"Dougherty also expresses great compassion for those, like Chester, who would rather retreat to the fortress of their mind than face the harsh wilderness of reality. That kind of empathy is increasingly rare in a culture obsessed with the truth."
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Even if Chester Bailey were a much weaker play, it would still be irresistible for the sensational father-son teaming of Reed Birney and Ephraim Birney. But Joseph Dougherty's beautifully shaped two-hander builds to a walloping climax, resulting in the kind of silence that is the greatest tribute an audience can give. Dougherty is interested in how the mind deals with unimaginable trauma, creating alternate realities in self-defense; he follows both of his characters down some notably dark psychological pathways, reaching conclusions that may leave you shaken.
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"Acting dynasties, you see, still do happen, and at 'Chester Bailey,' we're allowed to observe and celebrate a glowing one."
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"Dougherty’s play, under Ron Lagomarsino’s deft direction, speaks to the unease that suffuses our post-pandemic attempts to resume a “normal” life."
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"This play is titled Chester Bailey, but it should be titled Philip Cotton. Cotton is the person who holds up the sky in this show. It is he who transforms as we watch."
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" 'Chester Bailey' has been seen as a cautionary tale about the impossibility of curing the delusions of people who believe that what they see with their own eyes is not true, but fake, while what they read online or hear from their acquaintances, no matter how distorted, is the truth."
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