Displaying items by tag: Raven Theatre

The Story Theatre’s world‑premiere staging of Paul Michael Thomson’s Pot Girls bursts to life in a vivid, full‑throttle production at Raven Theatre. Pot Girls is a sharp, funny, and thought‑provoking new play that fuses feminist history, artistic accountability, and a rainbow haze of 1980s, weed‑soaked poetry and art.

Inspired as a thematic counterpart to Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, Pot Girls - directed by Ayanna Bria Bakari - leans into humor, theatricality, and a cloud of intoxication to explore how women create, collaborate, and collide both onstage and off. And in a bit of theatrical serendipity, both productions are currently running simultaneously at Raven Theatre. In fact, Raven Theatre and The Story Theatre are even offering special marathon days, giving audiences the chance to catch a matinee of Lucky Stiff’s directed Top Girls, stick around for some conversation with the creative team, then return in the evening for Pot Girls - all at a discounted rate (click here for details).

The story follows Caryl herself, a playwright on the cusp of her first major, Olivier‑eligible production - a show designed to spotlight women in the workplace. The year is 1982 and as she toasts the achievement with friends, her colorful London flat transforms into an impromptu hub where a lively, time‑spanning cohort of feminist writers drop in to drink, smoke, debate, and probe the ideas she’s celebrating.

The haze of a jubilant night eventually clears, and what remains is a sharper truth: this play lays bare the exhausting contortions women are expected to perform just to gain a foothold as authors and playwrights. It highlights not only the uphill battle of competing in a landscape where men still discriminate against women in their productions regarding creative authority, but also the added burden of being scrutinized for perfect political correctness the moment a woman-led production finally reaches the stage.

The many ways that women as authors have been discriminated against and unfairly censored or even hunted over the centuries is thoroughly laid out in a fantastic cast of intelligent expressive women.

The period feels fully realized, aided by Katelyn Montgomery’s evocative scenic work and Racquel Postilgione’s sharp costume design.

As the play unfolds, Caryl is pulled through a tangle of personal and professional upheaval - romantic tension with her partner Edith, pointed accusations about her racial blind spots, and the mounting pressure to tell women’s stories with integrity. Around her, the ensemble slips effortlessly between roles, embodying historical figures, colleagues, and critics who collectively push her toward an uncomfortable, necessary self‑examination.

In Pot Girls, Brenna DiStasio centers the production as Caryl, offering a steady emotional clarity that grounds the play’s wilder turns and quietly establishes her as its moral anchor. Ireon Roach, as Edith, wields her well-rolled blunt with sharp wit and charismatic intelligence, building a lively, charged dynamic with DiStasio that keeps the energy flowing like a river.

Peter Ferneding lends understated but essential texture as he shifts through historical and contemporary figures, his easy timing playing neatly against Tamsen Glaser’s agile, precise turns as multiple feminist icons, which bring warmth, wit, and tonal delicacy.

Vibrant, expressive energy radiates through each of Emily Marso’s roles, elevating every moment and sparking electric interplay with Glaser and Maya Bridgewater. Glaser and Bridgewater, in turn, deliver a fierce yet deep human presence across their characters, adding tension and charge to the ensemble’s debates. One of Bridgewater’s characters delivers a beautifully crafted, cathartic reflection on a young girl’s kidnapping and rape - written with such grace and restraint that it resonates powerfully with the conversations society is having today about trafficking and vulnerability.

Rounding out the cast, Laney Rodriguez displays a great sense of humor and threads emotional nuance through each character she inhabits, serving as a subtle connective force while carving out memorable moments opposite DiStasio and Roach. As a unit, the ensemble stays quick, engaged, and combustible, amplifying the play’s ideas with palpable charge.

Ultimately, Pot Girls crackles with ensemble energy and sharp ideas, offering an engaging, thought‑rich night of theatre for anyone drawn to fresh feminist work.

Highly recommended.

Pot Girls has been extended through March 8^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

When Raven Theatre’s artistic staff decided to include Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls in their current season, they could not have predicted that the opening would coincide with major eruptions in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Now, with the former Prince Andrew in jail and the President of the United States bloviating his innocence, this 1982 British play stings harder than ever.

Lucky Stiff’s smooth handling of a fine cast for Raven’s mainstage makes it clear why the play deserves its status as a feminist classic. From an informal angle, the reaction of a mostly youthful audience watching mostly youthful actors confirms that the stage is still the right place to comment mercilessly on societal injustice.

