Chicago Sun Times
- Not Recommended
"...The so-called “King Lear of Roller Derby Plays” is under-rehearsed, but muffed lines and clunky blackouts aren’t the worst problem here. Under-rehearsed can be finessed. Under-rehearsed and unfunny? That’s a surefire formula for theatrical tedium. On paper, playwright Rolin Jones’ ostensible comedy does indeed sound like a promising romp, jam-packed with vomit, spit, blood and sex on wheels. On stage, it’s merely strident, tiresome and flat-footed, the last quite literally. There’s some fairly clever roller skating choreography, but nary a wheel in sight."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Rolin Jones's bloodless script cries out for wry, snappy performances, but most of the cast can't even nail down a good New York accent. And though the skating scenes are cleverly done (exaggerated side-stepping evokes the real thing), little else translates—least of all the moral of the story, which appears to be, Follow your dreams, so you learn to settle for less."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...More problematic is Pine Box Theater's attempt to conjure a universe defined by ever-increasing velocity on too small a stage. When we are asked to imagine various vehicles—taxicabs, buses, Coney Island roller-coasters—the riders' body language apprises us of the journey's progress. However, on a circular raceway measuring only 17 feet at its widest, the kinetic nuances of actors miming gravity-defying propulsion—often encumbered by hand-held life-sized cutout mannequins—cannot help but become blurred in visual clutter. If there's one thing derby competition teaches, it's that the tiniest margins count toward victory or defeat."
Centerstage
- Recommended
"...Odor, Gorsky, and Bannon are all charming, pugnacious and quite funny in their leading roles, with Levenix Riddle giving a standout performance in a number of smaller ones. The set, by Robert Groth and Jenniffer Thusing, a miniature roller derby rink with video projections doing most of the scene change duty, gives lots of room for the actors to play, fight, play-fight and generally have a lot of fun. Once they get things under control, that fun will be had by the audience too."
Time Out Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Jones, better known for his 2006 Pulitzer finalist The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow and work on such TV shows as Weeds and The United States of Tara, finds some laughs in his deployment of movie-style Brooklynese and in recurring gags like having two-dimensional cutouts serve as derby extras. (The actors’ wheel-less pantomiming of the roller-rink bouts is good for some chuckles as well.) But the more these gags recur—and boy, do they—the fewer laughs they return. Odor underplays his character’s innocence, while Gorsky tends to dial up to 11. Vincent Teninty’s stuttering production, like Jones’s unfocused script, needs some grease on its wheels."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow
- Somewhat Recommended
"...In a play about roller derby, it’s not surprising the best scenes are the skating ones. Cut-out figures, uniform outfits (Costume Designer Joshua Allard), skillful movement (Choreographer Matt Hawkins) make this match-up a real spectacle. Hawkins, along with Director Vincent Teninty, has the cast fake-skating in circles. It’s clever and amusing. Later, a pivotal relationship moment takes place on a roller coaster ride. The simulation takes a dramatic conversation and sends it merrily plummeting down a hill. It’s this contrast layering that fascinates and pulls focus. The movement throughout the show captivates putting the story in second place."
Around The Town Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...There are some comic spots in the show and it does move quickly, which is blessing in theses seats, but most of what is happening is hard to follow as we never really get into the game/sport the way I had hoped to. These are , for the most part dysfunctional characters in search for their own identities and to learn how to love themselves , so they can love another. Near the end of the show there is a scene involving a roller coaster ride ( right before the championship match) which made no sense, with the exception of showing us that life is a roller coaster ride filled with ups and downs. If you are into Roller Derby, you might find this fun."
