Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Narrative spoon feeding is strictly prohibited in this cafe. But that doesn't mean emotional resonances aren't on the table. In particular, the end carries echoes of so many of the stories we've seen in recent years about mild infractions of the law ending up in police shooting unarmed citizens. Rozewicz may have been aiming for a self-contained reality, but for adventurous patrons willing to open up the containers of their own perceptions, "The Old Woman Broods" has the power to stir up some disquieting connections to our current onslaught of crises."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The outside world is referenced in broad strokes through allusions to climate change, war, and other insurmountable global issues, but all the actual drama plays out in the woman's mind, and everyone else on stage with her is probably a manifestation of its drift. Written in communist Poland within the tradition of the Theater of the Absurd, Różewicz's nightmarish vision is updated here with just enough contemporary references to strike a balance between the timely and the entirely out of time. There were many moments when I didn't know exactly what the Old Woman was talking about, but I never once doubted her deep desire for some sort of relief from suffering for both herself and the world in its entirety. It all makes poetic sense while dispensing with much narrative logic. Nicole Wiesner directed."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Manuela Rentea commands the room in the role of the Old Woman, who charms us with her candor, exuberance and tropical-hued fiesta gown, along with a company of actors well-versed in non-representational expression, enabling them to remain always in full control of their relative positions throughout Trap Door's barnlike interior. The results transform what could have emerged a desiccated academic exercise into a vibrant carnival of swirling colors and textures."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...In 1969, Polish playwright Tadeusz Rożewicz wrote a drama that was essentially a live reading of a Twitter feed. The translation by Chris Rzonca and Krystyna Illakowicz emphasizes the similarities between information overload then and now, but the former anti-Nazi Resistance fighter's anxiety regarding environmental catastrophe, encroaching violence, and dubious medical advice was oddly prescient. The experimental Trap Door Theatre has brought The Old Woman Broods to the Chicago stage through the directing of Nicole Wiesner, who is an expert in the non-naturalistic staging devices it takes to wring the power of each moment out of Rożewicz's difficult text. It's a challenge because the moments build on each other through vague associations instead of flowing, but that's part of what makes it so emblematic of the way we receive narratives today."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...I’m giving this production three stars because of its clever staging, direction and effective performances by the cast of nine. But I have to add a caveat: If you prefer plays with a plot line and character development, The Old Woman Broods is probably not for you. It’s an example of Trap Door’s adventurous work with Eastern European playwrights. I applaud them for their commitment to experimental theater, but you might not. On the other hand, if you like an occasional theater adventure, get yourself over to Cortland Street."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...The Old Woman Broods is a brilliantly directed and performed satire about the lack of control we have over ourselves and our world. It is not a play to watch superficially; you’ll need to work with this one, but the work will be rewarded. Trap Door once again proves itself to be the best place in town to see avant-garde theatre. If this kind of theatre is something you enjoy, you’ll definitely like The Old Woman Broods."
