Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...Clark also has the benefit of two fine and vulnerable performances, each residing firmly in the present. Sheppard nearly twists herself into a pretzel to go on this character's journey and come out the other side. But it's actually Schad who has the hardest job: we intuit early on that he is going to be a problem, but he commands enough mystery to inject tension and enough sympathy to prevent anybody going directly to their default position. It's a quietly superb piece of acting at the core of a piece of Chicago theater that all of the parties involved in police reform in this city, from the Mayor on down, should sit down and watch together."
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Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Directed with care by Wardell Julius Clark, the setup is as poetic and terse as a good headline: Amina (Leslie Ann Sheppard) and Ryan (Drew Schad) are interracial partners on the Cleveland police force who eventually become partners in life. When Ryan pulls over and shoots a Black citizen, however, Amina finds herself pulled in myriad directions while her white, male partner leans into her for support and affirmation."
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Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Impressive, timely, and provocative, the Chicago premiere of "Sheepdog" is nothing short of amazing! Meticulously scripted by Kevin Artigue and expertly directed by Wardell Julius Clark, this intense 90-minute roller coaster ride of emotions will leave you breathless."
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Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Kevin Artigue’s riveting drama is being given a must-see Chicago premiere production by one of Chicago’s finest ensemble-driven theatre companies. Under the deft direction of Wardell Julius Clark, and starring two of the Windy City’s most talented and charismatic actors, this is a truly unforgettable theatrical experience, sadly based upon so many news stories, that support the compassionate plea that Black Lives Matter."
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Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended

"...Clark's direction is absolutely crucial to the timing and movement of Sheepdog. Both actors are capable but Sheppard's performance is stunning. She speaks, gestures and moves as if she's been a cop forever. Her performance is nuanced and emotive, as she struggles to make sense of her love for Ryan and her realization that perhaps she is not always black before she's blue."
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Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended

"...We’re barely halfway through January, and I have already seen a play that feels destined to be one of the best shows of the year. Shattered Globe Theatre’s production of Kevin Artigue’s Sheepdog is a challenging, provocative, timely two-hander that moves beyond the headlines to examine the personal and professional costs of the terrifying and divisive national epidemic of young black men being killed by police officers."
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PicksInSix - Highly Recommended

"...The tragic consequences of split-second decisions is central to this murky mystery story and involves a startling juxtaposition of the characters in it. The drama hinges on truthfulness—to ourselves and everyone around us—and the capacity of human beings to know right from wrong, understand ethics and morals, and use all the rest of those acquired skills we learn from an early age and that form the basis of who we are. “Sheepdog” offers a lot of gray area to explore, and director Clark artfully taps into Artigue’s fierce narrative and the notion that “there is an explanation for everything.”"
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Picture This Post - Highly Recommended

"...SHEEPDOG leaps directly onto the third rail of race in America.For this viewer, all involved in this production – the author, the director and the cast – succeed without electrocuting themselves. Blending personal and public issues boldly but without sensationalism, the result is a complex story about America’s stubborn racial divide."
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