Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The show also can't fully decide whether it wants to be an out-and-out farce (and if so, it's not consistently funny enough, nor is Quigley's production fast-paced enough) or a more outrageously forged affair in the vein of “Killer Joe” (in which case, it's neither active nor plot-heavy enough). “Rantoul and Die” is caught in a middle ground and, despite that blistering opening and both some strong performances and a few genuine laughs, “Rantoul and Die” ends up spluttering like a DQ ice cream machine in need of a better mix."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The toxic trio at the play's center--coarse, disillusioned Debbie; her milksop husband, Rallis; and their semi-menacing neighbor, Gary--spend most of the play declaiming their feelings and outlining their motivations. And, of course, because they're the working poor, they swear and drink constantly. Erin Quigley's production for American Blues Theater rings consistently untrue, even with some of Chicago's finest actors on stage."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...It can be argued, of course, that a cast with Kate Buddeke, Francis Guinan, Alan Wilder and Heather Graeff could sell anything and, under Erin Quigley's direction, they struggle valiantly to lend substance to this live-action cartoon. However, unless you consciously distance yourself from the universe presented by Roberts for our amusement and scorn—why shouldn't the managers of a Dairy Queen take their jobs seriously, for chrissakes?—the fates of the players in Rantoul's low-stakes intrigue will offer no more suspense than the hayseed clichés making up the author's inspiration."
Time Out Chicago
- Not Recommended
"...Graeff shows up in the play’s second half as Debbie’s manager, a Crocs-wearing cat lady so impossibly sunny that her inevitable dark secret can be spotted at a hundred paces. Even this normally outstanding quartet of actors can’t overcome Roberts’s ugly contempt for his characters, their environment and, apparently, humanity at large."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...The 90 minute one-act is a lesson in contradictions: grim and funny, warm and icy violent, familiar and surprising as each character’s ugly side collides with their humanity with their super egos. The show is filled with four superb performances led by Guinan and Graeff’s terrific work. You’ll laugh while getting shocked by these losers caught up in self-imposed behavior designed for their mutual self-destruction. The sheer ignorance and amorality of these four will be both abhorrent and hilarious as we journey with them to their abyss. For something quite different, extremely well performed, and smartly written – be sure to catch Rantoul and Die – it’s make you want a Diary Queen stop on your way home."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...Playwright Mark Roberts’ language marks “Rantoul and Die” as a revolutionary comedy, truly embracing the modernism under working class America. It’s bold and beautiful, real American theatre, something American Blues has perfected. Not to mention one of the most original comedies being produced in Chicago today. The small four person cast blew the roof off at the Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater with their depiction of these distressed characters. The best thing about the play is the fact these characters state exactly what they want and fight to have it, there’s no pointless subplot or underlying message unlike many of the plays in existence."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...American Blues Theater Ensemble produces stories about working people, for the most part “blue collar” types and in their latest production, “Rantoul and Die” written by Mark Roberts, one gets to meet some very dysfunctional characters in a small town , Rantoul, Illinois.One must understand that Roberts has enjoyed great success in writing sit-coms ( “Two and a Half Men” is one of his) and so this 90 minute story in two scenes had the feeling of a sit-com but with a certain tragic undertone to the plot. As the play opens, in the darkness, we hear a man’s voice, his words almost sound as if there is something very kinky going on and as the lights come up we see that Gary ( a marvelous portrayal by the always reliable Francis Guinan) choking the other, Rallis ( Alan Wilder as the loser of all losers). The kitchen/living room set ( a remarkable job by Sarah E. Ross) is the epitome of squalor- messy as can be with piles of clothes, old beat up furniture and lots of ugly stuff with empty beer bottles atop every place one could possibly be. As these two men talk, we find that Rallis has just tried to kill himself and was saved by his good friend, Gary. They talk about the situation that has brought this to be and of how they have lived their lives on a different level. It turns out that Rallis’ wife, Debbie ( the dynamic Kate Buddeke) has asked him to pack up and leave as she wants a divorce. Gary tries to convince his friend that he should let her go- her should start anew, but Rallis wants another chance; he loves her!"
Chicago Theater Beat
- Highly Recommended
"...Given the lack of a plot and the jaw-dropping crudeness of the dialogue, you wouldn’t want Rantoul and Die to fall into the hands of amateurs. It takes a seasoned, top-tier group of artists to pull of something this tasteless with such brutal honesty. This production has that. One can only hope we see more of these ABT/Steppenwolf hybrids in the future."