Nonlinear, nontraditional Top Girls premiered in the first years of Margaret Thatcher’s leadership – an imaginative treatment of the complexities of gender roles. How do you become a “top girl” in a man’s world without losing your soul? Depending on your politics, Thatcher either ran a country with necessary tough love and cooked dinner for her husband too; or she hacked away at Britian’s safety net while using taxpayer-funded help to maintain her Superwoman household.

In Act I, Marlene, the dynamic central character played by Claire Kaplan, hosts a dinner to celebrate her recent promotion at an employment agency. She gathers five historical women at a posh restaurant, sparely and elegantly designed by Joonhee Park, where they pour out their pain along with copious amounts of wine.

As Waitress (Colin Quinn Rice) serves with dispassionate efficiency, the women – explorer Isabella Bird (Susaan Jamshidi), Flemish folklore’s Dull Gret (Yourtana Sulaiman), Japanese courtesan Lady Nijo (Hannah Kato), 9^th Century’s Pope Joan (Morgan Lavenstein), and Chaucer’s Patient Griselda (Luke Halpern) – recount episodes of shocking male cruelty. Multiple accents and overlapping dialogue make the individual stories a little hard to follow. But each cast member creates such a distinct personality that a strong vibe emerges even if some details are lost.

In Act II, Churchill leaves fantasy behind and enters the very real working-class home of single mom Joyce (Jamshidi) and her 16-year-old daughter Angie (Sulaiman) who literally wants to kill her bitter mother. Spoiler alert, Angie flees to her Aunt Marlene’s office in London without doing the deed. There, female staffers interview other females for job placement. As one frustrated woman laments to Marlene, who now leads the department, “I have had to justify my existence every minute.” Centuries may have passed but talented women still fight for recognition.

When Angie shows up unannounced, she gets pushback instead of a warm welcome from Marlene. The teen desperately wants to acquire her role model’s independence, resources and, above all, confidence that mom-figure Joyce so obviously lacks. Marlene can’t hold back the sharp elbows and judges Angie accordingly, a girl who may not have what it takes to survive.

Act III moves even farther away from the play’s stylized opening with an extended scene that’s straight from the kitchen sink realism of post-World War II drama. Occurring a year prior to Act II, Marlene pays an unexpected visit to Joyce’s humble home and presents Angie with a dress that’s straight out of the traditional girlie playbook.

When it comes to success, “I’m not clever,” Marlene insists, “just pushy.” How Marlene has pushed herself to the top is clear by now. What she has pushed aside in the process tumbles out as the three women open their hearts in ways that leave them vulnerable. It is almost frightening. Four decades after Churchill penned Top Girls, news reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s atrocities only seem to confirm her point that womanhood is neither safe nor easy.

Top Girls runs through March 21^st at Raven Theatre. For tickets and information, go to www.raventheatre.com/stage/topgirls.

Recommended.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.

The Story Theatre closes its critically-acclaimed, sold-out, award-winning Season V with the world premiere production of Pot Girls by Governing Ensemble member Paul Michael Thomson* and directed by Governing Ensemble member Ayanna Bria Bakari*. This new play about the power of women, words and weed will play February 12 – March 1, 2026 on Raven Theatre's Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St (at Granville) in Chicago, with multiple possible extensions. Tickets go on sale Monday, January 12, 2026 at thestorytheatre.org/tickets or by calling (773) 338-2177. The press opening is Monday, February 16 at 7:30 pm.

The production will feature Governing Ensemble member Brenna DiStasio* with Myah Bridgewater, Peter Ferneding, Tamsen Glaser, Emily Marso, Ireon Roach and Laney Rodriguez. Understudies include Jack Bowes, Sierra Coachman, Jennifer Ledesma, Lizzy Mosher and Hannah Rule.

About the Production: 

What is the duty of the artist? Well, tonight, her only duty is to get stoned and celebrate! Caryl is getting her first big Olivier-eligible production with a smart, sexy new play that centers women in the workplace. Her nearest and dearest friends – an assortment of feminist writers from throughout space and time – come to her London flat to kiki and drink grasshoppers. (Did we mention it's 1982?) But when the party's over and Caryl is presented with the ways her new play may be causing harm, she must decide whether or not she'll learn from history or else abdicate her responsibility altogether. What is the role of critique in creation? Can we judge the artist's politics by the artwork's problems? And is any of our art really activism?

An intertextual riff on Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, Pot Girls will run in creative conversation with Raven Theatre's production of Top Girls directed by Lucky Stiff and running on Raven Theatre's Johnson Stage from February 12 – March 22, 2026 The Story Theatre has been the storefront company in residence at Raven Theatre since 2019, and both companies are excited about this new chapter of artistic collaboration. The companies will offer "marathon days" where audiences have the opportunity to experience a matinee of Top Girls, a special event with the creative teams, and then an evening showing of Pot Girls – all at a discounted rate.

