Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"..."Immediate Family" is an appealing, commercial and accessible play from a mostly unknown but demonstrably talented writer. The contrivances of plot are not bothersome because the family dynamic is explored with such spunky verisimilitude and, well, the play is just too good a time. As laughs rung loudly around the theater on Saturday night — nobody was bored or confused for an instant — it started to seem that "Immediate Family," if the work gets done and the stars align, might well turn out to be quite a timely and important American play. Or movie."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...“Immediate Family” (being given a grand-scale commercial production staged “by special arrangement with the Goodman Theatre and in association with the About Face Theatre Company”) is a profoundly political play which, both for better and for worse, comes camouflaged in the more palatable format of a sitcom laced with several searing moments. In fact, aside from the issue of gay marriage, almost everything “new” here seems old again — something of a throwback to both “The Cosby Show” of the 1980s (with Phylicia Rashad, who played Clair Huxtable in that landmark series, even serving as director here) and the earlier TV hit “All in the Family.”"
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Although the journey that gay Jesse and his judgmental sister, Evy, take through this minefield feels a bit predetermined, Phylicia Rashad's sharp-elbowed staging and a fine cast deliver plenty of truthful moments and painful hilarity. Phillip James Brannon exudes sardonic sensitivity as Jesse. And even when the script makes her a tad more villainous than necessary, Shane'sia Davis's Evy remains a fierce advocate for her own version of the family's complicated history."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...In its television counterpart, all this would emerge at glacial pace, punctuated by bursts of slapstick, concluding with Evy getting her comeuppance and her antagonists crowing in triumph. Phylicia Rashad is smarter than that—more important, trusts us to be smarter, too. Under her direction, the action proceeds at a vigorous clip, while nevertheless ascertaining every individual's opportunity to appeal for our sympathy and keeping each small moment of enlightenment within the realm of plausibility."
Talkin Broadway - Recommended
"...Given Ms. Rashad's history as TV mother of the Huxtables—the upscale affluent African-American family of "The Cosby Show"—comparisons of this play to the sitcom genre are inevitable. Rashad's direction has that sort of pacing and she gets laughs even in places that don't really deserve it, as when Stovall relies too heavily on obvious puns on words like "partner" and "straight" and the different meanings they have in a gay context. The gorgeous and realistic set by John Iacovelli has a sitcom look to it as well, even with the sort of three side-by-side settings you might find in a sitcom's TV studio, and Joshua Horvath's incidental music covering scene changes feel for all the world like something from "Golden Girls" in places. It all fits with the obvious efforts for a commercial product, from the short 90-minute length, catchy title and comic-looking logo. Nothing wrong with that, but the play is going to need its humor punched up to deliver on that promise."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...But most importantly, it’s Rashad’s direction that makes the play work. The sense that love is ever present, no matter how bad things get and that a good laugh is always right around the corner, means that while the play might not dig as deep as it wants to, it certainly keeps moving better than it should. Like the fabled Cosby sweaters of old, it’s a little bit ridiculous but it’s also incredibly comfortable."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Brannon seems a bit stiff at first, but then that’s appropriate for his character’s situation; he gets looser as the revelations stack up. The rest of the cast is fearless and spot-on. The action, briskly paced by director Phylicia Rashad (who knows a little something about blending sitcom conventions and social issues), culminates in a bitter, liquor-fueled game of bid whist that breaks out into full-on violence—there’s some terrific physical comedy leavening the play’s emotional climax. Exploring the changing definitions of family on a single-family level, Stovall’s crafted an issue play that doesn’t taste like medicine."
Chicago Theatre Addict - Highly Recommended
"...The core strength of this piece are the well-developed characters who each have a distinct point of view. In addition to Jesse we have Jesse’s younger brother Tony (Kamal Angelo Bolden) who supports his brother but just doesn’t want it flaunted at his wedding (the reason for this family reunion); his half-sister Ronnie (Cynda Williams) who embraces Jesse and his partner unequivocally mainly due to empathy caused by her painfully ostracized upbringing (her constant drinking doesn’t hurt, either); and his “sister” Nina (J. Nicole Brooks), an out-and-proud, tell-it-like-it-is lesbian who’s Jesse’s fiercest supporter."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Immediate Family, written by Chicago actor and playwright Paul Oakley Stovall, is part sitcom and part dysfunctional family drama, garnished with racial and gay humor that flows into racial and gay tensions. As directed by Phylicia Rashad, it’s a pretty good play right now, but needs some tweaking if Broadway is in its site."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...The opening night audience laughed heartily throughout but I found the changing tone shifts from Black humor to serious racial and homophobic bigotry disconcerting. If Stovall was trying to show that Black families can be as dysfunctional and bigoted as whites, he sure succeeded. The press notes have the playwright stating that the play is about change – tiny shifts in attitude. I found Evy’s sudden change – her acceptance of Jessie’s lifestyle and her toleration of Ronnie at the play’s end to be unwarranted and implausible."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...Playwright Paul Oakley Stovall pulls the dirty laundry out of the hamper and throws it around the room. Stovall thoroughly engages the audience in sorting through the mess. How did this get so soiled? Does this go with that? I’m completely captivated by this family’s drama and comedy. The dialogue is natural. Continual fragments of information piece together the full family portrait. Under the direction of Phylicia Rashad, the talented cast come together in discord and harmony. There is wildly, loud feuding and playing. Those fast-paced banters are balanced with quiet, heart-tugging exchanges. The contrast is powerful. The final scene speaks volumes without saying a word. Wow!"
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...A strong cast, well directed , on a fantastic set with solid lighting (Heather Gilbert), perfect costumes (Ana Kuzmanic) and a super array of properties(Jesse Gaffney)- these are the ingredients that make this what could be a simple sit-com into a memorable piece of theater, one that will allow us to laugh at what we are and who we are and open our eyes to how we evade issues for the wrong reasons. I also want to say that the fight scene ( a real challenge for the number of people involved) is well choreographed by Nick Sandys, who truly shows why theare companies hire him on a regular basis- this fight is as real looking as one would expect. Bravo! To the actors and to Mr. Sandys."
