Burying Miss America presented by New Leaf Theatre at Lincoln Park Cultural Center

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...There's a real sense of what emotional loneliness can look like in the passive-aggressive bonds that define the brother-sister relationship at the center of "Burying Miss America," a new play by Chicagoan Brian Golden. What's missing are the kind of underlying stakes that would transform what currently feels like a writing exercise into a play that resonates. Without something larger to build toward, Golden's script flounders."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Golden's natural, unadorned dialogue mirrors the flatness of the landscape but also supplies undercurrents of longing and regret. Not a moment feels false in this New Leaf Theatre production thanks to Marsha Harman and Ted Evans, who, as the siblings, capture the bittersweet blend of love and resentment unique to the familial bond."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...Ted Evans and Marsha Harman both deliver carefully-wrought performances, given their fuzzy-edged material, but director Jessica Hutchinson has instructed Harman to play Jean's neediness with an emotionally-articulate eloquence reducing Evans' laconic Boxer to an enigma so self-effacing as to barely register as an onstage presence. Hutchinson also displays a propensity for placing Jean and Boxer on opposite sides of the room's bare central expanse—presumably to reflect Harman's psychologically motivated advances and Evans' retreats, but also forcing audiences to split their focus, inadvertently leading them to take sides over the conflicting testimonials. These flaws notwithstanding, Golden's dialogue evidences an intriguing tale wanting only liberation from its academic restrictions."

Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"... Director Jessica Hutchinson moves the action with a skilled hand, highlighting the big moments while giving the in-betweens a playfulness that Harman and Evans take full advantage of. The interplay between them is never hyperbolic—their earnestness and attention to the landscape of the play make this solid script well worth experiencing."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"... “Burying Miss America” isn’t all glitz and glamour I’m afraid. There were several annoying moments in the staging that tore away from the story. Thankfully it only happened during the opening minutes of the play and subsided as time went by. New Leaf set up their audience on three sides of the performance space, which caused actors to have their backs facing the audience more than they should. Hard to avoid I know, and Jessica Hutchinson did the best she could with such a tight space."

Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended

"... Familial relationships are oft-explored for a reason: there’s underlying meaning to even the most innocent joke or minor disagreement. While kiddie resentment may manifest in adulthood, the intimate history between siblings provides rich opportunity for interpretation. Burying Miss America takes a simple concept – the funeral of a mother whose shadow looms even as she is no longer of this world – and builds a world. And though they are not always comfortable in it, the audience – after giggling, wincing and sobbing along – is reluctant to leave."