Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...But good plays spark discussions and this play sure did spark some great post-show discussions. I’m grateful for that and the evening I spent at Citadel Theatre. Make no mistake about it, my musings aside,this is a good to very good show, well worth seeing, but it was aiming to be a great show and it missed."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...How do you handle “Truth”, or a new idea that confronts your beliefs. “The Christians” , written by Lucas Hnath, lets you ponder this idea by bringing up a topic that most people believe in. How would handle your Pastor or Rabbi telling you one day, “There is no hell” ? Scott Phelps play’s Paul the Pastor of a Mega-Church ;a man who started out with a small store-front church with 10 congregants, and grew to a congregation in the thousands, and of course a church that he was able to build a huge conference center and pay off all debt."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This is a play that won't appeal to everyone. It's often difficult to watch, but it will challenge every audience. No matter what a patron's religious beliefs are, there's food for thought in this concise, yet inconclusive drama. It dares to ask some very controversial questions but it also has the good sense not to provide any solutions. Lucas Hnath's drama challenges each theatergoer to formulate his own answers."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...No matter what the religion espoused at home, “The Christians,” an Obie Award winning drama by Lucas Hnath, is bound to provoke discussion on the way home."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...Hnath’s excellent writing was made more impactful by Director Scott Westerman’s casting of Scott Phelps in the lead role of Pastor Paul. As the only voice for the first twenty minutes, his entire persona drew instant comparisons to household-name preachers like Joel Osteen. Mary Baca (Costume Designer) styled him perfectly to meet our expectations of a pastor with hoards of adoring followers (and just as many lucrative donations)."
Life and Times - Recommended
"...Under the skillful direction of Scott Westerman, Citadel Theatre's intimate performance space is transformed into a very believable megachurch facsimile. This is due in large part to the company's investment in state of the art digital video monitors provided by Pangea Technology. It is the same technology used to make American Idol and The Voice ratings sensations on television."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Under the direction of Scott Westerman, the play moves at a rapid pace without intermission, only dragging toward the end when the outcome is clear. Some shows will include post-show discussions, led by local spiritual leaders. This play asks questions that it doesn't answer, and the audience will have plenty to talk about, long after the screens flicker out."
