|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PRESS 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
HISTORY
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Meet Chicago Theatre's Rising Stars Recognized in the Tribune's "Rising Stars" Memorable Shows Burnish Chicago's Theater Reputation "Mariette in Ecstasy" at Lifeline Theatre: "Christina Calvit's adaptation of Ron Hansen's jewel of a novel, about a cloistered Roman Catholic convent and the young postulant (a stunning performance by Brenda Barrie) who disrupts life there, was poetic and eloquent." From Chicago's Stages, the 10 Best Performances of 2009 "Barrie's year to remember included everything from a sensual postulant at Lifeline ("Mariette in Ecstasy") to the malevolent Aunt Dan for BackStage Theatre Company. But it was her work this summer as a struggling Chicagoan in Ellen Fairey's sweet new play "Graceland" that most proved her chops . . ." Newcity's Top 5 of Everything 2009: Stage Top 5 Female Performances in Chicago Theater: Ten Most Wanted "The Ruby Sunrise" at The Gift Theatre: " . . . a smart ensemble headed by Michael Patrick Thornton and Brenda Barrie demonstrated the emotional depth of Groff's cerebral scenario. BackStage Theatre Company | AUNT DAN AND LEMON "Barrie, exquisite as always, presents this Svengali with a disarming sensuousness; a mix of faith and pent-up sex, she could be an escaped nun from Black Narcissus. ” "[Barrie] has a very compelling (and shrewdly chilly) take on this dangerous character, and we surely believe that [Lemon] is powerless in her grasp." "Aunt Dan (a captivating Brenda Barrie) is far from a sympathetic character, but she allures the audience with a series of eloquent, logical arguments, which she uses to justify everything from Henry Kissinger's ruthless politic of dominance to her many dubious affairs. As a result, the show becomes less of a rant about power, injustice and the limits of human compassion; instead, it's a curious love story - and an absolutely unsettling account of an unlikely monster." ". . . a treasure trove of dark comedy, as well as a beautifully clinical study of the 1970s (including an amazing rant about the political and sexual prowess of Henry Kissinger). Backstage's production is smart . . ." "Aunt Dan and Lemon is one of those plays that offers a mixture of intoxicating performances, provocative ideas and eerie treatment on the power of influence. This is a well acted cautionary tale that begs to be seen." "An assembly of actors whose elocutionary skills have been honed to razor sharpness, creating immediately engaging individuals of palpable originality . . . first seduced by a bevy of alluring personalities (led by stars-in-rise Brenda Barrie and Rebekah Ward-Hays as the title personnel) , then confronted by the monstrosity of their opinions . . ." The Gift Theatre | THE RUBY SUNRISE "Ruby'sdaughter, Lulu (the smashing Brenda Barrie, warm and sharp) works as a script coordinator, and she is besotted by the new writer on staff, an ink-stained wretch named Tad (Michael Patrick Thornton). Their sly banter has a "His Girl Friday" energy to it.” "Gawlik's direction is brisk delight; the production brims with crackerjack performances. Barrie, as Ruby's daughter, and Thornton, as her writer love interest, are first among equals and the sexiest screwball pair since Hepburn and Stewart.” "Lulu (the electric Brenda Barrie, most recently a star of "Graceland" at Profiles Theatre) -- a production assistant in the heyday of live television and a young woman possessed of an uncanny feel for the medium -- romances writer Tad Rose (Michael Patrick Thornton, first rate as a gifted, broken-spirited writer) and trusts him with her mother's story. That mother, of course, was Ruby." "John Gawlik directs an intensely focused cast, led by Brenda Barrie and Michael Patrick Thornton as the romantic crusaders, with noteworthy performances by Alexandra Main and John Kelly Connolly as their savvier elders.” "...A beautiful cast headed by Brenda Barrie, Maura Kidwell (a revelation in the second act), Michael Patrick Thornton and Patrick De Nicola (both youthfully eager and emotionally precise), leads us further into Groff's complicated imaginings.” “John Gawlik's robust production makes the best of Groff's rewarding play . . . he's guided his actors to exceptional work, with Barrie, De Nicola, Main, Connolly and Thornton particularly strong.” “Powerful...wonderful performance...sweet and funny...the chemistry is magical...a very positive and loving note that might just bring a tear to your eye...a marvelous job...worth the price of admission.” “ . . .'I've always been interested in the ways that stories get handed down,' Groff explains. She sees narrative as both a fundamental human need--one whose centrality became even more apparent to her as her daughter, now seven, began telling and repeating her own stories . . .” “Turn off the TV (it's all re-runs anyway) and venture to the Gift Theatre”! “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." “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. " “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 . . . " “. . .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 " “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." “The show's biggest asset is Brenda Barrie, whose luminous face can tell a thousand stories . . ." “Brenda Barrie continues her streak of carefully etched performances." “ . . . the always-radiant Barrie does what she can to create a journey for Sara that doesn't exist in the script." “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 . . ." “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 . . ." Jeff Awards Announces 2009 Non-Equity Nominations “Evita, Mariette in Ecstasy, Rose and the Rime lead non-Equity Jeff Award nominees” Lifeline Theatre | 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.” “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.” "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!" “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.” “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?" “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. " “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.” “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." “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.”
“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.” “This is very much an ensemble piece, but there's no denying that the luminous Brenda Barrie dominates
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||