Review “Rapture, Blister, Burn” (Goodman Theatre): Smart Chick-Flick Play

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 Permalink 0

1415RapturePP_02Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN.

Catherine, a feminist scholar, returns to her hometown and wonders ‘what if?‘  What if her mom dies?  What if Catherine never finds love again?  What if she hadn’t gone to London without Don?  What if her college roommate hadn’t married Catherine’s boyfriend?  What if Don and Gwen had a miserable marriage?  What if Catherine still loved Don?  What if Gwen was willing to swap lives?

Playwright Gina Gionfriddo pens a smart comedy about a single gal’s mid-life crisis.  Her characters spiritedly debate traditional and contemporary relationship mores across the generational divide.  And then we amusingly watch them go against their heatedly stated belief.  The sophisticated Jennifer Coombs (Catherine) dumbs it down for the underachiever Mark L. Montgomery (Don).  The carefree Cassidy Slaughter-Mason (Avery) gets rattled over her boyfriend’s infrequent contact. The long-suffering Karen Janes Woditsch (Gwen) complains her husband holds her back but can’t leave him.  The feisty Mary Ann Thebus (Alice) embraces an old-fashioned view on marriage but encourages her daughter to steal someone else’s husband. 

Under the masterful direction of Kimberly Senior, the flip-flopping attitudes make for hilarity and thought-provoking banter.  Although the ladies pursue academic enlightenment for their own liberation, they still are reduced to lusty wenches seeking to be fulfilled by having a man. And at least two choose the grungy, beer-bellied Montgomery.  This is the first role that I’ve ever seen Montgomery not have his usual dapper, pristine allure.  He looks and acts like a loser and the ladies can’t seem to resist him. 

Still, this show is all about women bonding: mother-daughter, teacher-student, college roommates.  At one point, Coombs calls her mother her ‘beloved.‘  The moment is a tender sidebar in her rant about not having anyone love her as much as her mother does.  The statement was both startling and beautiful.  And as you watch Coombs and Thebus adorably fuss over each other, the notion is reinforced.  Slaughter-Mason starts out this bitching rebel.  After taking Coombs’ class, we see her transform physically and philosophically.  Slaughter-Mason’s appearance becomes more modest and her views become much broader.  Over martinis, these gal pals form a close coven. Even the annoyingly sober Woditsch drops her guard to confess her wildest inhibitions.   

As a single gal of a certain age and very much attached to my beloved mother, I saw myself in this witty chick-flick of a play.  It teases out embarrassing truths of the modern woman.  And it forces us to face them!  Luckily, we are cloaked in the anonymity of an audience member critiquing someone else’s problem.  The show has plenty to say about women!  And Gionfriddo, Senior and the ensemble are the perfect dames to deliver the life lessons. Also, nod out to Set Designer Jack Magaw’s slick homes.  The scene transitions are smooth as the toy cluttered patio moves to the side and Thebus’ elegant living room rolls out.  It’s all so cohesive… the set, the dialogue, the cast. It’s easy to fall in love… with this show!

Running Time:  Two hours and forty minutes includes an intermission

At Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

Written by Gina Gionfriddo

Directed by Kimberly Senior

At 7:30pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Tuesday (2/10), Sundays (2/1, 2/8)

At 8pm Fridays, Saturdays

At 2pm Sundays, Thursdays (1/29, 2/5, 2/12), Saturdays (2/7, 2/14, 2/21)

Thru February 22nd

Buy Tickets at www.goodmantheatre.org

For more reviews and information on Chicago theatre, visit Theatre in Chicago

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