By Melissa Ross
Raven Theatre 2018.
Cast: Lynne Baker, Lucy Carapetyan, Stella Martin and Benjamin Sprunger.
Set Design by Lauren Nigri. Costume Design by Noel Huntzinger. Lighting Design by Becca Jeffords. Sound Design by Eric Backus.
Photos by Michael Brosilow.
Highly Recommended - "Nice Girl is a quiet story, but a hearty and fulfilling one. Ross’ script is simple but powerful, and poignant in a world where women are still fighting a seemingly never-ending battle for autonomy. As a 37-year-old single woman myself (albeit one with a very different life from Josephine’s), it was refreshing to see someone of my age, gender and social status represented not as a stereotype or a joke, but a living, breathing person. Thoughtfully directed and performed, Nice Girl may not blow you away, but it will leave you satisfied and humbled." --Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat
Highly Recommended - "This sweetly knowing, open-hearted 2015 script is gently embraced by Lauren Shouse’s equally tough-loving Chicago premiere at Raven Theatre. As always, the best, as in the most wrenching, plays are not about “win-lose” outcomes between good versus evil. They’re about “lose-lose” choices between one good opposite another — love versus loyalty, freedom fighting duty, the past against the future. That’s the passionate payoff that follows two hours of Nice Girl. It’s well worth the wait." -- Larry Bommer, Stage and Cinema
Highly Recommended - "With that wide Raven stage, it’s easy to let a play get unfocused, but director Shouse is careful to keep things balanced, bringing out these stellar performances in her actors and never allowing a single moment to drag out. I’ve never felt that a two hour play passed so quickly. And a lovely “what will happen next?” ending (aided by the strong lighting of Becca Jeffords) leaves the audience walking out of the theatre talking about the future of the characters, pondering whether a “yes” will really be a “yes” and recognizing all of the times in our own lives when it was not." -- Karen Topham, Chicago Onstage
Highly Recommended - "The piece is beautifully constructed; every word counts. The direction feels effortless, but is in fact tautly controlled. Each personality is finely drawn and well portrayed. This play will take you on an emotional journey, and make you laugh along the way." -- Debra Davey, Splash Magazine