Lucy Carapetyan, Benjamin Sprunger and Lynne Baker/Photo: Michael Brosilow
“Nice Girl,” a Chicago premiere now at Raven Theatre, is the story of thirty-seven-year-old Jo (Lucy Carapetyan) in the eighties and her journey toward deciding that she wants more out of her life. She makes a brand-new best friend in her co-worker (a truly vibrant performance from Stella Martin) and lands a dreadful boyfriend all while navigating oppressive Reagan-era views of what women should be.
It’s a nostalgic play, comfortable in its familiarity, infused with tunes the audience hums along to before, throughout and after the performance. The story is unsurprising, but the character development drives it along, though perhaps not enough to justify its two-hour run time. It delivers the listless realism emblematic of Raven Theatre.
In a program note, director Lauren Shouse claims her intentions for this play is for it to be a celebration of the political moment we are witnessing: a wave of women reclaiming agency, time and lives to become whatever they want to be. It’s a nice idea, but this particular story seems like a lackluster approach. I couldn’t help but wish the play was braver, deeper or more complex.
I hope, and look forward to the time when, under the new leadership of young artistic director Cody Estle, Raven Theatre will take bigger risks with their plays and tell stories that are more diverse, more thoughtful and less safe. (Emma Couling)
Raven Theatre, 6157 North Clark, (773)338-2177, raventheatre.com, $15-$46. Through March 11.
Related Stories
That's So Raven: A Review of The Gentleman Caller at Raven Theatre Language-heavy, plot-light and emotionally fraught, this world premiere from Philip Dawkins finds an ideal home at Raven Theatre.- Running The Boards: A Review of The 39 Steps at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble The stage adaptation of John Buchan's novel, made famous by Alfred Hitchcock, plays south by southwest of Chicago at Glen Ellyn's McAninich Arts Center.
- The Girl Who Came in from the Cold: A Review of Phoebe in Winter at Facility Theatre Jen Silverman’s play about the absurd world and its power dynamics burns an indelible image into the mind at Facility Theatre.
- After All: A Review of Small World at The New Colony This world premiere is a modern-day vision of hell that outstrips the imaginings of Dante or Hieronymus Bosch. It's also a comedy.
- Boxed In: A Review of Girl in the Red Corner at Broken Nose Theatre While not quite a knockout, this Midwest premiere puts femme rage at the center of a cathartic story.
