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 - Reviews
Home›featured-blogs›First Look - Reviews›First Look review: Arc Theatre’s “Top Girls” reveals the inherent conflicts women deal with balancing family and career

First Look review: Arc Theatre’s “Top Girls” reveals the inherent conflicts women deal with balancing family and career

By TheRealChicagoOnline
January 21, 2015
379
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

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

TopGirls-2

By Gabriella Mikiewicz

Playing at: The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., through Feb. 8, 2015.
www.TheDenTheatre.com

Basic storyline: Top Girls, one of Caryl Churchill’s most popular plays, explores the clashes between themes of feminism, classism and sexism and the strains they play on family in 1970s Britain. The two-and-a-half-hour production follows the life and dreams of Marlene, a career-driven businesswoman who has risen, by way of her own merit, to the top of an employment agency.

Top Girls reveals the inherent conflicts that strong, independent women found in many areas of their life decades ago. The play leaves the audience with the undeniable feeling that you really can’t “have it all.”TopGirls-3

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

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

Following Marlene through difficult work days, meetings with distant family members, and an absurdist dinner with contentious women from history, we see her pain in choosing between being a career-driven woman a family-oriented one.

What stood out: Throughout the play — through sometimes sad, funny, shocking scenes — the performance of the actresses was indisputably incredible. The acting was passionate and persuasive, and the set and wardrobe only added to the brilliant execution.

Final thoughts: Top Girls is a compelling play about feminism and the difficult choices women face throughout time and social divisions. Viewers will leave the theater still playing the symbolism over in their minds and, perhaps, even tying the themes to their own lives despite living thousands of miles away and a generation or two later.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

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

TagsArc TheatreCaryl ChurchillChicago TheatreDen TheatreTop Girls
Previous Article

Chicago’s Signature Dishes: Tasty vegan shakes and ...

Next Article

Spotlight on The Dawson: A West Town ...

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

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Steppenwolf’s “Domesticated” is a hilariously shrewd exploration of monotony, monogamy and gender

    December 19, 2015
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Disney’s “Newsies” is a stirring, high-energy performance

    August 1, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • OldThe Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Chicago Halloween and holiday events, wine dinners and lots of snakes

    October 20, 2014
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: The entertaining “Lottery Day” at the Goodman Theatre holds a magnifying glass to Chicago, revealing both pleasures ...

    April 11, 2019
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: The Steep Theatre’s “Birdland” is an intensely captivating exploration of the pitfalls of fame

    May 4, 2018
    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

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Relationship rejuvenation: Try these unique ideas for adding some romance and fun

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    1920s-style night out: Uncovering Chicago’s speakeasy past

  • Around TownHidden GemsOther Recent Articles

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • 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.