Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...More than anything, the show seems to want to ask what Don Quixote means today. How do you connect him (and Cervantes) to the modern world, especially to all that confronts those born in the Spanish-speaking nations of the Americas? It’s a great idea (Valdes Kuri is based in Mexico), and you get many glimpses of what this could be."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Both Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare died in 1616. But last year, when it came time to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the deaths of these writers - one who forged the Golden Age of Spanish literature, and the other widely agreed to be the greatest writer in the English language - it was the Bard of Avon, with his 37 plays and hundreds of characters who, to a great extent, crowded out the creator of Don Quixote."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...As a largely one-man show, "Quixote" amusingly argues why the delusional, do-gooding Don Quixote -- aka the "Man of La Mancha" -- has endured through the centuries and been embraced on a global scale. But more importantly, "Quixote" powerfully posits that the fictional knight's ideals can function nowadays as self-help mantras for individuals and society at large."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...The conceit sounds complicated, but in this staging by coauthor Kuri, it can be lots of fun. Quixote's dependence on the kindness of strangers forces him to bring a steady stream of civilians onstage to help him read ballads, mime scenes, and otherwise emote. This is where the aforementioned cracked charm comes in handy. By turns peremptory and sweet, Godinez is great at wrangling helpers, voluntary and reluctant. And his athleticism, expressed in what look like punishing somersaults, devised under the supervision of acrobatic adviser Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (a cofounder with me of the Actors Gymnasium), give his performance a feeling of go-for-broke abandon. A hodgepodge set of armor, decorated by costume designer Sanja Manakoski with bottle tops, pull tabs, license plates, and flattened beer cans, heightens the antic, improvisational atmosphere."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Quixote: On the Conquest of Self gives theater veteran Henry Godinez a rare opportunity to be a clown, and Godinez—who generally plays serious roles ( when he takes time from directing and teaching )—is worth the ticket price all by himself. I don't mean he's funny ( although he's brilliantly funny ), but that he embraces the profound physical, emotional and philosophical depths of great clowning and the human comedy. Godinez is a masterful comedian because he is a masterful actor."
Chicago On the Aisle - Somewhat Recommended
"...At a certain point, "The Conquest of Self" goes over the edge of theatrical plausibility and down a steep hill into simplistic moralizing. I should note here that program books, packed with serious essays about this shallow enterprise, are handed out only as you leave the theater. That, I assume, is to avoid spoiling a surprise."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Leave it to Writers Theatre to bring us a story or an interpretation of the story from the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote de la Mancha taking us across time periods. This is a 90 minute (no intermission) piece written by Monica Hoth and Claudio Valdes Kuri (with an English translation by Georgia Escobar) and it is directed by Kuri. Who would you imagine bringing this character to life? It is none other than Henry Godinez, a name in the Chicago Theater Community , that everyone knows."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...“Quixote” most impresses for its performance by Henry Godinez, a physically and vocally demanding role. The man will be doing seven or eight performances a week through December 17, a heavy load for what is primarily a one-man show. “Quixote” is worth seeing for Godinez’s all around performance and for his wry handling of volunteers plucked from the audience to assist him in his storytelling. The man can certainly think on his feet. The play is a high-risk concept but the Writers Theatre has never backed off from high risks. I leave you with two final words—Emma Ladji."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...The result is engaging. Kuri also directs and has Godinez filling the space with physical contact improv (Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi as acrobatic adviser with choreographer Bill Siegenfeld), verbally and bodily jousting with Cervantes for “it appears the author is my enemy.”"
The Hawk Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Such disjointed combinations come to mind halfway through Mónica Hoth and Claudio Valdés Kuri’s creative interpretation of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel, currently running at Writers Theatre. Their take, Quixote: On the Conquest of Self, is both an engaging retelling of some of Quixote’s most famous stories and a modern reflection on the importance of taking a role in ‘authoring one’s own book,’ but the presentation of these two ideas never quite comes together: this dish ultimately comes out half-baked."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Recommended
"...The acting is superb and the show’s minimalist staging is perfect for Writers’ small Gillian Theatre. An argument could be made that the show is also perfect for a high school audience where discussions on the conquest of self and apathy could take place."
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Godinez’s lovely Don Quixote is conquered in the end by the script’s weak ending, which strays from the original’s animating tension between epic and farce. Instead it delivers a semi-sappy, too-easy message about creating our own reality, apparently free from history and social context. Sancho would never buy it."