Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...This is a minimal production that, frankly, called out to be produced in a real pub, and on opening night, Swanson still had a ways to go (he tended to get distracted by his hair constantly falling into his eyes). But he’s an authentic, vulnerable actor and I suspect he’ll grow into the strikingly difficult textual demands of this role. He already builds an empathetic character, struggling to balance his personal needs with broader ethical responsibilities, a nexus that has informed many great plays, famed TV shows and movies aplenty. If, like me, you like this kind of cryptic storytelling, well, it’s always cooler by the lake."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...The rhyming structure of the show seldom feels contrived in Swanson's telling, and the close-up nature of the staging is definitely a plus here. Occasionally Noone seems to be straining a little too hard to make a point about the crabs-in-a-barrel nature of immigration and class politics in the U.S. (I'm betting he's read Noel Ignatiev's How the Irish Became White). But when Finnegan's wife tells him, "You've got to stop thinking like an immigrant," it's a telling moment about how the American dream too often depends on creating nightmares for those who got here after us."
Around The Town Chicago
- Recommended
"...This show has been called “A thriller in rhyme”. I did not find this to be the case. I did find it to be poetic in a non-rhyming way and that the character with whom we get to spend our time is someone that is interesting. His stories, as outlandish as they may seem, seemed real and his sincerity true. There is one story, dealing with rats that may be a little tough for some, but it does have strong reasons for being part of this powerful story of survival."
The Fourth Walsh
- Highly Recommended
"...Andrew Burden Swanson is a master storyteller. Swanson plays Tim Finnegan, an unemployed Irish immigrant with a story… actually several stories… to tell. Swanson is transfixing as he weaves together a modern yarn with unexpected twists and turns. And he does it by seamlessly playing multiple characters in a variety of dialects. He becomes his wife Tina by crossing arms and assuming a Boston accent. He quarrels with her in his own Irish brogue. Swanson effortlessly goes back and forth in conversations playing everyone. Some of the interactions are humorous. Others are intense. Swanson navigates them all with charming distinction."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Recommended
"...But this is a slickly told tale, with an incredibly challenging role ably handled by Swanson, and boy did it bring back vivid memories of my hardscrabble early twenties. You want a taste of old-school Chicago storefront theater delivered with a daredevil’s commitment to entertaining an audience sitting inches from the action? Get yourself to Edgewater and strap in for the ride."
City Pleasures
- Highly Recommended
"...Ryan Emens spare but handsome set made an ideal backdrop to a journey of cryptic self-discovery. Michael Huey’s sound design added audio nuance that brought dimension and rich textures of suspense. The Smuggler brings the world we live in into clearer focus and deepens our understanding of people. That it does it so well makes it both hugely commendable and remarkable."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...“The Smuggler” is a powerful experience, a work of high artistry that bleeds over into the real world, right now. As the show ends and the crowd exits, processing the emotionally harrowing and morally challenging story they’ve just witnessed, the Rolling Stones’ haunting “Sympathy for the Devil” echoes across the empty stage. In a show full of right choices, it’s the perfect closing note."
