“Barrie, a petite blond with a most intriguing face and emotions that run deep, made a huge impression as the star of Lifeline's "Mariette in Ecstasy" earlier this season, and her beautifully modulated work here only confirms her enormous talent. Her chemistry with Challinor -- beguiling in his youthful beauty, and blend of boyish energy and willed calm -- is ideal."
-Chicago Sun-Times' full review

“Graceland, in world premiere at the tiny Profiles Theatre under the deeply sensitive direction of Matthew Miller, centers on a 40-ish brother and sister. The siblings (played, beautifully, by the emotionally luminous Brenda Barrie and the refreshingly honest Eric Burgher) have a variety of complex relationships with this cemetery. "
-Chicago Tribune's full review

“A tone that balances quirky humor and emotional outbursts, a plot that includes wild coincidence and honest revelations. . . It's a very funny and extremely well-acted variation on the tragicomic contemporary character study . . . "
-Centerstage's full review

“. . .a powerful performance . . . Brenda Barrie is outstanding as the lonely suffering Sara. . ."Graceland" mixes comedy, rich characters with an off-beat look into loneliness that unfolds as a terrific night at the theatre "
-Chicago Critic's full review

“The characters are Sara (the remarkable Brenda Barrie, who gets stronger with each play she does) and her brother Sam (Eric Burgher, who adds a lot of the comic touches) and they are at the grave of their estranged father who has committed suicide."
-Steadstyle Chicago's full review

“The show's biggest asset is Brenda Barrie, whose luminous face can tell a thousand stories . . ."
-Chicago Free Press' full review

“Brenda Barrie continues her streak of carefully etched performances."
-Chicago Reader's full review

“ . . . the always-radiant Barrie does what she can to create a journey for Sara that doesn't exist in the script."
-Time Out Chicago's full review

“GRACELAND is staged by Matthew Miller with sensitivity and intelligence. Ellen Fairey's writing is rich with humor and emotional intensity. Brenda Barrie delivers a superbly nuanced performance . . ."
-Copley News

“A major catalyst to our suspension of disbelief is the immediate empathy generated by the actors, guided by Matthew Miller's briskly efficient direction - in particular, the charismatic Brenda Barrie as the grieving Sara and the enchanting Jackson Challinor as her underaged cavalier, although Darrell W. Cox lends a winsome edge to the latter's youth-obsessed poppa . . ."
-Windy City Times' full review

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Mariette in Ecstasy

“The production benefits greatly from a remarkable central performance from a beautiful and honest young actress named Brenda Barrie, who manages to physically set herself apart from everyone else in the production and appear at once more sophisticated and more dangerous.”
-Chicago Tribune's full review

“Brenda Barrie, whose portrayal of Mariette Baptiste, the beautiful young postulant who brings chaos to the Catholic convent she hopes to enter, is nothing short of wizardry - uncanny in its sense of truth, mystery and ambiguity. . . she is nothing short of transfixing in a role that demands just such a charismatic presence.”
-Chicago Sun-Times' full review

"Barrie is a joy to watch as Mariette as she possesses a glow of contentment that focuses on complete honesty . . . one of the finest shows mounted in Chicago this year!"
-Chicago Critic's full review

“Barrie plays the teen-ager with persuasive understatement and modesty. It's difficult to believe if Mariette is a trickster or a hysteric but there is such subtlety and depth in her performance that the matter remains open ended, and properly so.”
-Copley News' full review

“Many questions are asked, and few answers are given, but satisfyingly so. Played by Brenda Barrie with gorgeous vitality constrained by delicate grace, Mariette is passionate - or is she hysterical? Devoted or opportunistic? Saintly or sensual?"
-Time Out Chicago's full review

“Adapted by Lifeline theater ensemble member, Christina Calvit, the script, by turns numinous and wry, retains much of the novels lovely wording and most of its dramatic punch. "
-Centerstage's full review

“This is a powerful production with a solid cast of players. Mariette is played by Brenda Barrie, who is strikingly beautiful and radiates the aura that supposedly has been cast upon her.”
-Steadstyle Chicago's full review

“Director Elise Kauzlaric has assembled a dream-team cast of character actresses, led by the alluring Brenda Barrie, whose performance here, as in the recent Beauty On The Vine, conveys just the right proportions of youthful vulnerability and sly calculation to keep us undecided as to the source of Mariette's self-sacrificing (or self-serving) zeal."
-Windy City Times' full review

“Working with a smart, no nonsense adaptation by Christina Calvit, director Elise Kauzlaric has assembled an incredibly competent cast anchored by the Jeff worthy performance of Brenda Barrie who gives both a physically and psychologically nuanced interpretation of Mariette.”
-ShowBiz Chicago's full review

“Brenda Barrie, who plays Mariette, is absolutely marvelous in her role. Through a display of raw emotion, she is able to create a divine world real enough that you'll wonder if she is the only one who sees it. This is a rising star who should be watched.”
-The Urban Coaster's full review

“This is very much an ensemble piece, but there's no denying that the luminous Brenda Barrie dominates
in the title role.”
-Chicago Free Press' full review

Press 2008

"Berkman's fine script is smart and his characters are fully developed, especially Lauren and Sweet. Brenda Barrie and Gregory Isaac offered excellent performances."
-Chicago Critic's full review

“[Director Jason Kae] works his usual magic and draws psychologically detailed, emotionally convincing performances from his Backstage Theatre cast. The guy's a genius.”
-Chicago Reader's full review

“A terrific performance by Brenda Barrie . . . She's like someone from 'The Hills,' with a cunning brain.”
-Chicago Tribune's full review

“Director Kae coaxes a game performance from lead actress Barrie.”
-Time Out Chicago's full review

“Brenda Barrie turns in a marathon performance as the always-distinct three Laurens, ably supported by Gregory Isaac and a cast of storefront-circuit stalwarts who inhabit their allegorical characters with serenely unswerving conviction.”
-Windy City Times' full review

"In Matthew Reeder's delicate, straightforward production for BackStage Theatre Company, Brenda Barrie gives a realistic yet dignified portrayal of the adolescent Li'l bit.”
-Chicago Reader's full review

Press 2007

Press 2006