Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...In all fairness, some in the crowd Saturday did seem eventually to get with the whale in this tale, at least in the last moments, when the show finally acquires some clarity and, well, humanity. But the elephant remains a terribly vague characterization, as this piece spends so much more of its precious time on those who own a family circus and get subjugated by an evil entrepreneur named Quigley - and who gives a darn about him beyond a certain point? It's as if "Oliver" had spent all of its stage time on Bill Sikes. Or if "Matilda" had forgotten the name on its marquee, which, in the case of the show under review, consists of one elephant and one whale."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...As I watched "The Elephant and the Whale," which features a story by that ever-quirky writer Seth Bockley (conceived in league with co-directors Frank Maugeri and Leslie B. Danzig), and the endlessly inventive visuals and engineering feats by that multimedia magician Maugeri, I did begin to worry that the whole thing might just be a bit over the heads of the tots of all ages in attendance. But then the cardboard tail of a very large sea creature moved into view and a wholly engaged little observer cried out, "It's the whale!" And amid laughter from all corners of the house it became clear that everyone was safely on board for this voyage."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Seth Bockley wrote the silly, heart-wrenching script from a story he conceived with directors Frank Maugeri and Leslie Buxbaum Danzig, who put all manner of low-tech sophistication-stick puppets, toys, masks, projections, scrolling murals-into the hands of the delightfully mishap-prone four-person cast. Bockley and Kevin O'Donnell's forlorn folk score can be cryptic, and the story includes audacious logical gaps. The results may leave your five-year-old perplexed, but they might also amplify his imagination-and yours too."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...I'm not saying that the script doesn't contain some ingenious loquaciousness, but the whole enterprise lacks soul and seems to be written with the technical aspects in mind. Indeed, the flavor and ingenuity of the turn-of-the-century devices (including a wholly underused tri- horned gramophone machine) seem to have sprung from the combined minds of Georges Melies and Terry Gilliam, but the story feels like something that a down-and-out beat poet would read to a disengaged and perplexed crowd."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...This being a world premiere, presumable the production is amenable to revision. The opening 20 minutes should be punched up to engage the interest of the children who could find the extended narration difficult to absorb. A little more involvement with the audience would also help connect the viewers with the performers. The biggest reaction from the crowd came when the audience was squirted with water from the stage. The kids loved it. After each performance, the viewers are allowed on stage to interact with the performers and check out the set, props, puppets, and mechanical gizmos."
Splash Magazine - Recommended
"....The Elephant and The Whale is recommended for families. Grown-ups will wonder how the props work and children will wonder when they will get to see another play. Helping children make sense of the play is a well thought out program that really gives some good inside information along with plenty of arts and crafts."
