Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Gaines has reunited much of that 2008 cast, most notably Ross Lehman and Kevin Gudahl, the hilarious tweedle dee and dum of bewigged Dromios. Not everyone was available (I just reviewed one 2008 cast member, Sean Allen Krill, in “Parade” on Broadway), but I suspect offers went out to most everyone. That was the point and from my seat, I could see how Gaines had changed the lives of these actors, all regulars over the last decades at the theater company she created."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...This is the valedictory production as artistic director for Barbara Gaines, who founded and led Chicago Shakespeare from its days performing in a pub to its status as a major institution, with a regional Tony Award and a grand, multi-theater space on Navy Pier."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...I saw that first outing and remember it fondly. This incarnation hits a little differently given the circumstances of Gaines’s imminent departure as AD and everything going on in our own embattled times. But even with many of the same players on board, Gaines’s valedictory production doesn’t waste much energy with soppy nostalgia. It’s a suitably silly and generally well-paced affair that both sends up and honors the worlds of make-believe on stage and screen. A fine final treat from Gaines for we happy few, indeed."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Recommended
"...Barbara Gaines, who built Chicago Shakespeare Theater from an idea into a signature institution for an international city, is retiring, and for her final directorial assignment at her theater she has chosen Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, the wide ranging ribald mistaken identity romp she tackled fifteen years ago, and she has brought back some of her original cast, coming full circle with actors she loves to work with. AND she has added a whole new play to nestle it in, a play within a play."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...For her finale as Artistic Director she has chosen one of the funniest of his works, “The Comedy of Errors”, a story about two sets of twins, one set the nobles and the other their servants. They are separated during a voyage , one of each, and many years later, they find themselves in the same city and question how people seem to know them considering they have never been there before. That is pretty much the actual story in the original form and is quite funny. Over the years, there have been several adaptations, but none like this one!"
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Believed to have been written sometime between 1591-1594, William Shakespeare’s far-fetched farcical comedy is given a modern, updated adaptation by Ron West and Barbara Gaines. In her farewell production as Artistic Director of CST, Ms. Gaines puts her artistic touch on every aspect of this thoroughly captivating, laugh-a-minute production. Audiences will enjoy and cherish each moment. With a cry of “Lights, Camera, Action!” Ms. Gaines has directed her cast with the expertise and agility of a seasoned ringmaster. There’s action happening everywhere, from all corners of the stage to the aisles of the theatre, making Shakespeare’s broadest comedy a feast of sheer madness and delightful mayhem."
The Fourth Walsh
- Highly Recommended
"...Gaines has fun with this one! Within the swirling chaos of movie production in a war zone, she adds touching moments of romance and humanity. The dynamic cast make us laugh and care especially about their 1940s’ lives. Shakespeare’s characters almost take a back seat to West’s characters. Because the show is long (nearly three hours), Shakes’ big identities reveal scene seems to drag. I find myself more interested in wrapping up the drama on West’s set than in the ‘movie.’ Still, the Gaines’ epic finale is a feel-good show to see and experience!"
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s founder and artistic director Barbara Gaines, easily one of the city’s most prolific and influential directors, is retiring from the theater with a gift for Chicagoland: a reprise of her wonderfully jocund 2008 version of The Comedy of Errors."
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...In a show filled with superb featured character roles, Ora Jones (Abbess), Adia Bell (Fanny) and Bruce A. Young (Monty/Duke) all stand out. Greg Vinkler shines as the ruddy Admiral Philpot and as his brother Eddie Philpot, funnyman Bill Larkin provides the oft-repeated phrase of the night that everyone will be saying to Barbara Gaines in appreciation of her decades of commitment to making Shakespeare accessible to everyone: “Thanks. Very Much!”"
Life and Times
- Highly Recommended
"...“The Comedy of Errors” is one of Shakespeare’s funniest plays, and one of his most accessible. You don’t have to be a Shakespearean scholar to have a rousing good time with this classic tale of mistaken identity."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Highly Recommended
"...Chicago Shakespeare's latest production of The Comedy of Errors, directed with verve and aplomb by theatre founder Barbara Gaines, marks her last play as artistic director. Gaines is going out on top with this wonderfully funny and surprisingly soulful show (her 60th as director). It's a fond remount of her 2008 production, and one which displays her gift for showcasing the continued relevance, not just the timelessness, of the Bard's work."
BroadwayWorld
- Recommended
"...Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines cleverly marries play and production concept in THE COMEDY OF ERRORS for her final production."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...The production is great fun, and a fine sendoff for the invaluable Gaines after thirty-six years of bringing Shakespeare to Chicago."
