The Ugly One at Trap Door Theatre

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Marius von Mayenburg’s 2007 horror comedy gets a bracing, utterly contemporary interpretation with Trap Door under Michael Mejia’s direction. Lette’s desperate striving for hollow beauty will be familiar to anyone who scrolls Instagram, and Scheffler’s triumphant declaration that she’s an artist rather than a doctor will evoke countless unwatchable reality TV shows."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"... It’s not that unusual for people to make minor adjustments to their faces that are a bit more intensive than normal grooming and make-up. Often it’s to look like themselves at a different age, or serves a medical purpose. But if something happened that required your entire face to be rebuilt from scratch, and you could make it look any way you wanted, what would you pick? Would it bother you to pick from a standard offering that other people might choose? These are questions raised in the 2007 play The Ugly One by German playwright Marius von Mayenburg, now being performed in an English adaptation by Maja Zade at Trap Door Theatre. Under the direction of Michael Mejia, the play has a zany energy and comedy ranging from cringe to goofy, but serves to prompt bigger questions."

Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended

"...The Ugly One was written by German playwright Marius von Mayenburg and directed by Trap Door company manager Michael Mejia. Trap Door stages works that are from a different cultural sensibility—in particular German or Eastern European. The Ugly One is a mix of the Expressionist and Absurdist genres with each character distinctly drawn, and actors playing multiple roles."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...German playwright Marius von Mayenburg penned “The Ugly One” in 2007. The English version has been translated with verve by Maja Zade, a seasoned adaptor of Europe’s most acclaimed and barbed dramatists. Trap Door ensemble member Michael Mejia directs. The work of von Mayenburg, Germany’s most-widely produced and translated contemporary playwright, is a rarity here and Trap Door deserves credit for braving and conquering “The Ugly One.”"