Leveling Up
by Deborah Zoe Laufer

"Laufer (an award-winning playwright whose widely produced End Days made a terrific impression when staged here by Next Theatre), is such a smart, engaging storyteller, and possesses such a flair for devising characters with highly individual voices, that she can draw you right in, whatever your age."

— Chicago Sun-Times

"Leveling Up is an amazing reflection on how technology is changing our world and how we live in it. Laufer understands that it is not the technology or the reality that we choose that is important, but our relationships. Not just for the teens, this is a play that has plenty to offer audiences of all ages. Leveling Up is smart, funny, frightening, poignant and, ultimately, despite its focus on technology, very human."

— Chicago Stage Standard

"Laufer’s coming-of-age tale succeeds as a thought-provoking and powerful insight into why 'leveling up' in life doesn’t just mean defeating your opponent. Topical subject matters are treated in a timeless way, making Leveling Up all the more resonant and relevant... Laufer’s script is intelligent without being preachy and funny without being goofy or awkward."

— Chicago Theater Beat

"If our theater is eager to reach the next generation—those gamers, texters, Snapchatters, and so on, who were raised in a world where the virtual often overshadows the actual—here's a place to start: produce smart, inquiry-based plays like this one. Deborah Zoe Laufer's Leveling Up raises questions about what it means to make choices in an increasingly disconnected, media-saturated world."

— Chicago Reader