Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...I just hope Pharel, a true poet with a wicked sense of humor, will strike out from the nonprofit-MFA mainstream, not worry so much in the future about hitting every perceived righteous button, and let her deeply spirited and richly individualized characters tell her where they themselves want to go, rather than feel like an authorial mouthpiece. A model there would be fellow Goodman playwright Jocelyn Bioh, whose “School Girls: Or, The African Mean Girls Play,” now on Broadway, shows us a group of teenaged girls who have minds of their own."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Despite the heavy themes, this play is hilarious. Pharel captures the voices of teen girls with such authenticity and vigor that the 90 minutes fly by in a blur. When the show opens, it has been 19 hours since anyone has heard from Maria, and Salma (Jacqueline Guillen), a true-crime aficionado, is on the case. She recruits her besties Phoebe (Ariana Burks), who is Maria's cousin, and Este (Carmen Berkeley) to help."
Talkin Broadway
- Recommended
"...The Goodman Theatre marks the opening of its Owen Theatre's season with the world premiere of Dead Girl's Quinceañera by Phanesia Phare. The show is co-produced with Barrington Stage and Hartford Stage as part of Chicago Latino Theater Alliance's Destinos Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. Under the direction of Melia Bensussen, the play is funny, touching, and harrowing. Although the balance of these elements is not flawless, it is close enough to make for a wonderful, thoroughly engaging story, and one told from regrettably underrepresented perspectives, thanks to strong staging and an excellent cast."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...Phanésia Pharel’s Dead Girl’s Quinceañera, now being performed at the Goodman Theatre, is several genres fused into one wobbly script. It’s a satire of a police procedural, a send-up of true crime podcasts, a coming-of-age story, a socioeconomic study, a dark tale of abuse, and a celebration of Hispanic culture. It’s also an example of talent compensating for a lack of storytelling discipline."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...Phanésia Pharel's Dead Girl's Quinceañera is a brilliantly scripted dark comedy that explores the unsettling truths of sexual abuse, family trauma, and the silencing of young victims who fear speaking about unspoken family secrets. With themes of teenage friendships, self-discovery, and independence, the play blends comedic wit with an engaging narrative about young women's fierce determination to take matters into their own hands when the adults in their lives fail to protect them."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...In this story, Maria ( played to perfection by Andrea Ferro) has not been seen since her Quinceanere. It seems the party ended early, and despite all efforts, Maria has not responded to any messages. It has been close to 24 hours. Her three best buddiesCarmen Berkely, Ariana Burks, Jacqueline Guillen, without any adult supervision, are going to solve the case and find out what might have happened to her, caused by what other party and make sure they do so, with great haste."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Recommended
"...Filled with humor, teenage bravado and a mystery that theatergoers will be trying to solve before the three super sleuths in the play, DEAD GIRL’S QUINCEANA presents a new world and culture to many theatergoers. Phanesia Pharel’s first full-length play is most promising. As directed by Melia Bensussen it gives audiences an entertaining and chilling brain twister that’s perfect for this time of year. The one-act is liberally laced with unexpected comedy, and it’s brought to life by a quartet of lovely, extremely talented Latina actresses. But it all comes down to the question of the evening: What happened to Maria?"
Buzz Center Stage
- Recommended
"...Produced by Goodman Theatre in association with Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, the production is a collective World Premiere with Barrington Stage Company and Hartford Stage. Directed by Melia Bensussen, the play has at times the quick-cut energy of the procedural television shows that inspired Pharel when she originally conceived the work"
The Fourth Walsh
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Maria celebrated turning 15 with a festive quinceañera. No one has seen her since the party. She’s not responding to texts. Her friends fear foul play. They set up a case board to determine suspects and motives. They deconstruct the evening for clues and interview likely assailants. As the hours pass from Maria’s disappearance, it gets closer to Selma’s own quinceañera. Can they solve the mystery before strategy strikes… again?"
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...The Goodman Theatre is elevating the female’s voice with Phanésia Pharel’s play Dead Girl’s Quinceañera. This marks the company’s eighth collaboration with Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance, alongside the alliance’s ninth annual famed Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. Rich with Latina, female and queer representation, Dead Girl’s Quinceañera’s Chicago premiere brings laughter, mystery and heartfelt emotion to its audience."
Entertaining Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...A playful mystery about three teenage girls determined to uncover what happened to their missing friend, Dead Girl’s Quinceañera uses the language of true crime to explore friendship, girlhood, and what happens when young people see things the adults around them don’t."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Dead Girl's Quinceañera by Phanesia Pharel lives in the world of Veronica Mars or Nancy Drew-there is even a callout to the latter-in which teen girls manage to find the truth about a murder or other mystery long before the police or any adults can. That should in no way diminish the play; in fact, the fact the the characters are all fifteen-year-old Latinas and the story centers around the coming of age ceremony known as the Quinceañera makes it unique, as these are characters that rarely take center stage."
MaraTapp.org
- Recommended
"...This coming-of-age story manages to be both profound and laugh-out-loud funny, perfect for crime and mystery junkies. Yet this whodunit is also ideal for those who care about what’s happening to women both in and out of immigrant communities. The search is on for Maria, who was last seen at her quinceañera and has been missing for 19 hours. Her three besties are in the heat of a full-fledged investigation. Imagine Harriet the Spy at 15 times three and Latine."
Splash Magazine
- Recommended
"...Each of the 4 performers is believable and sincere- they effectively use dialect, slightly accented Spanish and English, song and dance, posturing, eye-contact and physical comedy to transform a smartly worded script into an engaging disquisition on friendship, loyalty, and growing up. The piece is fun to watch, engaging, even charming."
Allie and the After Party
- Somewhat Recommended
"...When a friend goes missing the night of her quinceañera, her friends take it upon themselves to find out what happened to her. In between the investigation, we hear from each of them and their specific points of view and experiences within their Latino/a community."
NewCity Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"..."Dead Girl's Quinceañera" convincingly examines the subtle ferocity of girlhood and the intricacies of growing up. Disenchantment notwithstanding, there is great reward in truth and friendship, should you choose to fight for it."
