Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"... But there's enigmatic, and then there's undercooked. Walker sets up moral conundrums that aren't satisfactorily addressed, making the bloody end of the 1977 play feel less like an exercise in goth-opera justice than a precursor to what's now dubbed "torture porn" (think the "Saw" franchise). However, thanks in no small part to Kingsley's crystalline take on the title character, the Division production contains many arresting moments."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...The melodrama is handled with attention and wit by director Jodi Kingsley, and though the fight scenes were plagued by bad timing on opening night, the show overall is a feast of technical competence. Heath Hays's sound design and Pete Dully's lighting are both particularly good."
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Joanna Iwanicka's scenography reconfigures the smaller of the Viaduct black-box rooms into a labyrinth of elevated ramps, which the actors navigate with dazzling agility for the brief two hours of a show commonly running much longer. Flanking the aforementioned Kingsley are Martin Monahan as the brutal Bernardo, Danni Smith as the fiery Matilda and Jeff Brown as the avuncular Victor, delivering well-crafted and carefully grounded performances. The irony of their artistry is that, in undermining Walker's misguided aesthetic, it should make for such swashbuckling quasi-Jacobean thrills. How often do we see a play rendered smarter than its creator intended?"
Centerstage
- Recommended
"... Jason Kingsley’s alternately horrifying and wickedly amusing Zastrozzi resembles Anderson Cooper playing Keanu Reeves’ Neo in “The Matrix.,” but blessed with James Earl Jones’ voice. He is striking in the role, to say the least. Martin Monahan’s heartless Bernardo, Danni Smith’s dominatrix Matilda and Anne Leone’s sweet Julia also stand out. However, Jeff Brown’s Victor feels too laid back while Nick Bonges’ annoying Verezzi truly gets what he deserves, fulfilling Division’s lofty mission to evoke questions of ethics and morality in today’s civilization."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...In its debut effort, newly formed troupe the Division easily matches the script in vigor and panache. The pace is brisk, the sword fights (choreographed by Libby Beyreis) are exciting, and the performances are lively and engaging, even during momentum-sapping monologues when characters tell us, at length, stuff we already know. As Zastrozzi, Jason Kingsley puts his bass voice, deadpan comic timing and silver-foxiness to good use. Amid all the activity, he’s the production’s still yet tightly coiled center—as calm, purposeful and dangerous as a snake."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Recommended
"... For those new to "Zastrozzi," there are some great laughs, sexual tension and surprises. As the show settles in, the actors should trust Walker's language, pick up the pace, and allow this Zastrozzi to be as powerful as it is handsome."
