Chicago Sun-Times	April 20, 1998	Hedy Weiss, theatre critic

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

If director David Bell vacationed in Naples, Italy, last year, he should be allowed to deduct the entire cost of the trip from his income taxes. If he depended only on his protean imagination to stage the ingenious production of "The Comedy of Errors" that opened Sunday night at Shakespeare Repertory, he should have the right to claim the cost for the upkeep of whichever side of his brain is responsible for motion, merriment, and mischief.

The first 10 minutes of Bell's production alone are worth the price of admission (don't come late). And on top of that, almost everything that follows sustains the the same high level of physical comedy and demented energy. This is high praise for Shakespeeare's early Roman-style comedy that, in lesser hands, often becomes a tedious chase of multiple sets of identical twins, mistaken identities and long lost parents.

Working in the tradition of the Flying Karamazovs, but never losing sight of Shakespeare's language, or the tinges of darkness and human cruelty that invariably creep into the playwright's work, Bell has latched on to a Neapolitan street scene and played it for all it's worth. In the silent opening scene, for example, a quartet of indolent waiters, in white linen pants and bowler hats set the tables in an outdoor cafe. The action gradually builds until the Chianti bottles, the coffee cups, and nearly every other prop in sight become part of an elaborate juggling act. Bell, who has a long list of musicals to his credit (including "The Hot Mikado"), has choreographed all this with split-second timing.

Chicago Sun-Times	October 19, 1998	Hedy Weiss, theatre critic

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Director David H. Bell's lavish production for Shakespeare Repertory, which opened Sunday night at the Ruth Page Theatre, takes full advantage of this manic-depressive energy curve. Straightforward in it's interpretation, it is nevertheless full of spirited flourishes.

The Italian town of Messina, where "Much Ado" is set, is a sleepier and somewhat more severe place than the fanciful Mediterranean setting of "The Comedy of Errors" which inspired Bell's imagination to such giddy heights last season.

But the director, who has spent much of his career in musical theatre, is never short on comic invention-whether wrangling laughs out of sneakily morphing police guards, or putting macho soldiers (led by the excellent Sean Grennan) around a tiny tea table to talk about love, or having one of them slice a cake with a sword.

BELL DIRECTS ANOTHER WINNER FOR SHAKESPEARE REP

Bravo! Director David H. Bell has equaled, if not surpassed "The Comedy of Errors," his triumph of last season, with his current production, "Much Ado About Nothing." Once again, he guides Shakespeare Repertory through a joyful performance, brilliantly interweaving dialogue and action. This is top-drawer Shakespeare; Chicagoans need not head for Stratford, Ontario-or even Stratford, England-for an evening of sheer satisfaction.

Atlanta Journal	November 23, 2001	Wendell Brock, theatre critic

A HOLIDAY DELIGHT
A GIFT. A TREASURE. A MIRACLE

"Masterpiece" is a very strong word. But it strikes me that Bell's treatment-with its burnished Victorian style, its Broadway-worthy special effects and its celebration of both its source material and the soul of the community-comes very close to being one.

Atlanta Journal	April 7, 1994	Dan Hulbert, theatre critic

BOISTEROUS HIT RADIATES SUPERLATIVE STYLE

As "Bottoms Up," the Act 1 finale, zooms to a close, leaving the cast flattened across the stage in partied-out exhaustion, the first thing you might say to the person next to you is,"Boy-I never knew 'The Boys From Syracuse' was so good.

And you'd be right-it never was. The Alliance Theatre makes it better in a big boffo way.

Creative Loafing	September 18, 1993	Bert Osborne, theatre critic

SILVER AND COLD

Falsettos launches the Alliance Theatre Company's 25th-anniversary season with a breathtaking bravado. Under the awesome, inspired direction of David H. Bell (who staged the Alliance's charming 'Once on this Island' earlier in the year), the production is undeniably entertaining and it's irresistable to watch, quite unlike anything else you've ever seen before.

Chicago Sun-Times		Hedy Weiss, theatre critic

'DAMN YANKEES' REVIVAL DEVILISHLY GOOD

Unlike the 1994 Broadway revival of "Damn Yankees" that looked exceptionally dated as it strained to punch things up with a quasi-nude locker room scene and guest star turn by Jerry Lewis, this production, directed and choreographed by David H. Bell, remains true to the spirit of the show's origins. And the sheer polish and exuberance of the cast helps to reveal its enduring charm.

Chicago Tribune	June 26, 1992	Richard Christiansen, theatre critic

'ARTHUR' KEEPS HUMOR ADDS MUSIC

"Arthur," at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, is notable chiefly as vintage work from Director-choreographer David H. Bell.

The real zip of the production is provided by Bell's direction, choreography and handling of actors, which, with a shrewd but heartfelt mixture of corn and show biz expertise, perfectly tailor the material for its audience.

-as always in a Bell show, the verastile chorus is everywhere, dancing, singing and raising Cain with a variety of hand props. This may be Arthur Bach's story, but it's David Bell's show.

Chicago Sun-Times		Lynn Voedisch, theatre critic

BOLD 'MATADOR' TAKES RISKS IN DEBUT

DAZZLING DIRECTION... Director David H. Bell blends the pomp and decorum of bullfighting with the insistent percussive drive of flamenco dance to create a Spanish world that is richly complex yet elegantly spare...A DIZZYING SPECTACLE...It is the inner story of a human being's battle with his insticts...It's a study of dignity defeating fear.

David H. Bell has completely outdone himself with the spectacular direction of MATADOR.