Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The fights (created by Maureen Yasko) involve straight-up fisticuffs instead of blades. Not all of the blows land believably on the small stage, but the verbal thrusts and parries tear through the chain of command as the women confront their own mortality and what their mission (or its failure) might mean for future generations, especially women. Underneath all the nods to other familiar tropes contained in the story, the show maintains a poignant note of despair and sadness that women's gambits for personal glory must be measured against the expectation that they will always sacrifice themselves for the greater good."
Theatre By Numbers - Recommended
"...If the confines of a storefront space do not allow the drama to soar as high as it might, that is not necessarily a flaw. With a solid script, an open scenic design by Jessie Baldinger, and a grounded set of actors, this Babes With Blades production stands out for the risks it takes in using movement to create an alien environment, coaxing the audience to imagine what it might feel like to walk through space. Even if a woman cannot escape the patriarchy while floating through the stars, at least she can push farther than she ever has before."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Whoever said that theater has to be high-brow never anticipated the performance of "Women of 4G" by the Babes with Blades Theatre Company at the Factory Theater, in Rogers Park. Written by Amy Tofte and directed by Lauren Katz, the play is science fiction meets office politics within the venue of a spacecraft orbiting the Earth seventy-five years in the future. It features an all women cast."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Amy Tofte's exciting, often hilarious feminist space adventure has been brought to life by one of Chicago's most dynamic theatre companies. Known for their edgy characters, over-the-top plots and combative action, this company is constantly helping to bridge the gap in gender parity. Guided by guest director Lauren Katz, the play bristles with tension and sizzles with humor, although she does miss a few opportunities to take this parody to its maximum potential. For a Summer evening of high-tech melodrama, strong characterizations and unexpected laughs, theatergoers will enjoy becoming lost in space with the Women of 4G."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...In Women of 4G, Babes With Blades fulfills their mission of telling stories with women driving the action, including violence and its consequences. Unfortunately, in this case, the script doesn't call for sword fighting (admittedly awkward to choreograph on a space ship). I did miss that aspect of BWBTC's staging, which was gloriously performed, for instance, in Othello and The Lady Demands Satisfaction."
Chicago On Stage - Somewhat Recommended
"...Ultimately, this play is a mixed bag. It has some solid performances and a well-conceived plot, though there are several fairly slow-moving scenes as well. It has a strong design team, too (lights by Gabrielle Strong, sound by Hannah Foerschler, set by Jessica Baldinger, costumes by Elle Erickson). Still, there are some decisions here that left me confused (and I'm not only talking about those bizarre dance moves), starting with the fact that an autopsy of the captain's body is conducted while he is still in a body bag. (The script calls for a kind of holographic autopsy, but Tofte should have added lines clarifying what is going on, given the fact that she had to know that it's completely impossible, with today's technology, to portray it. As it is, the whole autopsy scene is confusing and odd, and it pulled me right out of the moment.) I'm glad I saw this play; Babes With Blades is always a fine company and there is a lot here to leave you pondering. I wish, though, that I liked it a bit more."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...This play is perfect for sci-fi fans and would be a great introduction to sci-fi theatre for anyone looking for a play with a feminist theme. This show would especially appeal to those who are already fans of franchises like Star Trek that similarly don’t always rely on the most high-tech effects but still tell a compelling story."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...Space travel, like much of human history, has women doing decisive work and not getting any credit. The women of 4G encourage audience members to "be the captain" even when "the man" won't let you. Women drive change, fight, swear, make choices, and, sometimes, fail, not because they are women but because they are human. Women making sacrifices for future generations only to be left out of their own narrative is a paradigm everyone is familiar with but "Women of 4G" contends that women are not the archetypes they've been cast as. We are not damsels, we are not the great women behind great men, we are not just sisters or daughters or mothers. We are human. We are captains. And we tell our own story."
