There is No Power for the Electric Chair Reviews

Chicago Reader - Not Recommended

"...Donaldson is a complete wet blanket as Leonard. His blunt replies keep any energy from building between him and the convict. There are a couple of decent rallies, like when the two debate the relative merits of electrocution and beheading with a scimitar, but nothing raucous or moving. The steady depletion of available oxygen in the room is much remarked upon, and by the end of the night, we felt it thinning out too."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...The Trap Door Theatre has long been a valuable part of the Chicagoland theatre ecosystem as one of the most prominent purveyors of Eastern European staging devices. This season, they've launched a special series called "Trap Open," which is dedicated to giving more artists an opportunity to explore forms that are uncommon on American stages and create a radically different experience than naturalism. Currently running on the company's off-nights is the English-language premiere of the new Bulgarian drama There is No Power for the Electric Chair. Written by the poet, novelist, and dramatist Alexander Sekulov and translated by Holly Karapetkova, it's a brief two-hander think-piece presented through a dialogue between convict and executioner who are suddenly isolated."

Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended

"...In this viewer's opinion, the play had some issues with momentum. In a play such as this, where the actors are positioned in the same room, and one strapped to a chair, any drops in energy were palpable, which did happen from time to time. Additionally, the script by Alexandar Sekulov, to this playwright, raised interesting questions, but did so in repetition, to the point that the dialogue became tired and in desperate need of some sort of escalation. Lastly, the acting from both performers lacked a sense of stakes, at least to this reviewer. Despite all of this, it is extremely refreshing to not only see new work, but the world premiere of a work written by a Bulgarian poet, which is a brave feat in and of itself."

NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...Trap Door’s work is precise and thoughtful, but the more time I spend there, the quicker that shadow catches up. This political, intellectual art that comes from across the sea, and is too far removed from our American sensibility of the stage (placed firmly in the tradition of entertainment) as well as our politics (placed firmly in the space of individuals and emotion) to resonate in a more meaningful way. Instead, it isolates itself from the world outside its doors, leaving one long thin thread trailing all the way across the continent and toward the Balkans."