The production team for Pot Girls includes Katelyn Montgomery (Scenic Design), Racquel Postilgione (Costume Design), Seojung Jang (Lighting Design), Ellie Fey (Assistant Lighting Design), Gina Montalvo (Sound Design), Spencer Diaz Tootle (Properties Design), Jyreika Guest (Intimacy Direction), Stina Taylor (Technical Direction), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coaching), Emma Sipora Tyler (Dramaturgy), Anastar Alvarez (Stage Manager), Liv Morris (Assistant Stage Manager), Shelbi Weaver (Production Manager), Mark Brown (Master Electrician), David Hagen (Director of Design), Marlene Slaughter (Assistant Director) and Terry Guest* and Brianna Buckley (Producers).

*Denotes a member of The Story Theatre's Governing Ensemble

Content Advisory: If you would like content details before purchasing your ticket, please feel free to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The Story recognizes that individual sensitivities are myriad, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions.

Production Details:

Title: Pot Girls

Playwright: Paul Michael Thomson*

Director: Ayanna Bria Bakari*

Cast (in alphabetical order): Myah Bridgewater (Phillis Wheatley, Naomi, Ayanna), Brenna DiStasio* (Caryl), Peter Ferneding (Edward Carpenter, Max, Paul Michael), Tamsen Glaser (Sappho, Annie, Brenna), Emily Marso (Lady Murasaki Shikibu, Mei-Lin), Ireon Roach (Edith) and Laney Rodriguez (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Christine). Understudies: Jack Bowes, Sierra Coachman, Jennifer Ledesma, Lizzy Mosher and Hannah Rule.

Location: Raven Theatre Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago

Dates: 

Previews: Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 pm, Friday, February 13 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, February 14 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 15 at 3 pm

Regular run: Thursday, February 12 – Sunday, March 1, 2026 (with multiple possible extensions)

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm.

Tickets: $20 – $48* (tiered options). Discounts available. Tickets go on sale Monday, January 12, 2026 at thestorytheatre.org/tickets or by calling (773) 338-2177 *Pricing includes processing fees

Group tickets: Special group grates are available. For more information, call (773) 338-2177 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Plan Your Visit: 

Free parking is provided in a lot adjacent to the theatre—additional street parking is available.

Nearest El station: Granville Red Line. Buses: #22 (Clark), #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #155 (Devon), #84 (Peterson).

About the Artists:

Paul Michael Thomson (Playwright) is an actor, playwright, producer and PhD candidate based in Chicago. He is so grateful to bring this play to life with his fellow Governing Ensemble members and closest friends, Ayanna Bria Bakari, Brenna DiStasio and Terry Guest. As an actor, Paul Michael has worked regionally at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Urbanite Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Southwest Shakespeare, and more, and his on-camera credits include All Happy Families, Drawn Back Home, Chicago Med and Chicago Justice. His plays have been developed and produced around the country, including: brother sister cyborg space (Raven Theatre); Bobby & Lorraine, or Something Left to Love (Rivendell Theatre, with Quenna Lené Barrett); Fremont Junior High Is NOT Doing Oklahoma! (Good Company Theatre, Live Theatre Workshop, Bramble Theatre); What a Time to Be Alive (You Say That Every Time) (Great Plains Theatre Commons, Definition Theatre); Leave Me Alone! (The Story Theatre); The G.O.A.T., or Who Is Ximone? (Theatre L'Acadie, O'Neill Center NPC Finalist); and more. Paul Michael is a PhD candidate in Afro-American Studies through the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his scholarly work has been published in Theatre History Studies, the Black Theatre Review and Theatre Annual. He is a proud co-founder and Governing Ensemble member of The Story Theatre and is represented by Gray Talent Group. paulmichaelthomson.com @paulmichaelt

Ayanna Bria Bakari (Director) is an actor, producer director and a proud Governing Ensemble Member of The Story Theatre. She is delighted to be making her Directorial debut with the folks she has loved and made theater with for the past 8 years. She graduated with a BFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Some of her Chicago theatre credits include: Purpose, Last Night and the Night Before (Steppenwolf); Relentless, Too Heavy for Your Pocket (TimeLine Theatre); Relentless, How to Catch Creation (Goodman); As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare); The Niceties (Black Theater Alliance Award) and Stickfly (Writers Theatre); At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen (Asst. Director, 2019 and Wig Design, 2025 at The Story Theatre), Leave me Alone! (The Story Theatre). Regionally, she has played in Blues for an Alabama Sky (Seattle Rep); The Colored Museum (Studio Theatre); The Salvagers (Asst. Dir. at Yale Repertory Theatre); Clyde's (TheaterWorks Hartford); Sunflowered (Northern Sky Theater); The Rainmaker (Peninsula Players); The Originalist (Indiana Repertory Theatre). Ayanna Bria's television credits include recurring roles in Wu-Tang: An American Saga on HULU and The CHI on Showtime along with guest roles on Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Empire on FOX and 61st Street on AMC. She made her film debut in Holiday Heist on BET. She is represented by Stewart Talent. @ayannabakari_

