Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...“The Island” is one of the finest anti-apartheid plays ever penned and, some 50 years after its very risky premiere in Cape Town, this work by Athol Fugard and South African actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona now functions as a cautionary tale about the potentially devastating human consequences of incarceration."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Court Theatre’s stark, riveting production of “The Island” begins with the sound of waves crashing — almost lulling cadences that evoke beauty and tranquility. But when the lights come up in director Gabrielle Randle-Bent’s staging, there’s no water to be seen. We’re in a scorched world of burnt umber sand and concrete slabs bleached to bone. This is Robben Island, the South African prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years incarcerated. Here, the ocean was repurposed as a prison wall."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The men and the audience are spurred to interrogate difficult questions. Is fighting for justice worth your life? What meaning is there in life without freedom? These are the kinds of questions not easily answered with words, and Randle-Bent deftly leverages silence and humor to illuminate the darkness. The Island is a riveting, philosophically sophisticated play that is a must-see for fans of meaty theater."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Recommended
"...Robben Island is a Maximum Security Prison in South Africa that opened in 1961 and closed in 2011. It's prominent because Nobel Laureate and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was imprisoned there for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of Apartheid. Court Theatre brings to the stage John and Winston, two political prisoners who share a prison cell on an unnamed Island, spending their days toiling in the prison's quarry. Their crime belonged to a banned organization and burning his passbook in front of the police. Burning his passbook was considered a serious crime, as the government used passbooks to segregate and control the South African people."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Everything is top notch in this performance, what I really liked was the simple yet powerful set. Yeaji Kim definitely should be nominated for a Jeff for this set, and Jason Lynch for lighting did a remarkable job. You can feel the heat of the sun, and the darkness of the cell. And, I have to mention Raquel Adorno for a great job with the costumes, they worked so well, and were so versatile it showed how the prisoners used everything in that prison to help when they performed their show for the prison."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...''The Island,'' the extraordinary protest drama created by White dissident playwright and director Athol Fugard and two Black actors, John Kani and Winston Ntshona is receiving a sharp and impressive reimaging at Court Theatre under the excellent direction of Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The transformation that takes place is phenomenal. Creon starts out as a jovial and good-natured King. He acts disarmingly foolish, that is, until he broaches the subjects of law and order. His passion for obedience to the state grows aggressive and terrifying—“The shield has defended; Now, the sword must strike!”"
