Trash presented by Babes With Blades Theatre Company at The Side Project

Chicago Reader - Not Recommended

"...Without enough dramatic build to heighten the stakes, Babes With Blades's few exciting action sequences seem lost in a play that barely skims its own surface."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...Sustaining this level of emotional intensity in the Side Project's close quarters over 80 minutes of wrestling with mountains of slippery detritus—replicated by the technical team with an accuracy to discourage the tactually curious—demands a degree of stamina. Said stamina led to the double-casting of the show, Jennifer L. Mickelson and Elizabeth MacDougald, under the direction of Delia Ford, alternating in repertory with Alison Dornheggen and Megan Schemmel, the latter of whom (on the night that I attended) delivered riveting, inseverably connected performances to elevate the BWB company to the artistic legitimacy too long denied it by purists."

Chicago Stage Review - Somewhat Recommended

"...Trash is not a revelation on familial discontent. The dialogue feels a bit contrived and the dramatic nuances of the play feel a bit forced, but that doesn’t keep this production from providing an evening of thoroughly delightful guilty pleasures. Playwright Jolly takes us into the messy quagmire of family conflict and Babes with Blades realizes this conflict with great skill and unwavering determination. Trash is a great example of how Babes with Blades carves their distinctive niche in Chicago theater by creating uniquely captivating work that consistently kicks some ass."

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended

"...Playwright Arthur M. Jolly won the “Join Sword & Pen 2011-12” contest. The Babes with Blades annual contest looks to produce new plays depicting women in combat. Jolly’s story is interesting. His dialogue is smart with plenty of witty one liners. It’s the overall premise that gives me pause. (With three sisters and plenty of unresolved family issues, a letter isn’t going to get me to a landfill.) Jolly raises the stakes a few times to keep the search going but initially and collectively, the reason for both sisters to get TRASH-ed over a letter seems more bunk than junk."