About The Story Theatre: 

Founded in 2018, The Story Theatre will pose questions rather than provide answers. We develop and produce new work that is whimsical, melancholic, mythic in vision and intimate in scale. We are run by a Governing Artistic Ensemble, who ensures our work is actively dismantling racism and inequity, while cultivating community through activism and catharsis.

In 2025, The Story Theatre was awarded the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award from the League of Chicago Theatres. Our world premiere productions and elevated staged readings have garnered sold-out extended runs and Joseph Jefferson Awards, including: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Terry Guest; the love object by Justine Gelfman; Marie Antoinette & the Magical Negroes by Terry Guest; Las Fantasmas y Frida Kahlo by Spencer Diaz Tootle, and more.

The Story Theatre is funded in part by The Michael and Mona Heath Fund, The Illinois Arts Council, DCASE CityArts and The Cecilia, Marcia and Jay Iole Foundation.

Chicago's Raven Theatre Company today announced the cast and production team for TOP GIRLS, Caryl Churchill's most famous work and regarded as one of the best British plays of the 20th century, directed by Lucky Stiff and running February 18 - March 22, 2026 (previews February 12 - 15). Tickets ($30 - $45) go on sale January 12, 2026 at www.raventheatre.com. 

Raven Theatre continues its commitment to timely plays in the theatrical canon, presenting Caryl Churchill's masterpiece on feminism, class, and politics, TOP GIRLS. From an Algonquin round table boasting some of history's most notable women, to the halls of the Top Girls Employment Agency, Marlene's exchanges with the women around her create a vivid and compelling exploration of their aspirations through time. Heralded as one of the best British plays of the 20th century, TOP GIRLS navigates the shifting dynamics of a patriarchal society. 

Throughout the run, TOP GIRLS will be presented alongside Raven Theatre resident company The Story Theatre's World Premiere of POT GIRLS by Paul Michael Thomson, directed by Ayanna Bria Bakari. POT GIRLS is a smoky riff on TOP GIRLS that pays loving homage while charting bold new ground. Celebrating The Story Theatre's seven-year residency at Raven, this collaboration reflects a mutual desire to expand artistic partnership between the companies. On exclusive "marathon days" audiences can experience both productions through a special double-feature package that will go on sale later this month.  

The TOP GIRLS cast features Claire Kaplan (Marlene), Susaan Jamshidi* (Isabella Bird / Joyce / Mrs. Kidd), Yourtana Sulaiman (Dull Gret / Angie), Hannah Kato (Lady Nijo / Win), Morgan Lavenstein (Pope Joan / Louise), Luke Halpern (Patient Griselda / Nell / Jeanine), and Collin Quinn Rice (Waitress / Kit / Shona).

The production team includes Sivan Spector (Assistant Director), Caroline Uy (Dramaturg), JuJu Laurie (Stage Manager), Isabelle Anderle (Asst. Stage Manager) Joonhee Park (Scenic Designer), , Anna Wooden (Costume Designer), Ben Carne (Lighting Designer), Dee Etti-Williams (Sound Designer), Paloma Locsin (Props Designer) Lucy Whipp (Production Manager), Catherine Miller (Casting Director), Ruby Lowe (Master Electrician), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach), and Chels Morgan (Violence and Intimacy Design). 

Raven Theatre's TOP GIRLS runs February 18 - March 22, 2026, with previews February 12 - 15. Performances are held Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. on the Johnson Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets are $45, with discounts available for students, military, and industry ($30 previews); to purchase tickets and for more information about Raven Theatre's 43rd season, visit www.raventheatre.com. 

TOP GIRLS

Written By: Caryl Churchill

Directed By: Lucky Stiff

Cast: Claire Kaplan (Marlene), Susaan Jamshidi* (Isabella Bird / Joyce / Mrs. Kidd), Yourtana Sulaiman (Dull Gret / Angie), Hannah Kato (Lady Nijo / Win), Morgan Lavenstein (Pope Joan / Louise), Luke Halpern (Patient Griselda / Nell / Jeanine), and Collin Quinn Rice (Waitress / Kit / Shona).

