Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...So here we have a capable young playwright, a trio of decent and highly experienced actors all with great senses of humor, and a fine idea for a play with lots of novel physicality. There is a fresh situation and things to talk about. But where did this writer really want her play to go, beyond finding the pleasures of the oceans still being available at any age? That, I think, is still a work in progress."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...With “Wipeout,” Rivendell Theatre Ensemble offers a production with something I have never seen on stage over the course of roughly 30 years of playgoing: A cast starring a trio of women hovering on the edge of their 70s. That isn’t just a rarity; it's all but unheard of; seems the farther an actress gets from her ingenue days, the scarcer the roles."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...The entire cast excels at the overlapping dialogue Real de Asua employs, and their performances are all the more impressive for the fact that they spend most of their time sitting on those boards as they scoot around the small stage (kudos to movement consultant Devon de Mayo for making the blocking look effortless—except when effort is clearly required). The backdrop projections of the ocean and seagulls (created by Andres Fiz) subtly match the emotional interiors here."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...These ladies are not just experiencing the navigation of the waves and current, but in fact, they are learning to navigate their friendships, their fears and where they are in their lives. While the subject matter is indeed about surfing and their being able to overcome their fear of same, the truth is the basic story is about their lives, past and present, and even a little into the future. Are they happy? Are they content? Did they accomplish what they had hoped to? All of htis comes out and I must say that these three ladies are terrific."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Rivendell's new season, collectively entitled "It's Women's Work," opens with a terrific World Premiere production. WIPEOUT is about so much more than simply catching a wave and surfing, although the journey these women take to learn the sport is a metaphor. It cleverly mirrors the journey in life that people take and, at a certain age, reflect upon. The distance traveled, the people we meet and the experiences we glean make life a rich tapestry of wonder. Aurora Real de Asua sees that. She is a name to remember because I think she's going to have a shining future as a brilliant, new playwright. And, as directed in this premiere by Rivendell's masterful and intuitive Artistic Director, Tara Mallen, this is a production that all of Chicago will want to experience."
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...This glorious cry epitomizes three friends’ attempts to recapture their youthful freedom, and their decades-long bond, during a surfing lesson off the Santa Cruz coast. Part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, Rivendell’s production of Wipeout immerses audiences in the surf culture of the Pacific Coast, even as it grapples with the anxieties of growing old."
City Pleasures
- Highly Recommended
"...WIPEOUT, De Susa's exceptional homage to a dauntless grandmother at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, not only introduces us to three women cut from similar cloth, but places them in a context that both testifies to their thirst for living and to the playwright's love of the ocean."
BroadwayWorld
- Highly Recommended
"...Ultimately, Rivendell has gifted Chicago with yet another exciting world premiere that creates a space for women's stories that feels accessible enough for newcomers and adventurous enough for return audiences. Much like barreling through a hollowed-out wave, you'll leave the theater feeling slightly unnerved but greatly exhilarated."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...Mirthful and snappy quips and zingers make up the bulk of the women’s conversations and keep the show afloat. While serious topics act as tent poles for the plot, most of the interaction relies on jokes and absurdities delivered in a rapid and well-timed manner. Some of them are real gut-busters, like when Gary laments about wanting to surf as a kid, but that “my mother wouldn’t let me. She couldn’t take the patchouli!”"
