Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...As Ellie, Lyons shows off the chops of a veteran actress comfortable sitting in a fallible character with self-defeating habits and a limited worldview. She draws hatred and sympathy from the audience in one breath, punctuating the heaviest moments with dry wit."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...dfrey excels when she allows characters to have quiet moments of reflection, as when Samantha recounts first meeting Kate, or when Ellie confesses that she spent her marriage pining for a different future. But the playwright's overarching interest in Ellie keeps the play from its fullest complexity. We often only hear her side of things, and Kate remains a cipher whose stake in this family feels unnecessary."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Artemisia: A Chicago Theatre brings the charming, witty, and hard-hitting play “Sweet Texas Reckoning” to Stage 3A of the Den Theatre. Adroitly directed by Julie Proudfoot and based on the comedy by Traci Godfrey, the performance is spectacular in the way it draws in the audience and doesn’t let go until the very end."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Artemisia’s Midwestern Premiere of Traci Goldberg’s comedic drama strives, under the astute direction of Julie Proudfoot, to be a timely play. The trouble is that it tries to address too many issues, too quickly. First, it’s a feminist play that deals with individual rights. It’s also about a gay character who not only bravely comes out to her prejudiced, narrow-minded mother, but admits that she’s married to an African-American woman. In addition to that, the happy couple is expecting their first child, who may be bi-racial. Then there’s the whole issue of the mother’s troubled past relationship with her deceased husband, her son and his family, who never actually appear in the play, but are discussed, at length. We also have the former boyfriend hanging around, who’s been led to believe that everything will end happily ever after. There’s just too much, and yet not enough, for an audience to become emotionally involved with these characters and their story. It’s all booze, racism and homophobia—all tied up with a happy ending."
Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Sweet Texas Reckoning is a family story set up as a kitchen culture clash. It’s the story of a biracial, same-sex couple from New York vs. religious, bigoted Texans. The script by Traci Godfrey, who describes herself as a former closeted Texan, is now being staged by Artemisia Theatre with direction by Julie Proudfoot."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...Given the set-up, it’s easy to understand that Sweet Texas Reckoning is a very emotional play. It’s also a pretty short one, at 1:45 including an intermission. Godfrey might have done herself and her characters a favor by giving the huge, passionate swings in their reactions a bit more room to develop more naturally, as everything seems to happen way too quickly for such a fraught situation and tensions dissipate with remarkable suddenness. Still, the play’s resolution is satisfying if a bit too rosy for the circumstances, and Godfrey is sure to allow each of her characters to learn something important about themselves and their relationships. Credit Proudfoot for focusing on developing these characters, even if it is at the expense of whatever humor was there to be mined."
Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...Sweet Texas Reckoning is a great fit for Stonewall 50 audiences that want a feel good story that fits the times. If you, like this writer, seek a bit more complexity from characters and story lines, this might not be your top pick show."
TheatreWorld Internet Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Sweet Texas Reckoning with its bold, yet compassionate direction and brilliant cast, has enough laughs to make the tragedy bearable with a breath of hope for the bad mamma who wants to be good."
