Recent Tragic Events Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...Though Taylor's Waverly applauds Trollope for his observations of the minutiae of life, Wright's observations put neon signs around the most mundane transactions. Verdin and her ingratiating cast mostly do a good job at keeping those signifiers from overpowering the simple interactions among a group of people enduring a dark night of the soul."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Recent Tragic Events struck some critics as a distasteful trivialization of 9/11. But 15 years on-at least in this excellent Interrobang Theatre Project production, extremely well acted under Georgette Verdin's crisp direction-the play effectively captures the eerie atmosphere of the historical moment it depicts, when people were just trying to process a new sense of urgency and anxiety in American life. Wright (a former writer for Six Feet Under) teases questions about inevitability, chance, and free will, but the philosophical speculation is grounded in engaging characters and framed by some playful absurdist metatheatrical devices, including the onstage presence of a stage manager calling light cues and the unexpected appearance of novelist Joyce Carol Oates, portrayed by a sock puppet."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...director Georgette Verdin has done an admirable job mitigating the worst parts of the script, which fall outside the central narrative action of the play, by focusing on what is happening to the characters on stage. In the process, she gracefully balances the humor, tension, and tragedy in Wright’s narrative when five characters find themselves thrust together in a Minneapolis apartment on September 12, 2001 as the result of a blind date, an oblivious neighbor, and a diverted airplane."

Chicago Theater Beat - Not Recommended

"...I wish Wright (whose TV work includes “Six Feet Under,” one of my all-time favorite shows) had simply trusted the strength of his own writing. If that had been the case, Recent Tragic Events could have been heart-wrenching yet enjoyable, a romantic comedy set in an unlikely time and place. Instead, the gimmicks are plenty and, therefore, the production rings false. Not even this admittedly great cast can save this mess."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...“Where do the chances stop and the choices start?” one character asks the ensemble, none of whom are in a position to offer a satisfying answer. “Recent Tragic Events” does not supply solutions but rather illustrates examples, like a field manual for surviving the horrors of uncertainty. Verdin and company lead us fearlessly into the abyss of Living History and show that the grey swaths of life are equal parts light and dark."