Production Team: Sivan Spector (Assistant Director), Caroline Uy (Dramaturg), JuJu Laurie (Stage Manager), Isabelle Anderle (Asst. Stage Manager) Joonhee Park (Scenic Designer), , Anna Wooden (Costume Designer), Ben Carne (Lighting Designer), Dee Etti-Williams (Sound Designer), Paloma Locsin (Props Designer) Lucy Whipp (Production Manager), Catherine Miller (Casting Director), Ruby Lowe (Master Electrician), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach), and Chels Morgan (Violence and Intimacy Design).

* denotes Member of Actors' Equity Association 

Dates: February 18 - March 22, 2026 (Previews February 12 -15)

Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.

Location: Raven Theatre (6157 N. Clark St.)

Tickets: General Admission: $45; Student, Military, and Industry tickets $20. Previews $30.

Box Office: www.raventheatre.com 

“What happens if we never loosen our grip?”

Director Mikael Burke ends his director’s note with the question above. He muses on the responsibilities of parents, and how all we want is to keep our children safe. We hold them close to keep them from harm, but ultimately, what does that do? Does it keep them safe? Or if we hold them too close, does the choice send them in the opposite direction – running towards any sense of freedom that they can find?

However, you might find that Burke’s question sheds light on a little more than just the role of parents in the play. What happens if we never loosen our grip on our children, but also our fears? Our insecurities? Our unhappiness, or even the dreams we once held so close? You might find that Burke’s question leads to another – If we never loosen our grip, how are we ever meant to grow and find something bigger?

Written by Terry Guest, Oak takes place in the south where we meet three young black people – Pickle (Jazzy Rush), Suga (Stephanie Mattos), and Big Man (Donovan Session). There is a town-wide curfew of 7pm during snatching season – the time of year where no child is safe. Every parent tightens their hold a bit more – including Peaches (Brianna Buckley), a single mother who just wants to know that her kids will be home when she gets back from her late-night job. Is it a mysterious Creek Monster that is to blame? Or is there something even darker afoot? All we know is that children are going missing, and no one really knows where to turn.

Helmed by Burke, the creative team brings this play to haunting life with what can only be described as superb talent. Scenic Designer Sydney Lynne completely transforms the stage – with a swamp filled with dead trees that immediately plants the audience in this southern gothic mystery. Lighting Designer Eric Watkins certainly does not hold back – taking full advantage of darkness and shadows that heighten the spooky feel. Especially when combined with Original Music and Sound Designer Ethan Korvne’s work, you might find it tough not to completely let yourself fall into the ghost story unfolding before you. There were quite a few screams at this particular performance, and I know I personally felt the tension rising in my own body as the characters dug deeper in the mysteries surrounding them.

Now, what is it that is so frightening? The scenery certainly does the work to invite the audience into the story. The ensemble as a whole is quite strong – particularly Rush and Session. The brother/sister relationship they build on stage is incredibly relatable. No one quite gets under your skin like a sibling, but at the same time, no one quite has your back like one either. As we see the two struggle to be honest with each other about how much they might need each other, you might find yourself leaning in – wishing you could help spell it out for them – especially if you yourself are an older sibling. Seeing the stakes and what this family has to lose certainly adds to the fear.

However, more than any of that, Guest writes a story that is unfortunately quite relevant. We see the disappearances of children happen daily. We also see that there are differences in how these disappearances are explored based on who is taken and where they happen to reside. Perhaps Guest’s story is so terrifying because this happens to be the truth in which we live, and we have yet to find a solution.

Oak is the perfect play for a Chicago that is slowly moving into the fall season. As we inch closer to Halloween, maybe we all need a spooky little wakeup call?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Oak runs through November 9 at Raven Theatre. For tickets and information, see the Raven Theatre website.

*This review is also shared on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!  

The Y2K era was a wild time to be a girl. Bubblegum pop juxtaposed against futuristic silver-scaled sets, female artists viciously pitted against one another in the media, women and young girls being viewed as simultaneously pure and virginal and corrupt and sexual deviants. All of these themes are perfectly captured in the millennial time capsule of a play The Love Object now playing at Raven Theatre.

On the eve of Ramona's sold-out stadium tour, her best friend and trusted assistant Paula announces she is leaving to pursue her own artistry. Fearing the loss of her closest confidante, Ramona reveals that a sex tape she made is about to be released, tainting her image (and ticket sales) forever. Will Paula stay and clean up Ramona's mess one more time or finally escape the oppressive celebrity machine for good? The Love Object is a contemporary adaptation of Euripides' Hippolytus, examining the hyper-sexualization of women celebrities, the power struggles of interracial friendship, and the tragedies of late-stage capitalism, all through the bubblegum veneer of an early 2000s pop superstar.

