Mary Page Marlowe at Steppenwolf Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...On rare occasions in an art form with more than its share of superfluous verbosity and thematic self-indulgence, you feel an intense desire for more scenes, more time in your seat, a deeper dive into the life, times and fate of the protagonist you are watching. In the case of "Mary Page Marlowe," the deeply moving new play from Tracy Letts that opened Sunday night at the Steppenwolf Theatre under the simpatico but unstinting direction of Anna D. Shapiro, that titular protagonist is an unremarkable woman from Dayton, Ohio."

Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...These transformations do not reveal themselves in chronological order, so it is up to the audience to fit the pieces together and map the essential character and psychological shifts of the woman in question. The result is an intriguing if not entirely satisfying theatrical experiment — the portrait of a woman whose path in life is defined by both her innate personality and the scars left from her childhood. Life’s many blows pile up to create often unexpected (and at times belief-stretching) transformations. Each scene is superbly written, but the pieces are more satisfying than the whole."

Daily Herald - Highly Recommended

"...Don't be put off by the nonlinear narrative. In her production notes, Shapiro compares the narrative order to the randomness of life viewed by sifting through "a stack of out-of-order photographs." Indeed, Sven Ortel's projections recall faded black-and-white photographs while Todd Rosenthal's backdrop of empty picture frames suggests Mary Page Marlowe remains inscrutable even after our intimate glimpses into her life."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Mary Page Marlowe has some great passages. Letts is a master at shaping scenes-especially the sort in which normal people respond to the hidden call of their compulsions-and his mastery is often evident here. A hotel-room exchange between Mary Page and one of her lovers is nothing short of magnificent in that regard. And Anna D. Shapiro's staging can be powerful in its restraint, with lots of excellent performances from a large and accomplished cast. It's not what's there that's the matter, but what isn't."

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

"...Anna D. Shapiro again displays her signature skill at staging realism and communicating high stakes without overplaying. She stages Letts' scenes-which each could be a standalone 10-minute play even as they are part of a larger mosaic-straightforwardly, with just a minimum of "theatricality" in the transitions between scenes. As Todd Rosenthal's minimal set pieces roll on and off and actors between the scenes share the stage for brief moments, there's a sense of cinematic dissolves as Mary moves from one memory to another."

Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Both Letts’s script and Shapiro’s staging are smartly constructed and ultimately quite moving, though one might quibble with the inefficiency of Letts’s casting requirements and their effect on his play’s future life. The multiple Mary Pages are necessary for the concept, but all told only five members of the 18-actor cast appear in more than a single scene. Good on Steppenwolf for being able to pay actors the caliber of Sandra Marquez, Gary Wilmes and Keith Gallagher for 10 minutes of work eight times a week, but one can easily see ways to cut down the cast size in order to keep Mary Page turning."

Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended

"...Director Anna D. Shapiro, who this season became Steppenwolf's artistic director, moves the subdivided story forward with seamless ease, carefully raising the poignancy quotient from one episode to the next. And Todd Rosenthal's efficiently changeable sets underscore each shifting circumstance without encumbering the dramatic line. It's a theatrical experience that keeps you hanging on through pained amazement - to a final release as plausible as it is welcome."

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

"...As pure oracle, the Tarot cards in the second scene carry as much weight as a psychiatrist’s inquiry over Mary’s frustrated fantasies. No life, Letts implies, can be fully explained, let alone ever summed up. For theatergoers used to clean plotlines, streamlined storytelling, and conclusive exposition Mary Page Marlowe will seem a quagmire built over a swamp, randomness gone rancid. But, like so many recent successes at Steppenwolf (Domesticated, Grand Concourse, Good People), it shakes up the stage and its spectators. That can never be bad. Here it’s damn good."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...Of course, eighteen actors in an eighty minute play is a big investment, even when it is as worthwhile as here. That is likely why Steppenwolf added seats in the pit, offering a more intimate experience. It is also significant that Steppenwolf has the technical resources to quickly change between Todd Rosenthal’s many sets. At most theatres, Letts’s shifts in location would have resulted in lengthy black-outs, but Shapiro found the right pace to make this story resonate emotionally while still leaving us with the distance to see the big picture."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Tracy Letts, as both performer and playwright, is for the most part, a sure winner. His works are mind-boggling and very deep into the mental being of his characters. His newest work, "Mary Page Marlowe", now making its World Premiere on the main stage at Steppenwolf Theatre is a unique piece that will be great for after show discussions, group or individual."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...When examined in small bites, observed without judgment, it’s fulfilling to behold. Audiences, especially female theatergoers, will recognize many of these moments and understand how one’s choices always bring unexpected results and consequences. So how do you measure a life? Mr. Letts shows us that it’s not by examining one, single event; rather it’s by sorting through a collection of individual moments that enable us to see the whole person."

Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended

"...In the final analysis, Mary Page's life is what it is. Sure she should have done better in some of her choices, but she is maybe more sinned against than sinning. She has paid a heavy price for her weaknesses in character. She is too small a character to qualify the subject of tragedy. In real life we probably wouldn't pay her much attention, except maybe to shake our heads at all her misfortunes. But on the Steppenwolf stage she is glowing dramatic company."

The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended

"...Letts had me the whole time. MARY PAGE MARLOWE is real. She struggles. She gets lost. She lives a life under the influence. Her parents’ apathy. Loveless sex. Booze! Her life is a complicated journey. MARY PAGE MARLOWE is a thought-provoking woman. And I’d like to get to know her better. This is a show I want to see again."

Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended

"...Mary Page Marlowe – both the play and the character – will stay with you long after the curtain drops. You’ll leave feeling like Mary Page is someone you’ve known forever, and someone whose loss you’ll never quite stop mourning."

Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended

"...That concept plays into the idea of having different actors play different versions of Mary Page. Among the many characters who populate her life are some you might like to see more of. Ian Barford and Alan Wilder, for instance, play two of Mary Page's husbands. The six actors who play the leading role are Blair Brown, Carrie Coon, Laura T. Fisher, Caroline Heffernan, Annie Munch and Rebecca Spence. Madeleine Weinstein plays her daughter Wendy. The other busy Chicago actors who appear briefly include Kirsten Fitzgerald as Mary Page's shrink and Sandra Marquez as a nurse. Most of the 18 actors are on stage for only one scene."

NewCity Chicago - Recommended

"...Director Anna D. Shapiro furthers this pensive feel with her absolutely beautiful scene transitions, where the other Marys harrowingly look at each other. These moments are greatly assisted by Todd Rosenthal’s scenic design as well as Marcus Doshi’s lighting and Sven Ortel’s production design."