RECOMMENDED Rape has long been a terrible weapon of war. But the sexual violence associated with the recent civil conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached unprecedented levels of brutality. Lynn Nottage’s “Ruined” is a riveting, poignant examination of Congolese women and their struggle to survive the unspeakable.
Mama Nadi (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) is a savvy businesswoman who not only survives but profits from the war by offering food, drink and female company to soldiers on both sides. She takes in two abused women, shunned by their families for being raped. Together, they navigate the baffling intricacies of wartime politics.
The top-notch ensemble shines throughout. Ekulona’s no-nonsense Mama is a rock of compromise and negotiation; Condola Phyleia Rashad is luminous as the “ruined” girl Mama hopes to save. But Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s raw portrayal of a woman enslaved by soldiers stops the heart. She is a wonder. (Lisa Buscani)
At The Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, (312)443-3830, through December 14.
Fugue State: A Review of Life After at the Goodman Theatre The brilliance of this musical about the family and circle of a self-help guru manifests from so many directions that the show sweeps one magically, whimsically, sometimes tragically, in a wonder-ride that seems to fit all of life on stage.
We Are All the People We’ve Loved: A Review of Layalina at Goodman Theatre We are reminded, subtly, that we too are made up of the stuff of those who have loved us. Whether we like it or not there are characteristics and tendencies we each carry within ourselves taken from those who came before.
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