The Night of the Hunter Reviews

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Shawna Tucker, the author of this world premiere, plays Miz Cooper, a crusty old widow who shelters wandering waifs cast adrift by the upheavals of the Great Depression. Tucker's Cooper also serves as the story's narrator, putting her own energetic spin on a role famously associated with Lillian Gish's iconic performance in the story's classic 1955 screen version (the only film ever directed by British actor Charles Laughton)."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Terrific acting by Brian Breau, in the role of Henry “Preacher” Powell, could not be any better in this world premiere adaptation of the thriller novel “The Night of the Hunter.” Written by Davis Grubb, this story is based on a real murderer in West Virginia, named Harry Powers, who preyed on widows during the Great Depression. The show details how a con artist can fool lots of people into thinking he is actually a good person. Breau takes this sinister role to new heights as he portrays a swarmy ultra-religious Christian preacher who, by means of his sanctimonious piety, inserts himself into the lives of others. In actual fact, he is a hardened criminal with the word LOVE tattooed on his right hand and HATE tattooed on his left."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...City Lit is jumping on the bloody bandwagon by presenting a World Premiere by Chicago-based actor and playwright, Shawna Tucker. She has adapted Davis Grubb’s bestselling 1953 thriller novel, The Night of the Hunter, for the stage. The title may be familiar to movie aficionados because of the popular classic 1955 film noir adaptation. It starred Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters and, after “Citizen Kane,” is considered one of the greatest films ever made. Ms Tucker’s theatrical adaptation is faithful to both the book and the film, but the production feels a little choppy in its construction and direction, and some of the performances come off as too broad."

Buzz Center Stage - Recommended

"...I was impressed by Kendal Romero's interpretation of Willa as an ineffectual woman whose instinct to refuse Preacher capitulates under peer pressure, only to be verified on their wedding night, when Preacher declares their union will be platonic. Evidently he's not quite ruthless enough to bed a woman he intends to defraud and then kill - what a guy, huh?"

Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended

"...The Night of the Hunter is a powerful, provocative serial killer drama told from very personal and relatable perspectives. Pastor and his cast invite us into this world and make it feel real; it’s a show that is tremendously easy to recommend."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...City Lit Theater regular Shawna Tucker has created a new stage adaptation of "The Night of the Hunter," playing through December 3. Based on the 1953 novel by Davis Grubb and directed by Brian Pastor, it may be the most chilling thing you see on a Chicago stage this fall. It was inspired by the crimes of West Virginia serial killer Harry Powers, executed in 1932 for the murders of a widow and her three children from Park Ridge, Illinois, plus another widow from Massachusetts. The novel was made into a 1955 film starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters."