The Green Bay Tree at Pride Arts Center - The Buena

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...It's not clear exactly what vision Sarno had in mind—from casting (aside from one of them having a shaved head, there's little apparent age difference between the older man and his ward) on down to the actors' evident discomfort being off book, this production is more focused on scraping by with the basics just to make it to the final curtain."

Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...The play puts a heavy price on Dulicmer's lifestyle, that may have acted as a deterrent to sexually curious audience members in 1933, but is frankly overwrought and laughable for Pride Film's open and out audiences. The outdated mores of The Green Bay Tree would serve us better by being skewered."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...The element, however, that's missing from Amy L. Sarno's production is the melodrama. The director would've had a far more successful experience guiding this play if she'd either played it strictly serious, emphasizing the "wicked in great power, spreading like a green bay tree;" or allowed more of the humor to seep through the performances, based upon the script's obvious, over-the-top acting style, which can be enjoyed in vintage films like "Design for Living," "42nd Street" and "I'm No Angel." As the two-hour production now plays, theatergoers are uncertain how they should react, hence a certain reticence to laugh at a recent performance. But this welcome addition to a month of Pride plays, musicals and entertainments sheds light on a more closeted era in GLBT history by focusing on a little-known melodrama from the history of Gay Theatre."

Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended

"...The Green Bay Tree is a landmark British drama by Mordaunt Shairpe that premiered in London's West End in 1933 and on Broadway later that year. The story of a handsome young man, torn between his fiancee and the lifestyle offered by his male mentor, was a scandalous hit in both cities and made a star of its leading actor, Laurence Olivier. The play's gay subtext was subtle enough to escape censorship in London. Now on view at Pride Films and Plays and directed by Amy L. Sarno, The Green Bay Tree is mannered in the drawing room comedy style and has some puzzling plot points. Originally set in London's Mayfair, the current adaptation moves to Chicago and adds local references. (It's not clear why.)"

Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended

"...The play itself is a wild ride of reveals – from the introduction of the fiancé to the return of forgotten family members, along with the undertones of sexual desire from Dulcimer towards Julian, suggesting that Dulcimer’s relationship with his protégé is not all innocent and familial. Shairp’s story is a warning and commentary on the temptations of luxury. and how it can lead to harmful and inescapable cycle."