" RECOMMENDED - With nothing more than a bare stage, chair and a few props, this professional actor, mime artist and clown... holds your rapt attention—no exaggeration here—for fifty-five minutes straight, and ultimately delivers one of the most unique, enjoyable and physically accomplished entertainments to be seen in Chicago right now.
There were times, especially during the evening’s final section entitled “Space.Lab.2030.” where I felt like I was watching a classical dance performance. Indeed, Mr. Evans’ greatest gift—besides being able to make audiences laugh with the smallest facial gesture—is his sense of and command over his entire body...
It would not be hyperbole to say that with “Magical Exploding Boy,” Mr. Evans delivers no less than a stunning tour de force.
" - New City
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Mime artist Dean Evans has a curious and riveting fragility: he's both doll-like and dangerously expressive in his one man-show. ...he creates and kind of physical comedy - and physical tragedy - that's more than physical. Evans is an original, and his work is both startling and satisfying." - Chicago Reader
"This is what happens when sound effects are spot-on and mime is good. Really, really good. "
- The Chicagoist"...showstopper piece..." - NewCity
"...-ingenious, brain-teasing works by the Neo-Futurists' Dean Evans..." - The Chicago Reader
"Evans seamlessly integrates elements of clowning, mimery and physical comedy without missing a step, and even more interestingly, without speaking a single word.
Overall, Magical Exploding Boy succeeds wildly as both entertainment and performance art, completely flouting traditional conceptions of clowning and mimery while remaining accessible to all viewers.
The performance synopsis in this review is a paltry attempt to summarize what must be experienced directly: words cannot do this one-man clown show justice." - Loyola Pheonix
" ...Evans, the Neo-Futurist clown with a face like Buster Keaton eating sauerkraut, has cooked up a smashing pantomime routine" - TimeOut
"...a terrific piece of mime, superbly devised and performed by Dean Evans..." - Chicago Suntimes
"...witty piece of mime..." - Chicago Tribune
"It’s like flipping through channels late at night (when everything gets a bit stranger) – except Evans is the remote.
Evans’ performances are mesmerizing...
Evans is charming and inventive in his performance. The show, set on a more or less blank stage in front of a curtain, revolves totally around him; his charisma and personality drive the whole thing forward. His choice of props is both mundane and brilliant.
Although nothing is said, Evans envelops the nonverbal human experience, transcending the need for words. Although terms like “mimes” and “clowns” usually bring up ideas about lame street performers or wacky circus antics, Evans’ work reminds us that these are both established art forms with a ton to offer artistically. Magical Exploding Boy is a rare treat for a Chicago audience, a chance to see a trained physical actor perform without the crutch of words for a little over an hour." - Chicago Theater Blog
"...one of Chicago’s most gifted and entertaining physical performers. From his opening silent minutia we are drawn in, not by an invisible rope but rather by Evans’ instantly endearing presence and hysterically subtle facial expressions.
He displays strong hints of Stan Laurel’s semi-tragic foolishness and possesses a face that is versatile enough to have achieved greatness in the era of silent film.
His macabre mental musings are magnificently made flesh. Evans creates a dance of demented delights that render his audience powerless to resist, not that there is any reason to try. Whether animating inanimate objects or simply using his body as a storyboard for absurd hi jinks, his performance is an intimate example of unique invention.
Wonderful musical selections and a marvelously minimal stage set-up accent this production to perfection. The only thing that you leave this show wishing for is more, more content and more of the cleverly crafted clowning and maniacal machinations of mime that Evans makes so compelling." - Chicago Stage Review