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Redtwist Theatre
The Normal Heart Reviews
Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...when it comes to the things that really matter in the theater, this production packs a huge emotional wallop. I knew we were safe in the hands of actors who understood what the play meant in the first couple of minutes; “The Normal Heart” begins with the discovery of a personal health crisis and you immediately know if the performers can connect these events to the past and to themselves. Here, they can."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Kramer’s searing drama The Normal Heart, now running in a powerful new production at Redtwist Theatre, chronicles that terrible time with candor and compassion. Unabashedly autobiographical (though fictionalized), the play focuses on a small band of gay New Yorkers who responded to the unfolding epidemic by starting a grassroots volunteer organization. Initially intended as an information clearinghouse, Gay Men’s Health Crisis—still operating today under the name GMHC—soon was forced to offer crisis counseling via a telephone hotline and to coordinate home care support for AIDS patients."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...The production gives us a glimpse of what it meant to be an activist for gay rights in New York City at a time when it was exceedingly difficult to raise awareness, not to mention funds, for GMHC, a fledgling organization devoted to combating HIV/AIDS. It demonstrates how frustrated and upset members of the gay community were with the inaction by those in positions of political power."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Redtwist Theatre’s excellent production of this stormy and articulate play is among several exciting dramas playing in Chicago during the new Fall Season. Audiences looking for a play of historical significance, while remaining as relevant today as when it was first written, need only head to Bryn Mawr Avenue. Ted Hoerl’s brilliantly directed presentation tells Larry Kramer’s story with care and sensitivity, showcasing some excellent performances by many of Chicago’s very best actors."
Buzz Center Stage - Recommended
"...‘The Normal Heart’ is a searing indictment of the dangers of apathy. And that seems even more prescient as we head into an election in which brazenly absurd policies like Project 2025 are on the ballot. Kramer was deeply disturbed by the Western word’s inaction during the Holocaust and saw many parallels during the AIDS crisis. While not exactly a pleasant subject matter, the world needs people like Larry Kramer to sound the alarm bells. His play may not be as artful as Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’ but its message is even more dire. In the near three hour run time, in a small theater, Kramer’s gripping script is impossible to shy away from, which is exactly what he intended."
The Fourth Walsh - Recommended
"...Kramer penned a semi-autobiographical retelling of the AIDS epidemic. Set in the 80s in New York City, he addresses the varied responses to a plague affecting gay men. The healthcare system is baffled. The media is disinterested. The government is non responsive. And the gay community is divided. Should they loudly demand gay rights? Or quietly canvas for change without pissing off the establishments? Kramer’s portrayal of the fervent chaos resonates in a post-coronavirus world."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Already known for challenging audiences, this production of The Normal Heart is perhaps even more confrontational due to its intimate—sometimes claustrophobic—staging ... only inches from the audience. This gutsy directorial decision (kudos to director Ted Hoerl) challenges audiences to confront some enduring uncomfortable truths by eliminating any feeling of safe distance that the decades—or a proscenium stage—can provide."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...Most striking about Kramer’s script is the unreserved intensity of the writing, akin to someone desperate to get something off their chest. Hoerl allows the actors to reach the peaks of melancholy, which they do with remarkable endurance. “The Normal Heart” is an important addition to the collective consciousness regarding a historic event and a strong start for the next evolution of Redtwist Theatre."