Through the Elevated Line presented by Silk Road Rising at Chicago Temple

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...Directed here by Carin Silkaitis, Parsi's play follows A Streetcar Named Desire very closely-at times too closely. If you're familiar with Tennessee Williams's plot, you can easily follow as the paint connects the numbers. Plot isn't everything, of course, and Razi is a beautifully realized character-not just a fascinating study in iconoclasm, but also in the ways that worldview can poison a man's life. He's a painful reminder that, from the outside, PTSD is sometimes indistinguishable from being a dick."

Theatre By Numbers - Recommended

"...Director Carin Silkaitis and her actors use physical space to ratchet up the conflict between Parsi’s characters. Ardebili darts from place to place in the small home, hiding his nerves in grand pronouncements and adjustments to the lights. Volkers stomps through the room, as he feels is his right. By the time he’s pushing Razi around wearing only a towel, it seems clear that dominance is what makes Chuck feel safe."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...This terrific production continues the company's mission to unleash the audience's curiosity and to help theatergoers understand how people from all cultures are inherently alike and linked together. Audiences who know the works of Tennessee Williams will immediately see the parallels between "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Novid Parsi's new play. However, a familiarity with Williams' classic isn't necessary for patrons to become helplessly involved with and to understand Razi's tragic tale. As the elevated line rumbles and roars above, with lights flashing and announcements to stand clear of the closing door, many audience members will harken back to 1940's New Orleans, when a streetcar named Desire broke the dreamworld tranquility of Blanche DuBois."

Third Coast Review - Recommended

"...Playwright Parsi likens the triangle of Razi, Soraya and Chuck to the relationship among Blanche, Stella and Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire. Razi and Soraya's parents both died recently and Razi was forced to spend the family money and the revenue from the sale of their house to pay the medical bills. Chuck's insistence on Soraya getting her share of what they thought was the parents' estate is reminiscent of Stanley's battle with Blanche in Streetcar. (If the Streetcar analogy doesn't make sense to you, never fear. The story works on its own.)"

The Hawk Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire is a classic for a reason - and it's understandable that many people are hesitant to take in an update of one of their most beloved favorites. Luckily, playwright Novid Parsi has updated the story masterfully in Silk Road Rising's current production of Through the Elevated Line."

Chicago On Stage - Recommended

"... I guess my bottom line is that I can easily recommend this to those who don’t know Streetcar or those who love discovering parallels with a work they know. I can recommend it for its technical aspects, including also a great set by Joe Schermoly. I can recommend it to anyone who wishes to see some excellent acting, especially from the four leads. But I caution those who know Streetcar that the imitation does sometimes go too far."

Picture This Post - Highly Recommended

"...Through the Elevated Line is recommended both for those who cherish Williams' script as a well-known treasure and those who barely know its outlines, if at all. In this writer's view, Novid Parsi's script is absolutely superb in its own right."