Much like its Greek predecessor, The Love Object, the characters within the play all have a bit of blindness that prevents them from understanding the other's perspective; Ramona, played by Emily Holland, failing to understand why Paula would want to leave, Paula, played by Kaylah Marie Crosby,  failing to understand the loneliness of stardom, and Simon, played by William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, failing to understand the complexities of female choices and consequences of his own actions. The undercurrent of purity and sexuality throughout the play is represented not only in the main protagonists but also in the supporting back up dancers, Tish, played by Cat Christmas, Randy, played by Spencer Diaz Tootle, and Kylie, played by Mollyanne Nunn, all of whom have their own squabbles with one another while also viewing Ramona through both lenses of a virgin and a sinner.

Looking back at the bubblegum pop era through the social context of today we have sure come a long way. We as a society were awful to young women, judgemental, critical, and downright vicious. Time allows us to look back on that period with a kinder viewpoint, one that is not so polarized. Being able to view The Love Object through the same lens affords us the ability to equally despise the vain pop star and be sympathetic to her loneliness of lacking in any real or substantive friendships, or to resent the assistant and her actions and also embrace the karmic justice of our f-around and find out world. With a minimalist futuristic set, early 2000s pop culture references, superb acting, and a storyline every millennial woman can relate to, The Love Object is a perfect time capsule for this fall theatre scene and one sure to entertain.

The Love Object, presented by The Story Theatre at Raven Theatre (6157 N Clark St, Chicago), runs through November 3rd. Ramona’s tour is selling out fast so be sure to grab your tickets with backstage access at www.raventheatre.com/season42/. 

King Solomon once wrote there is nothing new under the sun, I will also add, there are no new stories to be told. The only difference is how the stories are told. Chicago playwright Joshua Allen with the second installment of his Grand Boulevard Trilogy is proving himself to be quite the storyteller, making what’s old new again.

The story starts calmy enough with a knock on the door in the early morning of October. Answering the door is Mrs. Elkins (the always excellent Shariba Rivers), a 51-year-old widower raising her 16-year-old granddaughter. She has a stoic countenance about her. This is a woman who has endured pain and lost. We learn she was 16 when she had her only child with her then boyfriend, whom she married. She endured a loveless marriage until his death at the age of 39. Mrs. Elkin’s daughter dropped off her daughter in 1946 for Mrs. Elkin to take care of while she went to Woolworth’s. She hasn’t been seen since. Mrs. Elkins works at a dental office as a receptionist. She owns the apartment building, renting out the upper floors to tenants while she and her granddaughter live in the basement apartment. Life has taught Mrs. Elkins to take care of herself. She is a hard smoking, no nonsense pragmatic woman.

On the other side of the door is Crutch (a youthful Brandon Sapp), Gloria’s little boyfriend. Crutch is as charming and affable as any young teenager of the times. He is smart and quick witted and comes from a “good” family. He is hopelessly devoted to Gloria, so much so, he sets in motion the storm of this play.

Gloria (the talented Jaeda LaVonne) is dealing with typical teenage angst. She is much more mature than her boyfriend Crutch. She knows how to use her feminine wiles. She has an active imagination and a quick tongue. The fact she resides in the same place as her strong-willed grandmother is enough to create a year-round storm.

Upstairs neighbor Lucille (a comic turn by Felisha D. McNeal) is the village needed to raise a child. She is the opposite of Mrs. Elkins. Although she is at least 10 years older than her landlady, she is spirited and jovial. She enjoys life to the fullest. Her years as a schoolteacher gives her an advantage with Gloria and Crutch. Lucille is the perfect advocate for the teens.

The last character is the Korean War vet Louis (the skillful Nathaniel Andrew) renting the second-floor apartment. Soft spoken and suffering from PTSD, Louis is easy to love, but he won’t be manipulated.

Under the astute direction of Malkia Stampley the play has a freshness and immediacy. The tension is thick throughout the story. The connections between the characters are real. We are never allowed to rest in our feelings before another plotline presents itself, even though we know where it leads.

