Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...The Tallest Man is definitely a throwback in theme and style to the old masters. While Conor McPherson, Martin McDonagh, Marina Carr, Enda Walsh and a slew of others have been seeking a more modern voice, Lynch harks back with undisguised verve to 1895 and many of the old themes: the famine, the drinking and storytelling, the attachment to the land, the oppression of the English, corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, the ordeal of immigration, and the role of powerful women."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...John Mossman's staging subverts the Gaelic cliches with raucous zeal--an approach that fits the silly shenanigans in the first act, but backfires in the second, where it turns into melodrama what ought to be a sobering depiction of County Mayo rascals willing to sell land and loved ones for a price. Among several well-sharpened performances, Nick Horst's as a wronged local lad earns its anger."
Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...The only redeeming factor in this well-meant, but nevertheless ill-conceived, project is the unflinching commitment exhibited by director John Mossman and a cast of hard-working players exhibiting talent far exceeding their material, as well as the evident expertise of the technical team, from Mike Mroch's pastoral scenic design and Christine Adaire's vowel-perfect dialect instruction to an uncredited fight choreographer's culturally accurate scuffles. Their industry renders the two hours of Lynch's replicative exercise a sufficiently entertaining summer's evening amusement."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...The problem is not that there are a lot of stories, it's that they all work at cross-purposes. When a plot twist out of an old melodrama butts up against an grief-stricken description of a father’s death, followed shortly by relatives exchanging blows like something out of Martin McDonagh, none of it has impact. Lynch has a real way with dialogue, and there are some appealing performances, notably Horst and Nall."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...
The production is solid, and Kenyon and Nick Horst (as Finbar’s earnest cousin Frankie) are a source of life, but the play feels oddly remote for a new work. The economic hardships, the prejudice, the longing for escape, which should be so familiar today, drag under the weight of a few drooping scenes and emotional climaxes that feel unearned. A handsome twist at the play’s end would crackle with delight if told around a caravan fire but onstage is too unclear to have an immediate effect. Unlike the ghosts it evokes, it won’t keep you up at night."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The Tallest Man establishes Jim Lynch as an authentic Irish playwright and it enhances The Artistic Home as a nurturing place for developing new plays. Congratulations to both for creating such a wonderful comedy! The Irish tradition of storytelling is alive and well here in Chicago in the work of Jim Lynch aided by the craftsmen at The Artistic Home."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...I confess a few of the finer points of the plot were slightly lost on me amidst the whir of the Irish dialects, but generally speaking this is a fresh and beguiling work. The cast is vigorous and likable, and the cozy little Irish garden setting by Mike Mroch and lively jig that accompanies Aaron Krister Johnson's sound design are all mighty atmospheric. Who really is "The Tallest Man"? Is he a force of good or wicked and does he even exist at all or is he just another example of the Irish blarney? I won't spoil the suspense here for you, but I will say you will have an enjoyable time finding out. The Artistic Home has expended lots of talent in service of neglected and obscure classics and they are to be commended for producing something original and mostly appealing. "
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"...Jim Lynch also brings tears of laughter through his capturing of Irish wit and tradition without false embellishment. The Tallest Man is a rowdy good time. The language is coarse and the action is naturalistic. There is blood, sweat, spit, and lust in every scene both implied or seen. John Mossman directs this production seamlessly; every scene and character flows as well as fits in what could easily be a complicated puzzle. More than just a tale of Tinker ingenuity, the work is the story not told in the history books but instead around the table, or at the corner bar, or at your grandfather’s knee no matter your genealogy. See it, and you’ll also see your family somewhere within."
