THE SEAFARER
“FOUR STARS – [Kevin] Theis’ Satan-in-a-suit Mr. Lockhart makes a better fit in some ways with the grungy world of Sharky and Richard than Irwin’s self-possessed and L.A.-slick soul-claimer did at Steppenwolf. Theis plays Lockhart with the same hair-trigger temperament and hint of self-loathing that coats all these characters as surely as nicotine and years of assorted filth cling to the walls of Joe Schermoly’s claustrophobic set. This paradoxically makes the ending even more believable.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
“RECOMMENDED! It is Sharky’s reckoning with the devil that stokes the fire here, with Waller as the tragically lost soul and Theis, chilling in his coldness, supplying McPherson’s scorching description of hell.” – Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times
“Highly Recommended. “The Seafarer is excellent… an outstanding play filled with dark humor and loads of pathos… don’t miss!!!” -Tom Williams, Chicago Critic.com
“RECOMMENDED- McPherson supplies a kind of provisional redemption that feels more earned and far more genuine than what you’ll find in most entertainment options this time of year. Matt Miller’s fine staging for Seanachai Theatre Company is beautifully acted.” – Chicago Reader
“RECOMMENDED- Played well by veteran actor Kevin Theis, the devil here is commanding when he needs to be and weak when the script calls for it. Pitted against Satan is the deeply flawed Sharky. Waller puts in just the right amount of vulnerability. The play is at its best when stripped down to just those two actors.” – New City Chicago
AMADEUS
“Hypnotic and gutting…Kevin Theis is a reason unto himself to make the trip.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
“Theis is particularly fine as Salieri, embodying all that’s dark and bright in this deeply conflicted character.” – Jack Helbig, Chicago Reader
“It takes an artist of fortitude and nuance to contend with Shaffer’s slavish verbiage and to bring Salieri’s tortured memories to life without gnashing the scenery into splinters. Theis pulls it off in a bravura turn.” – Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times
“Kevin Theis is outstanding in the massive role of Salieri…[commanding] the stage for the play’s nearly 2½-hour running time. His range is astonishing, running the gamut from disbelief to outrage to revenge.” – Doug Deuchler, Oak Park Wednesday Journal
SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME
Joseph Jefferson Nomination: Principal Actor in a Play
“Kevin Theis, as the mercurial Edward, is just simply brilliant.” Leah Zeldes, Chicago Theatre Beat “”Someone ” allows the onstage threesome ample opportunity to flesh out an affecting portrait of comradeship and compassion in the worst of circumstances.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
“Edward, the Irish prisoner, is a feisty journalist who has an estranged wife and children back home. He’s played by Kevin Theis, who fully inhabits this passionate role.” – Doug Deuchler, Oak Park Wednesday Journal
RICHARD III
“Richard is the show — and in director Belinda Bremner’s staging for Oak Park Festival Theatre, Kevin Theis knows it.”Richard III” succeeds mostly as a satisfying, if not transcendent, showcase for Theis.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
“[A] strong, nuanced and emotionally drenching performance.” – Tom Williams, Chicago Critic
“Undeniably, irresistibly charming…Theis sinks his fangs into the line as if he were relishing the first bite of a bloody steak.” – Catey Sullivan, Chicago Theatre Beat
“This performance of Richard III is better than Chicago Shakespeare’s. Theis is electric.” – Ken Trainor, Oak Park Wednesday Journal
“Kevin Theis as Richard, the scheming, murdering, seducing slimeball who makes his way through several members of his own family to get to the throne…Theis delivers the villainous goods.” – Centerstage Chicago
“[Theis] puts his considerable talents to the test in the title role and captures his villainous character’s manipulative personality in all its complexity.” – Chicago Sun-Times
FAITH HEALER
“[This] stellar cast nails the harsh but humane qualities of Friel’s tale with performances that haunt the mind long after the light fades.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
“The moment Theis takes the stage, his presence fills it up. [He] captivates the audience, keeping them hanging on his every word… a fantastic display of theatrical talent.” The Chicago Seen
“Kevin Theis is at once charming and chilling as the inspired, crazy, ultimately self-destructive title character.” – Chicago Reader “Theis easily charms us with his honest, yet jumpy performance…I can’t think of a finer work of pure storytelling.” – Chicago Critic