The set by Sotirios Livaditisis is realistic and functional. The beautiful lighting design by Jared Gooding evokes time as well as mood changes. No one looks better in 60’s fashion than Shariba Rivers. Thanks to Alexia Rutherford’s costume designs we knew exactly the era and social standing of all these characters. The costumes popped. The original music by Christopher Kriz is beautiful, perfectly setting the tone. Allen has written a beautiful slow burn of a play. While there are few surprises, the acting and complete production design lifts the story off the page creating an enjoyable theatrical event. Luckily, the more things change, the more they stay the same. RECOMMENDED

When: Through June 25

Where: Raven Theatre 6157N. Clark St. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes with one intermission

Tickets: $40 (students, active military, and veterans $15)

Contact: raventheatre.com

‘Right to Be Forgotten ' is a play for our times, in contemporary language and a production at Raven Theatre that is laser-focused on an issue of our day—the inability of the average person to remove online content about themselves that is damaging or even life-threatening.

Directed by Sarah Gitenstein from a script by Sharyn Rothstein, this Chicago premiere features minimalist sets—a simple table and chairs evokes a coffee shop; a desk makes an office—and characters that are quickly recognizable types. The stage features a surround of screens on which social media posts and Google search results are displayed, apropos of the subject: the indelible stamp made by digital records of our lives.

Hapless 17-year-old nerd Derril Lark (Adam Shalzi), who for weeks dogged his first school crush, Jamila Tyler (Eve Salinsky), was called into the principal’s office and set straight. Mending his ways thereafter, his stalking behavior was documented on the ‘High School Girl’ blog, and he soon became a symbol of stalkers despite stopping his behavior.

A decade later Darril Lark is at work on his PhD in literature, and dreaming of settling into a serious relationship. Dating through match-up apps, he meets Sarita (Kelsey Elyse Rodriguez), and the two hit it off. But very soon he divulges to Sarita that his profile carries an assumed name, for his real name is infinitely attached to the hashtag #lurkinlark. The story of his brief high school misstep was subsumed into an onslaught of posts about other heinous aggressions suffered by girls and women everywhere, along with numerous related supportive posts, all of which appear when anyone googles his real name.

The story leads us through Darril's futile attempts to have his history cleared voluntarily by the search engine giant, using their appeals process. In desperation he pleads his case to a lawyer known in the field for battling internet behemoths, Marta Lee (Susaan Jamshidi), who takes his case. The plot now turns on the legal and eventually political jousting around his case, leading us through the twists and turns of a first-rate courtroom drama.

‘Right to Be Forgotten’ is an artful exploration of the dynamics of a fraught societal issue. Threaded neatly with exposition of the subject, we learn that Europeans have the right to be forgotten, and upon request can have their histories expunged from the web. Via the clashes among lawyers, politicos, and individuals online (who are both consumers and suppliers of content) the playwright leads the audience to understand the unresolved tension in the U.S. between freedom of expression, and the right to privacy, both enshrined in the Constitution.

In some respects this script is a series of vignettes, and characters and dialog are lean and purposeful, like a web search result. While not naturalistic—we get just what we need to know, both about the characters, and for scenes to advance the action—the whole of ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ works together to conjure our empathy for individual suffering. And it ends with a satisfying, even optimistic resolution. Running through March 26 at Raven Theatre in Chicago, ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ is unforgettable, and comes highly recommended.

*Extended through April 2nd!

Playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury titled the play ‘Marys’ Seacole to emphasize its depiction of multiple Marys.  Jerrell L. Henderson and Hannah Todd direct the collective Marys in kaleidoscopic vignettes at breakneck pace.

Mary Jane Seacole was a British-Jamaican nurse. At the outbreak of the Crimean War she applied to the British War Office for work with the casualties. When her request was denied, she traveled independently to Balaklava and, using salvaged driftwood, packing cases, and iron sheets, set up the "British Hotel" behind the lines, where she provided nutritious food and “comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers”. 

Seacole came from a tradition of Jamaican and West African “doctresses”, who mastered folk medicine by treating fellow slaves on sugar plantations. These Creole doctresses prioritized hygiene decades before Florence Nightingale adopted it. From them Seacole learned to employ hygiene, ventilation, warmth, hydration, rest, nutrition and empathy.   

MARYS SEACOLE opens with Stephanie Mattos (Mary) standing imperiously in a spotlight. After a perfectly-timed silence she declares, "I am a Creole, and have good Scots blood coursing through my veins." Seacole was equally proud of her black ancestry: "I have a few shades of deeper brown upon my skin which shows me related – and I am proud of the relationship – to those poor mortals whom you once held enslaved, and whose bodies America still owns.” 

