“How refreshing… to watch a brand new play that is specifically written to take advantage of Zoom like Interrobang Theatre Project’s new production of the dark comedy The Spin…
It’s a fascinating, riveting examination of the behind-the-scenes machinations that make such interviews work as well as the interpersonal relationships in play.

Davis’s well-paced and very realistic script takes place entirely in a Zoom meeting—though the members of the PR team don’t use that word because everyone is sick of Zoom—in which they plan out and execute tactics for getting their client through the chaos…

Davis gets splendid performances from all of his actors, and his script allows them each to develop individual aesthetics and depth of character. He also allows them the leeway to play with the individual quirks that each of us has discovered on Zoom conferences…

All of these are factors in creating the dynamics that make The Spin work so well. In the midst of a frantic and at times terrifying political season, it gives us a chance to see the things we usually aren’t privy to. From its opening (a faux political commercial) to its powerful and unexpected ending, The Spin will hold you in its grip and won’t let you go. It’s not only a brilliant political play; it’s a dark and compelling vision of the time in which we are living.”

“Satisfying, enriching, entertaining and proof that Chicago contains some of this country’s greatest actors and theater, The Spin is writer/director Spenser Davis’s brilliant blend of theatric sensibilities in a digital format. This offering from Interrobang Theatre Project in Chicago “opened” last night and it is hands down — along with The Civilians’ Russian Troll Farm — my favorite online production since theaters began shuttering last March…

The “aha” concept for this hour-long, real-time, present-day, smartly written gem is that we are eavesdropping on someone else’s private Zoom meeting. How refreshing that we are watching a play, and not having folks speaking directly to the camera at us. This very funny, pitch-black political comedy — written and produced for streaming — concerns a high-profile public relations firm in Anytown, U.S.A., that has a mess on their hands: The news is reporting that one of their clients, a Public Works Director, has been caught with kiddie porn.

As we watch the personal squabbles and private chats, it becomes clear that everything seems spinning out of control in the age of COVID. So incredibly real and nail-biting is the play that, at one point, my husband hurriedly asked if we can join the chat; I had to remind him we were watching a previously recorded play. (And for those who haven’t been on Zoom yet, this will teach you what video-conferencing is all about.) And given the actors are recording from separate locations — just like an actual online meeting — the realism is thanks to Matthew Freer (videographer), LaVisa Angela Williams (costume design), Richie Vavrina (production manager) and Shawn Galligan (stage manager).

And now my friends will understand in a short time why I tell them to head to Chicago for a theater trip. The acting is not just endlessly fascinating here but downright phenomenal across the board. You simply will not want this highly recommended wonder to end.”

“At times uncomfortable and unsettling, with just the right balanced nuances of humor, THE SPIN is an inventive and creative look at how quickly we have adjusted to our new surroundings…

Davis’ format and structure of the spin doctors’ war room feel like an episode of The West Wing meets VEEP… Directing in an online platform clearly takes a unique skill set. Davis has mastered it here with a consistent pace and great attention to detail. This includes chat messages being shared and participants signing on and off with precise timing.

The cast is superb, as they often are with ITP productions. Berner Taylor’s portrayal of Pecarrero is a particular standout, as she navigates both the spin meeting and live interview. Her subtle takes to the camera are captivating and she nails every written beat. The dynamic between Elyce and Martinez Hannon is incredibly engaging. Watching them work together left me wishing I could see this credible chemistry live on stage. Gise and Ardebili provide wonderful wit, solid levity, and both work expertly in their chaotic situations.

ITP has a hit on its hands with THE SPIN. I encourage theatergoers who have resisted some of these virtual shows to take a chance on this one. In a swift 60 minutes, you will be entertained in ways that you certainly weren’t on your last Zoom work meeting. And maybe, in the near future, we can see something like THE SPIN in person, on stage, where we all can’t wait to be again. It would certainly earn many standing ovations.”

“Davis is known for being adept at capturing genuine human connections. His dialogue is always in tune with how people speak to one another, and “The Spin” is no exception.…

Hannon and Elyce are the perfect traditional campaign workers to Ardebili and Gise’s new kids on the team…

Even with political anxiety at an all-time high, Elyce and Taylor are quick to bring the humor. The chemistry of the entire ensemble is clear even through a screen… After watching other plays recently adapted for the screen, “The Spin” is refreshing. As awful as this year has been for live performance, it’s exciting to see artists making work specifically for digital consumption rather than adapting existing work or just recording a stage play. Zoom has its own intricacies, rules and performative qualities. Taking advantage of where we are to tell a story about what we’re up against is one of the best ways we can battle quarantine fatigue. ”

“Spenser Davis, the writer and director of “The Spin,” has recreated a vicarious Zoom experience so precise that I lost track of where my own laptop ended and the fake one inside began.

…thanks to some pretty cool work from videographer Matthew Freer, it is as immersive as a pandemic show ever could hope to be and deserves to be remembered after the arrival of the vaccine that is just around the corner as a prima-facie example of off-Loop formative invention.”

“Last week, I praised Invictus for its use of the virtual medium, but “The Spin” is even better. The Zoom meeting — with all the anomalies and things that can go wrong — is so real, it’s almost scary. Videographer Matthew Freer pulls it off flawlessly with the help of production manager Richie Vavrina, stage manager Shawn Galligan and costume designer LaVisa Angela Williams.

“The Spin” holds up a mirror — well, a camera — to our inadequacies, and it’s not a pretty picture. But it is illuminating and could be instructive.”

“Zoom theatre (as we’ve covered at length) is enormously difficult to do effectively, and The Spin is the best execution of it I have seen so far this year.

…it manages to tell a searingly relevant, disturbingly hilarious, and incredibly tense story that manages to transcend both its medium and its subject matter.

The actors do incredible work keeping their performances grounded and understated, and the cast has an electric chemistry… the script absolutely soars. The dialogue here is both clever and grounded, and it hums along at a breakneck pace that is perfect for the building and release of tension.…

Matthew Martinez Hannon, as Lorne, binds the cast together like glue, interacting and clashing with nearly every character… Salar Ardebili is wildly hilarious as Clark, the awkward and incompetent (but nonetheless lovable) rich kid who doesn’t quite know what he’s doing… Sarah Gise is eminently likable as April, projecting a sense of competence and professionalism that is easy to admire. Laura Berner Taylor is delightfully nasty as KC, the Mayor’s assistant with a twisted moral compass…

It is Elana Elyce as Dierdre who shines the most here, as the central themes of the show are threaded through her. ”