Chicago Suntimes

'Enchanted April' showers audience with sunshine, smarts

May 7, 2008

Recommend (7)

BY MARY HOULIHAN Staff Reporter

‘Enchanted April'

Highly recommended

"The four women (dressed in Suzanne Mann’s period-perfect designs) are the heart of the story. They are portrayed by actors who capture the idiosyncrasies of each diverse personality. Patricia Austin brings just the right touch to the ebullient Lotty, who is both scattered and incisive. Darci Nalepa is a sad, forlorn Rose who blooms before our eyes. Michelle Weissgerber is a sexy, reckless Lady Caroline, and Mary Redmon is daunting and delightful as Mrs. Graves, who never met a Tennyson fan she didn’t like.

“Enchanted April” is another fine entry that goes far in reaffirming Circle Theatre’s talent for taking seldomly produced plays and putting their own magical touch on them."

 

The Chicago Reader 

Enchanted April Matthew Barber's adaptation of Elizabeth Von Arnim's novel--about four Englishwomen on holiday in Italy in the 1920s--is sweet and graceful. Still, director Bob Knuth and his terrific cast deserve much of the credit for making it succeed so well here. The performances are subtle and moving, creating characters that are likable and sympathetic. More importantly, the production has an understated intensity that makes this simple, and at times predictable, story compelling. Darci Nalepa and Michelle Weissgerber are standouts as a depressed wife and a poor little rich girl. And, once again, Knuth, who does all of Circle Theatre's scenic design, has come up with a delightful, attractive set that underscores the intimacy of Circle's smaller performance space while overcoming its limitations. --Jack Helbig 

 

 

 

The Pitt News

'Born Yesterday,' see tomorrow

Playhouse's newest charms

By:

PATRICIA McNEIL

 

The highlights of this production were the performances by Michelle Weissgerber (Billie Dawn) and Michael F. Jansen (Harry Brock). Weissgerber was able to bring to her role the necessary mixture of "dumb-blonde" line delivery and comedic timing, while still making Billie a likable and vulnerable character. Jansen did a marvelous job of executing the physical nature of his character as well as molding Harry into the classic 1940s mobster. The chemistry between the pair is carried most of the performance.