Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Dystopian writers such as Octavia E. Butler and Margaret Atwood tend to eschew the title of prophet. If their works of fiction seem eerily prescient, it’s because the authors have observed contemporary or historical trends and imagined how their logical conclusions might play out. This truism holds up with Arlene Hutton’s “Blood of the Lamb,” a compact thriller about reproductive rights now making its Chicago premiere with Promethean Theatre Ensemble under the direction of Anna C. Bahow."
Stage and Cinema
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Promethean Theatre Ensemble opens its twentieth season with the Chicago premiere of Arlene Hutton’s The Blood of the Lamb. Directed by Anna C. Bahow and performed by two different casts, the play takes place in the aftermath of a new law passed in the Republic of Texas, one that asserts that a fetus is endowed with the same rights as a human being. Reeling in shock in the meeting room—scenic designer Amy C. Gilman nails the oppressively boring look of anonymous airport rooms everywhere—Nessa (Heather Dennis) is told that Val (Kirsten D’Aurelio) is not a nurse but a lawyer. When Nessa asks why she needs a lawyer, she is informed that Val is not there to represent her; she is there to represent the “baby.”"
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"... Slow-moving but deliberate and emotionally charged, the Chicago premiere of “Blood of the Lamb” combines unease and dark humor with the devastating reality of the decline of women’s rights in the United States today. This taut psychological drama by playwright Arlene Hutton has been set in a near-future America, shaped by post Roe vs. Wade legal and political labyrinths. It is quite a coincidence that this work of speculative fiction was written in 2022 just before the Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs case, which overturned the federal guarantee of a woman’s right to a legal abortion in all fifty States."
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Arlene Hutton started her first draft of Blood of the Lamb on February 13, 2022. After the May 3, 2022, leak revealing the Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, she went to B Street Theatre in Sacramento about her draft; the theater commissioned the completion and first production of her play. Despite successful performances, including at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a Drama Desk Award nomination, many American theaters have been reluctant to produce Hutton’s script. Thankfully, Promethean Theatre Ensemble brings Blood of the Lamb to Chicago for its premiere."
PlaylistHQ
- Highly Recommended
"...Overall, it’s a gripping production that leaves the audience stunned and talking about the issues."
Chicago On Stage
- Recommended
"...Most of the time, when I walk into a double-cast show, I sigh to myself, and simply wonder: "Did I get the A cast or the B cast?" Blood of the Lamb by Arlene Hutton presented by Promethean Theatre Ensemble is, indeed, double cast (two pairs of actors alternate performances), but there is no issue of fairness, indecisiveness, or a variance in quality at the very beautiful Den Theatre in Wicker Park; rather, director Anna C. Bahow contrives a compelling frame that supports the heart of Hutton's play before it even begins. As you take your seat in the tiny theatre (even in the third row, I felt as though I was an observer in the room next to the actors), you already realize that, unless you came to see a specific performer, you are seeing these two by chance."
People and Places
- Highly Recommended
"...I was intrigued by the title biblical reference, and thought of the book of Revelations, as well as it signifying faith and sacrifice. In the play, having been on a flight from LAX to JFK, Nessa finds herself confined to a room with Val after the plane had been diverted for an emergency to Dallas. Nessa just wants to take the next jet departing for New York, but circumstances are interfering, giving rise to a Moebius-like psychological thriller."
