The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, The Obligatory Holiday Special presented by Hell In A Handbag Productions at Center on Halsted - Hoover-Leppen Theatre

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Cerda captures the essence of the original show, including working with seasoned actors who elevate this work to more than just campy sketches under Spenser Davis’s direction. But don’t be fooled—he keeps it smartly self-aware. It’s essentially a light piece of nostalgia from a less-informed time, and Cerda and the company enjoy playing with that motif. Cerda even sprinkles in a deftly written talent show, allowing his actors to showcase their singing abilities with comical Christmas and Hanukkah songs."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...I can think of no better way to start off the holiday season then with laughter. What better way than with Hell In A Handbag’s latest production, “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes”. David Cerda has a way of bringing out cheers and smiles in people, no matter what type of day life is throwing at you. This particular episode of The Golden Girls produced nothing but smiles and laughter from the audience."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Another rollicking trip down memory lane with Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia is Chicago’s gift for the holidays. Hell in a Handbag is serving up a generous helping of new offbeat, side-splitting adult humor that won’t be found anywhere else around the Windy City. Beneath the pretty period costumes, the pouffy wigs and the preposterous plot there beats a gentle heart. It’s what made the television series such a beloved experience. Because, in the end, amid all the humor, “The Golden Girls” is really a time honored tribute to simply being a friend."

Picture This Post - Recommended

"...It feels like we’re right on the set of The Golden Girls as we step into the theater space at the Center on Halsted. A Christmas tree stands off to the right, lit up and stacks of presents beneath it. The iconic lanai and apartment kitchen are in the background."

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

"...Christmas comes early for fans of "The Golden Girls." David Cerda and the entire Hell in a Handbag Productions gang are back with another rip-roaring edition of THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES. This entry is subtitled THE OBLIGATORY HOLIDAY SPECIAL and it is sure to delight fans of both the original show and the parody tributes written by Cerda (who does double duty here as deep-voiced and broad-shouldered Dorothy here)."

NewCity Chicago - Recommended

"...Hell in a Handbag Productions’ premiere of “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes—The Obligatory Holiday Show,” directed by Spenser Davis, is an adult parody that brings back all four saucy ladies—the innocently aloof Rose Nylund (Ed Jones), promiscuous Southern belle Blanche Devereaux (Grant Drager), sarcastic matriarch Sophia Petrillo (Ryan Oates) and pragmatic Dorothy Zbornak, played by David Cerda, who is also the artistic director of Handbag and the show’s playwright as well."