The Long Red Road Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Most positive of all is Hoffman's simple pin-spot lingering on the pained face of a young actress named Fiona Robert. Although still a high-school sophomore, Robert turns in an extraordinary, moving performance here, belatedly kicking the show into high emotional gear as her vulnerable teenage character's needs start to overwhelm the only man who can fulfill them. Once Robert's seemingly desperate honesty raises everyone's game, "The Long Red Road" finds its emotional feet in the riveting last 20 minutes."

Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...Some might describe Brett C. Leonard's "The Long Red Road," now in its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre, as a contemporary Greek tragedy, replete with self-destruction, betrayal, incest and immolation. Others might dub it the latest entry in what can often seem like an Olympic event for "theatrical family dysfunction." And still others might perceive it as an exercise in shoving "real life" into your face, leaving you to decide only whether there comes a point when giving people the unvarnished truth becomes its own form of exploitation."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The play's unorthodox narrative construction challenges a director to make clear what's happening where and when. That's why the work of set designer Eugene Lee and lighting designer Edward Pierce—collaborators on such Broadway shows as Wicked and Ragtime—is crucial. Though the characters use the same kitchen and bathroom, Lee places Sam and Annie's bedroom close to the audience while keeping Sandra and Bob's sleeping area upstage, suggesting the geographic and emotional distance between the two couples. And Pierce's artful use of stage lighting in combination with illumination from table lamps makes the time and setting of each scene crystal clear while enhancing its emotional tone. Time will tell whether a production of The Long Red Road could grab an audience without the benefit of such sophisticated design. But in its Goodman Theatre incarnation, it's one of the most striking shows I've seen."

Copley News Service - Recommended

"...The Brett C. Leonard play is receiving its world premiere, after a long period of gestation, in a solidly acted and inventively staged production at the Goodman Owen Theatre. But the play remains a downer and could still use some work before it’s ready for prime time."

Talkin Broadway - Not Recommended

"...Though the play transitions from the naturalism of the first act into some more traditional forward motion in the second act—dealing with the visit from Sam's brother and daughter and the aftermath of that visit—not much of a journey is made on this road. Sam is unable to change and, while he shows some kindness to Tasha that impacts her in positive ways, his downward slide continues. In sum, this is a picture of the damage of alcoholism that might have been better told as a painting than a drama. It's essentially one point in time—a moment with a history that created it and with future repercussions resulting from it, but what's on stage is only that moment."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...Leaving no stone unturned in the headlong confusion of unpleasantness with high artistic seriousness, the play also features an incest subplot, handled with decorous salaciousness. Hoffman employs some creative staging for all this folderol, layering scenes on top of one another and generally making the most of Eugene Lee’s eye-catching set. And he elicits some fine performances from a compelling cast, particularly the stoic McGarry as Sam’s brother Bob. But The Long Red Road delivers as edgy and hard-hitting an experience as the average episode of Jay Leno."

ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended

"...The Long Red Road is a maudlin work that creeps along until its unrealistic conclusion. It is powerful albeit a one-note dramatization of alcoholism. Tom Hardy aptly depicts a self destructive coward. A quicker pace and a more compact staging would serve this piece well."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...This production displays the brilliance of what The Goodman can bring to the theatre community. Directed by the impressive Philip Seymour Hoffman, he seems to allow the actors the freedom of choice and not to restrict the impulse to breathe more life into these characters. Staged like a physically staggering tango, full of passion and heat, we are ripped through their warpaths with a vengeance. Adding to this all-star team is the impressive Eugene Lee who once again creates a tantalizing space for the actors to inhabit. The broken worlds all played in one space allows for a fluid movement needed for this script. Lighting this world is the luminous Edward Pierce who artistically incorporates practicals and minimal stage instruments to paint the stage with a specific darkness and an illuminated reality."