Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Nonetheless, there are a lot of compelling and skillfully staged questions in play in the scenes between Dawn and Tillikum. Is there any such thing as an ethical performative relationship between humans and animals? Can a captive animal ever be said to be happy? Is there any argument for bringing animals closer to children who might never see them? Is it time for a ban on all non-human forms of entertainment?"
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The three-person cast also features a powerful performance by Sigrid Sutter as Dawn, a character based on veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau who drowned in 2010 after Tilikum pulled her under by the ponytail. Sutter's portrayal shows a woman who is deeply connected to Tilikum, yearning to set him free even as she's participating in the very system that commodifies him. When she and Geffrard create the choreographed whale/human routines that entrance the park's customers, it's pure poetry-in-motion. Finally, there's Matt Fletcher as "The Owner," the park supervisor responsible for purchasing Tilikum. Fletcher makes him truly loathsome - condescending, dangerous and all-too recognizable."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...What is the difference between a whale and a man?, asks Kristiana Rae Colón's new play Tilikum. Why should a black whale evoke more sympathy than a black man when he's taken from what he loves and kept in untenable circumstances? Sideshow Theatre's production, under the direction of Lili-Anne Brown, demands consideration of these questions by rendering Tilikum in the body of a black man, Gregory Geffrard, who speaks and dances his story on a set that looks like the shallow end of a drained swimming pool."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Director Lili-Anne Brown ( very in-demand these days ) smartly has put together Tilikum as if it were a musical, recognizing the song-like richness of Colon's language. She's well-served by choreographer Noelle Simone and fine scenic, lighting and sound designs."
Theatre By Numbers - Highly Recommended
"...For as rich as this production is, it doesn't shy away from evoking the mass spectacle of orca shows, and inviting the audience to make their voices heard, too. It's brazen, funny, and spirit-lifting above all else, and I couldn't give "Tilikum" a higher recommendation."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...For all its heavy-handed overkill, Tilikum — lifted by its poetry and sincerity — is more than a pep rally for the PC crowd. But, overwritten and underplotted, it seems stuck in its situation. Both species are condemned to comment on the action rather than live it. Because its parallels are blatant from the beginning, we’re left to admire Lili-Anne Brown’s very watchable staging and to savor committed performances from Sideshow actors who definitely deserve center ring. That’s not quite enough."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Tilikum is not subtle in its emphasis on its messages. But the staging by director Lili-Anne Brown is creative and memorable. Tilikum is staged in the pool of a marine theme park, where Tilikum (Gregory Geffrard) is dumped from his net by the Owner (Matt Fletcher) who has bought the six-ton whale, expecting his investment to be enhanced when Tilikum mates with the female whales."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...There is a certain brilliance to Kristiana Rae Colon’s Tilikum. If it was just a play about whales, it would be a very good play about whales. If it was just a play about Race, it would be a very good play about Race. But Tilikum is more than that."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...The world premiere of Tilikum, presented by Sideshow Theatre Company is a multi-sensory exploration of captivity. Inspired by the infamous Sea World whale--whose violent antics you may have seen in the documentary, Black Fish--this play by Kristiana Rae Colon features drumming, movement, and lyrical language that pulses with a political edge."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...I could talk about how great "Tilikum" is all day. I could write about how Greg Geffrard is charming, tragic, funny, a generous and physically dynamic Tilikum whose pain and hope are boundless in an exhausting role that asks for much from him and to which he responds by giving more. I could write about how Sigrid Sutter, as his trainer, deftly illustrates the nefarious layers of well-intentioned white people."