“As Nayeli, Ilse Zacharias is a formidable presence – and not just because the character is ferociously good at karate. Zacharias captures the wide-eyed innocence of a young woman who has never traveled beyond her hometown, and the fierceness of a born warrior. Her evolution is subtle but unmistakable.”

— Chicago Sun Times, Catey Sullivan

“Tolstoy, of course, was a master of precise characterization, which Buha really does exploit very well. And Link, to her credit and with great help from the honest Zacharias, avoids the trap of hyperventilation or bathos, into which movies based on Tolstoy often sink.”

— Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones

“a beauty pageant winner (Ilse Zacharias) whose moment of glory is interrupted and underscored by violence. Zacharias, in the evening’s most memorable scene, plays Myrna… She torches the boards with a monologue that concluded in raucous applause while she cooly checked her complexion in a compact mirror. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Salazar will know the portrayal to be as accurate as they come.”

— New City Stage, Kevin Greene

"This great conceit is the centerpiece of act two, and it leads to some devastating moments—particularly those involving... Ilse Zacharias, radiant as Belén."

— Chicago Reader, Tony Adler

“There is one more character in the story, her name is Belen - deftly handled by Ilse Zacharias, who also played this role in ‘The Madres’.”

— Around The Town, Alan Bresloff

“Zacharias brings an uncanny honesty and modesty to Sonya that avoids any cliché of saintliness, yet suggests an understanding of the human condition that is at the very heart of Dostoyevsky’s story.”

— WTTW, Hedy Weiss