TRINITY RIVER PLAYS

Regina Taylor's world premiere trilogy The Trinity River Plays is brilliantly written, directed and performed… this trilogy is a must see.Marilee Vergati, Dallas Examiner

The Trinity River Plays, which benefits immeasurably from a blisteringly expansive and deeply empathetic central performance from the spectacular Karen Aldridge and some lively but disciplined direction from Ethan McSweeny, is fascinating.Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

The design work is also notable. Todd Rosenthal's lovingly detailed A-frame home acknowledges Taylor's more existential considerations with its exposed ceiling, while very realistically depicting a well-tended home that ages, but gracefully, retaining a sense of familial comfort.Steven Oxman, Variety

The playwright has picked distinct, rich characters for a colorful arrangement. Taylor's dialogue is organic and natural. Under the direction of Ethan McSweeny, this talented cast IS family. The relations are the familiar and unexplainable ties that bind and sometimes suffocate. Sotty Zacher, Chicago Theater Beat

It has taken Taylor herself a good many years to…'Find her voice'. But in tone, dialogue, characterization and clarity, this trio of interlocking plays — Jar Fly,Rain and Ghoststory — mark a real breakthrough…director Ethan McSweeny and his fine cast keep you invested in Taylor's fevered reality.Hedy Weiss, Chicago sun times

The quality of acting here is stellar. As Iris's Aunt Daisy, Jacqueline Williams delivers much of the play's humor, emanating down-to-earth contradictions. And as Daisy's daughter Jasmine, Christiana Clark manages to make her rebellious and troubled character consistently compellingSteve Oxman, Variety

The Trinity River Plays are like the garden in which much of their action is set - sprawling, florid, earthy and abundantly alive… A great deal of the credit for the show's entertaining surface must go to director Ethan McSweeny, his design team and his cast. Lawson Taitte, Dallas News

Christiana Clark practically steals every scene she's in as cousin Jasmine, going from a vibrantly defiant 19-year-old aspiring dancer/choreographer to a substance-abusing freeloader who is constantly asking relatives for money. Scott C. Morgan, Daily Herald

Regina Taylor is a deep and explorative playwright, and Ethan McSweeny's execution of her story does her great justice. The tragic circumstance that is part of the larger trilogy allowed for the actors to display monumental moments of transformation, and the actors immersed themselves in that process with great integrity.Andrea Kramer, Splash Magazine

McSweeny orchestrates the action gracefully, with standout moments including judo assaults on Iris from Rose's ghost and a pickup basketball game between two middle-aged rivals for Iris's heart.John Beer, Time Out Chicago

Even as the two strong, smart women share plenty of love and mutual admiration, neither is willing to share her deepest demons with the other, and the act ends with Iris lamenting her mother's passing with a wail that seems a release from years of needing but failing to confess her darkest secret to her closest human connection.Steven Oxman, Variety

It possesses the perfect balance of humanity, humor, superb acting and gut wrenching dramatic scenes seamlessly flowing into each other. Taylor and director Ethan McSweeny deftly take her characters on a journey through some of life's darkest moments, while allowing emotionally satisfying transformations. It is a touching portrait of growing up, motherhood and family relationships. It is about going home to move forward.Marilee Vergati, Dallas Examiner

All four women are beyond praise. Aldridge pushes things right to the brink of too much, but never quite goes overboard. Jerald reveals a hidden warmth under her austerity. Williams and Clark are simply perfect.Lawson Taitte, Dallas News

The Trinity River Plays is a complicated and hilarious bouquet of family drama.Katy Walsh, Chicago Now

Director and Broadway veteran Ethan McSweeny deftly navigates the production, balancing the many impressive talents to create a symbiotic whole… Whether it's told through metaphors of the life cycle of gardens or the purifying renewal of a river, The Trinity River Plays is an essentially human story about real people. Kris Noteboom, TheaterJones

Playing at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, The Trinity River Plays are without a doubt playwright Regina Taylor's greatest work. She has always written of 'powerful female characters' and in this work, the women surpass them all.Edith McCauley, Rock River Times

...it's still a powerful and honest piece of story telling filled with well-placed moments of humor and light…Taylor explores many universal themes here, and the characters are all richly drawn. It's nearly impossible not to relate and feel empowered by Iris' transformation.Bob Bullen, Chicago Theater addict

TRINITY RIVER PLAYS [world premiere]

by Regina Taylor

Goodman/Dallas Theater Center 2011