Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"... I've now seen "A Steady Rain" four times (the original opening, a transfer to the Royal George Cabaret, then the Broadway production with Jackman and Craig, and now this one. Obviously, the script, which is performed in the simple style of two overlapping monologues of deliberately uncertain context, no longer contains much suspense for me. It feels to some extent like everyone is trying to put the proverbial lightening back in the bottle this time around, especially since the production is much the same. The theater, though, always moves on. The Chicago streets already have changed, and hardly for the better. In "A Steady Rain," the cops spend a lot of time worrying about pimps and the hookers on the North Avenue Bridge; in the face of this summer's endless stream of catastrophic shootings, such characters seem almost sweet."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...So if you missed it the first time around, by god, don't miss it again. When years of ethical compromises and derelictions of duty culminate in a horrific, preventable tragedy, officers Joey and Denny are left to sort out the mess they've made. Director Russ Tutterow captures the gravity of sins that can't be expunged; Randy Steinmeyer is a whirlwind as Denny, an unbridled and unrepentantly crooked cop whose ties to his best friend and partner have destroyed any hope he had of escaping his situation unscathed."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Huff has pared this noiresque tragedy down to two uniformed patrolmen seated in a police interrogation room, recounting the events leading up to the bloodbath under investigation. They are Denny Lombardi and Joey Doyle, whose occupational relationship continues the dynamic forged during their blue-collar childhoods. It soon becomes apparent that Denny has always fancied himself a protector of the innocent and weak—a role permitting him privileges beyond those of lesser men—while flawed Joey readily admits to his own need for the improving influence offered by his partner's idyllic family life."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...If you live here in Chicago it’s almost an imperative that you see this show. This is what theater should be! Stories told by us, for us; the street names are right and everything. Randy Steinmeyer and Peter DeFaria are absolutely excellent, telling this story of two Chicago cops and friends since kindergarten with every ounce of their talent and craft."
Chicago Theatre Addict - Highly Recommended
"...Director Russ Tutterow keeps this two-hander taught like a tiger poised to attack. Things start off jovial and jabbing, with Joey and Denny giving us a bit of the old back-and-forth. Steinmeyer and DeFaria rattle off Huff’s gritty, succinct dialogue with ease. But then the coils get tightened when Denny’s professional life comes, quite literally, shattering through his living room window. In an attempt to pick up the pieces, the downward spiral has already begun."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...A Steady Rain, Chicago Dramatists’ prodigal son, has finally come home, giving audiences a chance to sit down again with Denny and Joey, the two cops that disturbed the hell out of them back in 2007. Keith Huff’s play has had a whirlwind several years, produced in major theatres across the country, including a Broadway run in 2009 starring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman. Now it is back in its small, original space, with the cast that helped bring it to life. Though it’s not what the hype made it out to be, A Steady Rain will still knock the wind out of you."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"... Kudos to the newly formed Chicago Commercial Collective for remounting A Steady Rain. The Collective is dedicated to remounting shows that closed too soon. They are badly need here since many a hit show was forced to close too soon. Welcome! Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy should see this show then he’ll want all his supervisors to see it so they can become more aware of rogue cops."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Anyone who knows Chicago will identify with this show. Will it read for Chicago visitors? Definitely. After 90 minutes in the theatre - for better or worse - a visitor will learn more Chicago than could possibly be gleaned from a mountain of tourist brochures. "A Steady Rain" is a powerful commentary on contemporary urban life. If (the producers) have got Broadway on their minds and are looking to cook up something for the Big Apple, I say stick a fork in this one. It's done."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"... It is hard to believe that it was almost 5 years ago when Chicago Dramatists first presented Keith Huff’s explosive cop story,”A Steady Rain” in the intimacy of their little theater located at Chicago/Ogden and Milwaukee Avenues. From there, it traveled to The Royal George where it continued to play to sold out houses and then, off to Broadway. In New York’s production, “name” actors were used instead of the two glorious actors who made this sterling drama come to life. Well, it is now back, where it started and with the original cast and the original crew and like a fine wine, this production is even stronger than the original. The actors, under the stellar direction of Russ Tutterow, Randy Steinmeyer as Denny and Peter DeFaria as Joey are a little older, with a little more weariness in their faces, which in reality makes the current production even stronger."
