't quite manage to cover the weaknesses. Still, they take excellent advantage of the strengths."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite some clever observations on the boredom and routine of long-term relationships (“we share an interior design aesthetic!” Jim pleads at one point) and decent digs at bourgie complacency, Kalleres’s script soon starts to seem as if it’s running laps. Spacey theoretical discussions of the nature of love and attraction feel better suited to a hazy dorm room than this handsomely appointed master bedroom, and the bizarre, left-field climax is wholly at odds with the jokey but naturalistic tone of everything that precedes it."
ChicagoCritic - Not Recommended
"...While Maggie Corbett and Eric Burger work hard to makes their characters believable, and they do have some terrific moments, but ultimately they get overwhelmed with all the bits, attacks and roles asked of them. It is astonishing that the characters never realize that they need psychological help. This could be tolerated somewhat if the ending was plausible. After suffering sitting discomfort, you’d hope for a better ending. I felt cheated and manipulated with this play. Playwright Greg Kalleres has overwritten this marriage drama as he tires us out both physically and emotionally here. I felt as worn out as the characters. A trim, stronger focus and a stronger conclusion would serve this work well. I do believe that there is a worthy play hidden in all the clutter. You would think that the management at the Royal George would find comfortable seats especially since they charge high rental rates?"
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...I can’t comment if “A Beautiful Spell” makes you want to rush home and tell your significant other you love them, but I can say that Rare Terra Theatre’s latest production is okay; not good, not great, just okay. Some of the content will make you laugh and some of it will cause you to simply stare in confusion. Not to mention the production is performed in the Royal George’s upstairs Gallery theatre which holds some of the most uncomfortable seating in the city. But if you can manage to find a comfortable position and stay focused long enough to experience the journey of Jim and Fran then there just may be hope for “A Beautiful Spell” yet."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...For married folks, A BEAUTIFUL SPELL is an accidental wake-up call on vacation. It’ll either wake you up to a new day or you’ll go back to sleep. For single people, A BEAUTIFUL SPELL pokes holes in the wedded bliss dream. For all, A BEAUTIFUL SPELL troubles as a sleepless night of unhappiness. I was rooting for the sun to come up for this couple... long before it did. Although the night did stretch on a little longer than necessary, the last few scenes escalate into a captivating conclusion. Suddenly, I’m craving a Diet Pepsi."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...While I found the actors to be real, my feelings for Jim and his situation were far stronger than those for Franny. In the beginning, I found the situation to be very real with some very funny moments. After all, how many times have we thought about our spouse and wondered if this was the life that I wanted 20 years ago? For some people, regrets over the choices they have made can cause their lives to be unhappy. Franny doesn’t know why they have become stale! Jim thinks it’s just night terror! But as the evening progresses, they each pour out their hearts and when the morning comes it is life as usual. We are left wondering if the role playing of the night before solved the problem or if this is something they have done before just to bring a little excitement into their lives."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...Ian Streicher’s perfectly pitched staging insures that Eric Burgher’s ardent and anguished Jim and Maggie Corbett’s insouciant Franny are on top of every swift change in Kalleres’ warm and witty dialogue. Admittedly, much of this is familiar from several scenes in The Fourposter Bed and its musical I Do! I Do!, as well as the film “Before Sunset.” But Rare Terra’s clever and pointed drama does cast a spell. Given this tiny gallery space, it’s likely to run well into the fall, if not transfer to a bigger venue. Its great strength will be the post-show debates it triggers in the couples who see it."