Sharp, surprising, captivating and disturbing, this sleepover gone wrong captures the messy contradictions of teenage life

First Look Review: Adolescent Salvation
Playing at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago

Tickets available through Oct. 3
TheaterWit.org

773-975-8150

By Joseph Calderon
Photos by Boris Martin

Details: Adolescent Salvation is playwright Tim Venable’s newest work, making its Chicago premiere at Theater Wit. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos, the production has already created a reputation for itself before arriving here in the Midwest.

How we’d describe it: A teenage sleepover paired with weed, tequila, Taylor Swift, and traumatic stories: What could go wrong? Adolescent Salvation starts off as a comedy and quickly escalates into something darker. The result mixes humor and discomfort, making it very memorable.

The play follows 15-year-old Natasha, played by Piper Jean Bailey, hosting a sleepover with her friends Taylor (Jordan Levene) and Taylor (Brandon Acosta). Initially, things are normal. Gossiping about crushes, drinking their parents’ alcohol, and talking about pop culture. Yet as the night goes on, new secrets surface, and the sleepover takes a dark turn.

The scenic design fills the space with the clutter and personality of a teenager’s room, while the intimate circular seating arrangement puts the audience incredibly close to the actors. At times it feels more like you’re actually in the play rather than just watching it.

What stood out: Although unassuming on the outside, once you step inside Theater Wit, you are immediately immersed in the world of production. What really stands out, though, is the set. The entire production takes place inside Natasha’s bedroom, with the audience gathered around it. Jonathan Berg-Einhorn’s scenic design fills the space with the clutter and personality of a teenager’s room, while the intimate circular seating arrangement puts the audience incredibly close to the actors. At times it feels more like you’re actually in the play rather than just watching it.

The cast does a wonderful job handling the play’s constant tone changes. Bailey is particularly compelling as Natasha, gradually revealing the pain beneath her quiet exterior, with clues hidden in her dialogue. Levene’s Taylor initially comes across as a stereotypical mean girl, but as the plot develops, so does her character. Acosta provides another layer to the group, bringing a calming and comedic presence to an increasingly chaotic night.

Adolescent Salvation is eccentric, all over the place, and often deeply uncomfortable, which is exactly what makes it effective. The play captures the contradictions of teenage life better than a whitewashed coming-of-age story could.

The production is more than willing to make the audience uncomfortable. By showing the nitty-gritty angles, Venable treats adolescence realistically, and the play shows teenagers as messy, impulsive, funny, cruel, and compassionate. The story takes several turns that are best experienced without knowing what is coming.

Something to consider: The play isn’t exactly family-friendly. It deals with serious material including bullying, alcoholism, sexual violence, pedophilia, eating disorders and death, among other topics. It is worth reading the Theater Wit content warnings, which can be found on the website. If you are prepared for the content, however, the show’s message will undoubtedly resonate with you.

Final thoughts: Adolescent Salvation is eccentric, all over the place, and often deeply uncomfortable, which is exactly what makes it effective. The play captures the contradictions of teenage life better than a whitewashed coming-of-age story could. It can be hilarious one moment and genuinely disturbing the next, many times within the same scene. If you are looking for a lighthearted night at the theater, this probably is not the show for you. But if you want something that will make you laugh, make you uncomfortable, and give you something to talk about on the drive home, Adolescent Salvation is well worth the price of admission.