Doctor Crippen is The Best of the Season!

Well, at least according to the Chicago Tribune!

Chis Jones writes:

If your tastes run to edgier fare, you should open yourself up to “The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen,” the deliciously sardonic Victorian-style melodrama about the famous murderous doctor. Part of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Garage Rep, this is actually the work of the feverish creative minds at the Strange Tree Group. As with all three of the plays above, it's the work of a very promising new theatrical voice — in this case the exciting young Chicago writer Emily Schwartz. It's also a return to form for director Jimmy McDermott, whose early storefront work was hugely promising but who (to my mind) hasn't always been working on the right projects of late. He does here. And the result is thrilling.

We are also thrilled. Each night that we go to the theater we have to pinch ourselves. It's just, well, it's fun. We've built a family together and families have been built from our family. Just this spring we'll be welcoming four, count 'em, FOUR Strange Tree Saplings into the world. To build something from scratch with a group of kindly folks you've latched yourself to is something wonderful and we're so happy to share this home grown world premiere with the city of Chicago.

Trailer for The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen by Emily Schwartz

Our awesome artistic assocaite, Allan Roysdon, of http://www.crunchiefrog.com/ put together this wonderful little trailer for The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen. You may remember Allan as The Devil from Crucible the musible or that weird french theramin player from Hey! Mr. Spaceman! I know we do. Thanks to him for this wonderful work!

The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen is Strange Tree's Newest Hit!

The show, she is open and the reviews are out. Doctor Crippen is a SMASH HIT!

"This superbly visualized little show is the heir to the distinguished Chicago tradition of the sardonic tale of the lovable murderer....a rather splendid little gothic thriller" - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"Of the trio works on display, it is “The Three Faces of Doctor Crippin,” the Strange Tree Group’s immensely clever, darkly funny, playfully musical, visually sophisticated English music hall-style crime-of-passion parody that gets top prize here." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times

"If crime could become its own cartoon, it would be this wickedly charming homicidal romp." - Lawrence Bommer, Chicago Stage Style

"You’ll laugh and groan and you’ll wonder what will happen next in this expertly produced and well-acted comic tale of love, murder and mutilation" - Tom Williams, Chicagocritic.com

"Schwartz’s pleasantly off-kilter aesthetic remains as strong as ever" - Kris Vire, TimeOUT Chicago