Spalding Gray, whose Swimming to Cambodia, Sex and Death to Age 14 and Monster in a Box made him one of the contemporary masters of the dramatic monologue, debuted his latest work, It's a Slippery Slope Sept. 4 at Goodman Theatre in Chicago.

The engagement's run ends Sept. 8, and Gray is expected to perform it elsewhere.

Here are excerpts from the reviews:

"He never cries nor sings, nor does he ever resort to any form of violence. And yet for ninety minutes the audience attends him, enraptured, drinking in every word, as he transforms the Goodman mainstage auditorium into a small, intimate space. His mind becomes a movie projector and through his eyes he projects movies of his life directly onto our souls, until we forget we're listening to spoken words at all, and only see Gray's memories. . . . The title refers to Gray's quest to master downhill skiing, and certainly anyone who has ever skied might get something extra from this monologue, but non-skiers will certainly be entertained, delighted and touched as well."
-- Richard Henzel, Centerstage Chicago
"As usual, Gray is the subject of an extended monologue. This one . . . Is more personal than his previous pieces and more self-incriminating. During the uninterrupted 95-minute performance, Gray paints a picture of himself in early middle age -- neurotic, often obsessed with death, a womanizer and a bit of a cad. It isn't a pretty picture but it certainly is engrossing, and often funny. It definitely delighted the capacity opening night audience, clearly Gray fans eager to take advantage of his brief run at the Goodman.
-- Dan Zeff, Copley News Service