NICE GIRL
by Melissa Ross
Directed by Lauren Shouse
Raven Theatre, Chicago, January 2018
In suburban Massachusetts in 1984, thirty-seven-year-old Josephine Rosen has a dead-end job, still lives with her mother, and has settled into the uncomfortable comfort of an unintended spinsterhood. But when a chance flirtation with an old classmate and a new friendship at work give her hope for the possibility of change, she dusts off the Jane Fonda tapes and begins to take tentative steps towards a new life. A play about the tragedy and joy of figuring out who you are and letting go of who you were supposed to be.
The score starts with a bed of 80's synths that establish our period and follow Josephine through her gentle day to day routine. We kick into gear with pulsing electric guitar once Jo starts to break out of the ordinary and decides to start making changes. At the end, she is left with one big decision, as the world fades away all that's left is the whisper of a guitar.
Scenic Designer: Lauren Nigri
Costume Designer: Noel Huntzinger
Lighting Designer: Rebecca Jeffords
Props Designer: John Buranosky
Stage Manager: Wilhelm Peters
Photos: Michael Brosilow