Since The Memorandum made its debut in the United States in 1968, it has received near universal praise. Critics commented on the play's depth and cleverness, noting that while Havel was depicting life in communist-controlled Czechoslovakia, his themes were relevant to life in the west as well. An unnamed critic in Time writes, "no audience need live in a Communist country to feel the tickle of Havel's barbs it is enough to have experienced alienation in the midst of a scientific, computerized society. His main target is the mechanization of human beings."

Other American critics were surprised by the humanity of the play, often found in the details. Writing in the New Yorker Edith Oliver argues that "There are more than a few hints that the play, for all its high jinks [sic] in execution, is meant to be a tract about the power of the system...