Reviews of The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel upon its opening were largely enthusiastic, commenting on both the play's artistry and Rabe's promise as an up and coming playwright. Edith Oliver, reviewing the play for the New Yorker, called it "an astonishing accomplishment." Clive Barnes of the New York Times acclaimed Rabe as a "new and authentic voice of our theatre." Similarly, George Oppenheimer of Newsday highlighted Rabe's "new and striking talent " Henry Hewes, summing up the 1971 theatrical season for the Saturday Review, called Rabe "possibly the most promising playwright" of the year. "[I]mmensely gifted" is how Charles Michener described Rabe in a Newsweek article

Pavlo Hummel has continued, since its initial production, to captivate many critics. In a 1982 article for the New York Times, Mel Gussow referred to the play as "searing." Philip Kolin, in his book David Rabe- A Stage History and a...