The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

First Look - ReviewsOld
Home›featured-blogs›First Look - Reviews›First Look Review: Slowgirl at Steppenwolf Theatre

First Look Review: Slowgirl at Steppenwolf Theatre

By TheRealChicagoOnline
July 28, 2013
465
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

CSI’s William Petersen returns in a beautifully acted, produced two-person drama about facing your past

By Dan OchwatSlowgirl_Production07

Playing at: The Upstairs Theatre at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, www.Steppenwolf.org

When: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., additionally at 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through August 25, 2013.

History: Greg Pierce’s Slowgirl premiered at Lincoln Center last year, part of a new intimate space at the legendary performance center in New York. It makes its Midwest premiere at Steppenwolf in the hands of Randall Arney, an ensemble member directing William Petersen, an ensemble member and legend of Chicago theatre since the 1980s, when he founded the Remains Theatre with the likes of Gary Cole (see Bill Lumbergh, Office Space, Hawaiian shirt day) and Ted Levine (see, “put the lotion in the basket,” Silence of the Lambs). For Petersen, he will always be most known for his work on the CBS TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Petersen and Arney first appeared together at Steppenwolf in 1981 in the play Balm in Gilead.

Storyline: Set in a shack in a Costa Rican jungle, home to the reclusive and socially awkward Sterling (Petersen), the former U.S. lawyer receives a visitor — his niece Becky — an outgoing, mouthy 17-year-old slowgirlprodgallery-8(Rae Gray). Becky flees to the jungle in the wake of a terrible accident back home in the suburbs of Massachusetts, one that has her facing possible criminal charges. Uncle and niece haven’t seen one another for more than eight years. They catch up, they listen to one another, they each tell their side of a story, they face what they’re both running from.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

What to expect: In Petersen, be in awe of the ease and experience of an absolute pro at work. He’s so natural and effortless in his role as the uncle who is nervous and scared, unsure of how to handle his niece and sketchy about his spineless past. A lesser actor would put a twitchy caricature on stage. Petersen puts a soulful performance on display.

In Gray, be in awe of a star on the rise. This young actress (graduating from the University of Chicago) has already made a name for herself with big roles at Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens (excellent in Circle Mirror Transformation), Profiles, Writers’ Theatre, Theater Wit and a role on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. She’s a Slowgirl_Production01firecracker on stage — alarming at times, such as what she says about a smoothie her Uncle makes, but she also nails a beautiful closing scene. Her self-destructing teen is mostly unpredictable to his calming hippie.

What stood out: As in most Steppenwolf plays, the staging and the set are top notch. They’re not just there to look pretty; they subtly feed the themes of the play. … The audio of an iguana scratching a tin roof becomes the demons inside the girl. … Her confessional on a wooden stump, hunched over while Sterling listens on the other side of a wall. … The lighting, and sometimes lack thereof, beautifully fits time of day and mood.

Final thoughts: This is a pretty stunning and beautifully easy production. A compelling story of cellmates in Costa Rica, arrested by a complicated past. The idea of these strangers in a strange land helping one another face a truth isn’t necessarily new, but there’s such a graceful approach on display with what I thought was a powerful ending visual. It’s inspirational and another example of why Chicago should cherish that landmark on Halsted.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsBoardwalk EmpireCircle Mirror TransformationCSIGary ColeHBOLincoln CenterProfilesRae GrayRandall ArneyRemains TheatreSlowgirlSteppenwolfTed LevineTheater WitVictory GardensWilliam PetersenWriters' Theatre
Previous Article

Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged ...

Next Article

The Big City Blog: Getting ready for ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Steppenwolf’s “Airline Highway” explores the nature of belonging through loveable outcasts

    December 28, 2014
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Shattered Globe Theatre expertly handles the comedic and emotional balance of Tennessee Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo”

    February 1, 2015
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Inside Scoop

    Inside Scoop: Winter WonderFest, Sketch Comedy Festival, Chicago Theatre Week and lots of bacon

    December 21, 2014
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Griffin Theatre’s “The Birds” is a haunting tale about the dangers of human nature

    July 1, 2015
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: “Completeness” at Theater Wit

    March 17, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: “Thrones! The Musical Parody” is strikingly original and laugh-out-loud funny

    October 7, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    No vegetarians allowed: Examining Chicago’s love affair with steak

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Top Chef, Chicago style: Analyzing the city’s hottest restaurants

  • Around TownHidden Gems

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Chicago Botanic Garden, Cesar’s margaritas, Playground Theater and Potash Markets

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.