In 1995, Beau O'Reilly was named one of the 50 most influential people in Chicago theater by Chicago Magazine. In 1998, Beau O'Reilly and Jenny Magnus were named among the Artists of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, and from 1998 to 2005, they were included among the 50 most influential people in Chicago theater by Newcity Chicago. In 2007, Curious Theatre Branch won an Orgie Award for Original Theater for the year-long Samuel Beckett festival, No Danger of the Spiritual Thing: 100 Years of Beckett (best ensemble), which was lauded at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Each year, Curious curates and produces the Rhinoceros Theatre Festival, which provides production and exhibition opportunities to hundreds of artists, drawing thousands in attendance each year. The Rhino Fest features works in theater and performance from Chicago companies and national artists alike and is the longest-running, last-standing, multi-arts fringe festival in Chicago. Curious teamed up with Prop Thtr Group for the 2007 festival, presenting 38 programs (including 15 world premieres) over the span of ten weeks and five venues including Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art—one of the biggest and most successful Rhinos in the history of the festival.