The Secret Council at First Folio Theatre

Daily Herald - Recommended

"...First Folio's production benefits from Brigitte Ditmars' sprightly direction. Her stylized set changes, accompanied by sound designer Christopher Kriz's spiffy, genre-specific music, are a delight. The production also boasts an artfully designed set by perennial Joseph Jefferson Award nominee Angela Weber Miller (whose nine nominations for her First Folio designs are well-deserved). When it comes to the script, however, "The Secret Council" falls short."

Chicago Reader - Not Recommended

"...These additions do allow Rice room to deepen Christie's trademark paper-thin characters. Still, the end results are disappointing. The show is a saggy bag of meandering scenes, straight-up misfires, and drawn-out dramatic buildups that don't pay off. It is hard to tell if the fault lies with Rice's baggy script, with director Brigitte Ditmars's leaden-paced production, or with the show's many dispirited performances. Many in the cast seem miscast or underrehearsed-or both. The choice to have actors double and triple roles feels like an attempt at Charles Ludlam-esque camp but only adds a layer of confusion to a play that doesn't need it."

Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended

"...So, much to my surprise and enjoyment, the First Folio production turns out to be a small gem of a show. Everyone involved recognizes the material as light entertainment, but they never patronize the script with cheap laughs or corny melodrama. Well done all round!!"

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Act One unfortunately does not inspire us to anticipate what Act Two might bring—except that during the intermission, we might admit to a neighbor about being somewhat baffled about the story and its various threads. That said, both the climax and the resolution of “The Secret Council” are quite a surprise, and that, of course, is good thing. An audience that sees a mystery performed on stage wants to be conned; and in this respect, the show is successful."