MARYS SEACOLE seesaws across continents and over time to diverse high points of Seacole’s life. The frenzied vacillation of time and space can be disorienting, time-traveling at breakneck speed between the Kingston of her childhood, the British Hotel in the Crimea, and the menial work in her old age. Accompanying Mattos on this odyssey are Duppy Mary (RJW Mays), Mamie (Mackenzie Williams), May (Jesi Mullins), Miriam (Izzie Jones) and Merry (India Whiteside).

What strikes me most forcefully in MARYS SEACOLE is the racism. When Seacole applied for a position with Florence Nightingale, the Lady with the Lamp wrote, "I had the greatest difficulty in repelling Mrs. Seacole's advances, and in preventing association between her and my nurses (absolutely out of the question!)... Mrs. Seacole introduces much kindness - also much drunkenness and improper conduct".  

Seacole disingenuously observes, "Was it possible that American prejudices against colour had some root here? Did these ladies shrink from accepting my aid because my blood flowed beneath a somewhat duskier skin than theirs?" A lodger at the British Hotel describes Seacole as "an old dame of a jovial appearance, but a few shades darker than the white lily" – this from one of her supporters!

Joe Johnson’s stark set, strategically lit by Matt Sharp with Assistant Karen Wallace, allows the characters to dominate. Costumes by Anne Wooden are fabulously period, and Ivy Treccani doesn’t clutter the production with unnecessary Properties. Fight Choreographer Jesi Mullins (who also plays May) is particularly excellent in the dustup during the final scenes. Dialect Coach Adam Goldstein does almost too good a job: the Jamaican patois is so authentic I occasionally had trouble understanding! William Massolia (Artistic Director), L.J. Luthringer (Sound), Matthew R Chase (Production), Anna Walker (Stage), and Danny Halminiak (Technical Director) collaborate to forge a seamless whole of the mercurial chronicle.

The traditional role of Woman as Healer is overshadowed throughout by the even-more-traditional aspect of racism. Mary Seacole was largely forgotten for nearly a century; when in 2016 she was honored with a statue at St Thomas’ London Hospital, controversy arose from those fixated on Florence Nightingale’s legacy.  Salman Rushdie cites Seacole as an example of ‘hidden’ black history: "See, here is Mary Seacole, who did as much in the Crimea as another magic-lamping lady, but, being dark, could scarcely be seen for the flame of Florence's candle." 

My befuddlement with the peripatetic narrative is eclipsed only by my appreciation of a masterwork superbly executed.

MARYS SEACOLE is performed by Griffin Theatre Company at the Raven Theatre

Let me begin by saying, this was one helluva 90 minutes in Chicago theatre. We enter the theatre to the sound of a combination of Jazz, trap music and hip-hop. There is a sign reading “This is not history”. On stage, the set, a French street with boarded up storefronts with the name of the play prominently on display. I was not aware of the roller coaster ride I was about to witness.

Terry Guest successfully uses the French Revolution as background for several Black uprisings. A tall order to say the least. The cast enters and opens what appears to be a pandora’s box of costumes. We are off to a thrilling night of theater. This is just the beginning of the time travel and the various people we will meet.

The ensemble consists of Jim Crow (Keith Iliddge), Mammy (Amber Washington), Sapphire (Danyelle Monson), Sambo (Maya Vinice Prentiss), Savage Nathaniel Andrew. They are not history. They’re stereotypes. These ensemble members also play other characters as well such as JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy (complete with bloody pink Chanel suit) Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, Axel Von Fersen, Toussaint L”Ouverture and Napoleon. Yes, that Napoleon. This is History.

Joining these characters on stage in various times of their lives are Marie Antoinette (Brenna Di Stasio) and Louis LVI (David Stobbe). The goings on at Versailles is commentated by a on scene reporter to hilarious results. This ensemble was wonderful to watch. They assumed the characters and told the story with excitement and verve.  

The play moves at an extremely fast pace. You have stay awake to catch everything, and you do want to catch EVERYTHING! You got to be woke. We may start in 18^th century France, but we travel to the Haitian Revolution, Los Angeles “Rodney King” uprisings, Ferguson Missouri, for Michael Brown, Minneapolis for George Floyd, and other places where there have been uprisings. Through all these metamorphoses the ensemble shifts effortlessly. In a surprising turn the audience becomes the Revolutionary Tribunal convicting Marie Antoinette to death after a vote. This is a fun evening.

The script is wonderfully complex. Terry Guest’s writing reminds me of a young Susan Lori Parks. I’m excited to see what else he has to say. He has directed the cast to work as efficiently as possible to fantastic results. This play is a must see, maybe twice, you’re bound to miss something.

The Story Theatre’s Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes is playing thru July 17^th at Raven Theatre.  

*Extended through July 24th