Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...As a fan of the original novel, I generally enjoy "Dracula" retellings but haven't yet worked up the courage to watch "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," the 2023 horror film based on the same excerpt as "Strange Cargo." I had high hopes that this nautical play would scratch the same itch, and on the whole, it came close to doing so - a worthwhile way to kick off my seasonal lineup of spooky shows."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Griffin's adaptation-mostly somber but laced with streaks of black humor and intriguing references to pagan mythology-adds some surprising "whodunit" twists to Stoker's original narrative. The solid ten-member ensemble-including Brian Parry as the captain, Herb Metzler as Yorga, and Jennifer Agather as a mute, acrobatic cabin boy-is buoyed by imaginative and well-integrated design work by Ruby Lowe (set), Liz Cooper (lighting), Beth Laske-Miller (costumes), Joe Griffin (music and sound), and DJ Douglass (projections), and Jeremiah Barr's puppetry adds an unusual, eerily effective element to the evocative storytelling."
Talkin Broadway
- Recommended
"...For the second production of its 45th season, City Lit Theater presents the world premiere of Timothy Griffin's Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter, a co-production with Black Button Eyes. Based on the seventh chapter of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Griffin imagines the voyage of the doomed ship as a tense locked-room mystery. The production, directed by Ed Rutherford, does a strong job in carrying out an interesting concept that largely succeeds."
Stage and Cinema
- Highly Recommended
"...In front of a fine set, a grizzled captain warns us of things to come; for the main action, scenic designer Ruby Lowe has crafted a portion of a ship; the helm holding court at the center with a portion of the deck below. The sails are cleverly positioned to conceal entrances and exits-crucial to the narrative-and are also used imaginatively as canvases for the projection. Joe Griffin's sound design and DJ Douglass's projections do most of the heavy lifting here in terms of atmosphere. The storm scenes, in particular, are beautifully rendered."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Timothy Griffin has created a fascinating tale of murder and mayhem on the high seas entitled "Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter." Adapted from the seventh chapter of Bram Stoker's "Dracula", this horror classic is about a Russian cargo ship and its travels from Transylvania through the Bosporus, past Italy, past the Dover Straits, and into the North Sea-with England being its final destination. But all the while, its crew is being bumped off one by one, and nobody knows what's happening or who the murderer might be."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Perfectly presented during the Halloween season, City Lit's co-production with Black Button Eyes Productions is an absolutely timely artistic pairing. Ed Rutherford's Direction is just right for presenting Timothy Griffin's creative take on the Legend of Dracula. Perhaps a little long, STRANGE CARGO could easily be trimmed down to a comfortable running time of two hours, or less. That would still leave the audience wanting more. But without a doubt, this horrifying legend of Dracula will forever be remembered as one of City Lit's finest productions."
Buzz Center Stage
- Recommended
"...Directed by Ed Rutherford, "Strange Cargo" opens as the crew of the Demeter confront a last minute booking on the Russian cargo ship arranged by Yorga, who wrangles space for the crates of not fully disclosed contents. The audience might suspect (it isn't explicitly revealed in the play)-and those familiar with the Stokers' tale or its recent depiction in Robert Eggers' 2024 film "Nosferatu"-this cargo is the necessary support for an unknown entity who remains sealed for the journey, at least most of the time."
MaraTapp.org
- Recommended
"...Those with a weakness for haunting ocean tales will want to board the Demeter, now navigating turbid waters in Chicago's appropriately named Edgewater neighborhood. Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter is a hybrid of Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Bram Stoker's Dracula, not to mention a fine choice for those seeking Halloween drama."
Allie and the After Party
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Set aboard the ship that brought Dracula to London, the crew of The Demeter feels like it's going through hell itself as mysterious happenings occur on their journey. CityLit's adaptation of the captain's journal chapter from Dracula shows us how truly terrible a trip with a vampire may have gone."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...The Demeter's crew sports several well-sculpted characters and performances. Nathaniel Kohlmeier's Petrofsky is eminently hateable (his burden as the resident rapscallion), Andrew Bosworth's Abramoff is the practical bad boy who couldn't possibly die, Alex Albrecht's Basarab is the pitiably out-of-his-depth chief mate, and Cameron Austin Brown's Munir serves as the audience's stand-in learning the ropes (and knots) of the ship while provoking laughs."
