Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...yet there's something lovely about this portrait of strangers forced into an intimacy they both crave and reject, and McGravie has created seven fully fledged characters, each with enough backstory to distinguish one from another."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"... The individual performances are sharp and distinctive, but it is the ensemble esprit that is of the essence here. And McGravie’s beautifully observed play, with its marvelous feminist rumblings, is a gem."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Director Karen Kessler's impeccably cast, exquisitely paced revival pays careful attention to the nuances of the women's forced cohabitation, making even the unfocused first act feel compellingly true."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Don't come expecting a recruiting poster—McGravie's candor pulls no punches in its assertion that problems faced by female soldiers in 1945 continue to this day. That said, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble lives up its name under Karen Kessler's direction, its cast forging a camaraderie engendering esprit de corps immediately recognizable to real-life veterans (like me) and home-front auxiliaries alike, while the production's technical team immerses us in our environment right down to the postage on the letters. Carry on, ladies!"
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...It’s a warmly observed portrait of a moment when women and the world were on the cusp of palpable but unknowable change, as well as a jarring reminder of just how much attitudes have changed in only 70 years (one of the women, revealing she’s been sexually assaulted, frets her boyfriend will never forgive her “for letting it happen”). Director Karen Kessler and her top-notch cast fill out McGravie’s remembrances with skill and care."
Chicago Theatre Addict - Highly Recommended
"...this production’s excellence doesn’t just stem from the clear-eyed writing. The nuanced work by, from my vantage point, one of the best ensemble casts on any Chicago stage at the moment makes this remount a must-see."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...You’d be hard pressed to witness a finer ensemble work where each player so deftly presents their character with enough honesty to make us want to invite them to our house for tea. I was particularly impressed with Amanda Powell and Rebecca Spence. These players sported rich area perfect British accents that ranged from Scottish to Welsh to pure English. With humor and loads of heart, WRENS unfolds as a glimpse into another almost forgotten profile and story from WWII. it is a theatrical gem – don’t miss it."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"... The technical part of this production is the icing on the cake.Amy Gabbert’s costumes, Diane D. Fairchild’s lights, Kate Hopgood’s sound complete the package. Please note that this entire production is one where females rule and even though they have a few men around to assist, Rivendell continues to do what it set out to do some 17 years ago. For this, they are to be congratulated – being able to find the scripts and stories that fit their needs and then assembling the right and talented people to complete the task. This is a charming and witty story with some very funny moments, but with a deep message-one that can be enjoyed by all theater audiences and should be."
