The Firestorm at First Folio Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...The strongest part of Friedman’s play — which Lambert’s staging teases out a little slowly but ultimately to good effect — is the ways in which she suggests that people in high-powered careers seek advantageous matches. Perhaps they’re not so different from medieval royalty in that regard. Love’s got something to do with it, certainly. But all other things being equal, both Patrick and Gaby (who have only been married a couple of years) projected possibilities of career advancement and prestige onto each other without fully realizing what they were signing on for."

Daily Herald - Highly Recommended

"..."The Firestorm," Meridith Friedman's 2015 drama in a blistering revival at First Folio Theatre, makes that clear almost from the beginning when the wife of an aspiring politician and his campaign worker disagree over how to best describe the wife's career ascent."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...What is frustrating about Friedman's play, at least as it has been interpreted in First Folio Theatre's otherwise well-produced show (directed by Rachel Lambert), is that it pulls its punches, taking pains to show that the white male protagonist (played by Steve O'Connell) is really a nice guy—not racist at all!—and that, to some extent, he is being unfairly called to account. In other words, this seems to be the story of a good white man being brought down because one little incident in his youth makes him look like one of the bad ones. (You see, he was forced by his peers to do what he did, and besides he resigned from the fraternity right after the incident.)"

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Director and First Folio artistic associate Rachel Lambert presents a crisp and engaging drama that takes full advantage of her lead actors’ emotional range. Both characters change across ninety-plus minutes, keeping the audience engaged. What makes this a recommendable production, however, is its unflinching take on the emotional damage done by Patrick, who naively believes (as those of us with white privilege are bound to do) that his actions have little consequence. We never do find out whether or not Patrick wins the election. We do learn that everyone has a line they are unwilling to cross."