Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Henry Wishcamper's production, which is uncompromising in every way, uses the new adaptation of the play by the great Irish scribe Conor McPherson, a playwright who likes having devils walk through the door, or lurk on the stoop, or plop down in a character's head. So, in essence, he takes the usual expressionistic sexual tension you find in your everyday Strindberg (that sounds a bit like a perverse line of dishware) and ups the ante when it comes to the characters confronting mortality. Big time."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Every second of the Writers Theatre production of "The Dance of Death" is worth the price of admission. But you should take a seat in the company's intensely intimate bookstore space for one very specific reason alone: To watch actor Larry Yando perform his demented and hilarious interpretive dance to "The Entry March of the Boyars," a soulful military mashup that brilliantly captures the hidden charm of his irascible character, Edgar."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...It's practically impossible to miss the parallels between August Strindberg's The Dance of Death and Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf—and somebody's sure to point them out to you if by chance you do. I know I've found the resemblance noted everywhere I've looked, from Wikipedia to the program notes for Writers Theatre's fierce production of the Strindberg play, built around a new adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson"
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...But the intimacy can work against the production as well. The majestic Cochran and Yando are equally matched combatants, each as precise and mesmerizing as ever, and yet Yando's characterization can come across as a bit outsized for the tight confines. Johnson only gets to let loose at the play's climax, spending most of the evening as a sounding board; even still, his Kurt never radiates the malleability he should for Alice and Edgar to peg him as their new plaything."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...Writers' mesmerizing treatment of Strindberg's theatrical blitzkrieg represents an aggregate of strengths, starting with the U.S. premiere of a new English-language adaptation by the Irish playwright Conor McPherson - whose own remarkable canon includes the likes of "The Seafarer," "Dublin Carol" and "Port Authority," the last potently staged at Writers earlier this season. McPherson charges "The Dance of Death" with his characteristically precise language and taut linearity, quite an achievement for a work of such careening energy and shifting impetus."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The Dance of the Dead is an enticingly powerful drama/dark comedy filled with characters so contradictory that we never are quite sure who to cheer for as we sit on the edge of our seats wondering what will happen next. The physicality of some action highlights the emotionally charged gamesmanship. This Writers Theatre gem is among the strongest plays seen in the Chicagoland Area in many a moon. The acting will impress you."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...For those of you who know Yando from “The Lion King”, or his recent years as “Scrooge” at The Goodman, or any of the hundreds of productions in and around town, you will get to see yet another side of his talent ( he even dances a wonderful side splitting jog). For those of you who have watched Cochran on Writers stages and others, or Mr. Johnson in his various theater roles in Chicago, you are in for a treat. A play filled with drams, comedy ( at least comedic moments) and a story that will wow you from start to finish."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"..."The Dance of Death" may sound like a chore for the viewer. Who needs to be bombarded with hateful behavior by unsympathetic characters for more than two hours? The play is partly autobiographical and one can concede that Strindberg was no fan of the marital life, but do we need to share his acrimony? The answer is, Absolutely, at least if you appreciate stunning acting that grips the viewer with its uncompromising intensity. "The Dance of Death" is genuinely entertaining, and even fun at times. It's not for children, but adults who appreciate a really adult playgoing experience should be enthralled."