Northwestern University | The Hanslick Girls

July 9, 2017

The Rising Class: The Hanslick Girls on the Wirtz Center’s Fuente Ovejuna

—Originally published May 4, 2017—

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of Northwestern students who always go to see plays together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls saw “Fuente Ovejuna,” Susan E. Bowen and Kori Alston’s new adaptation of Lope de Vega’s 17th century play. Let’s hear what they had to say on their way back from the theater…

“I don’t know who any of those actors were,” Eleanor said as she walked into the dark outside the Barber Theatre.

Gwen followed close behind, through the revolving door. “A lot of them are new,” Gwen said. “It’s an MFA thing, where the directors cast a lot of new performers in their shows. It happened with Agamemnon back in January, remember?”

“I suppose,” Eleanor said. “I mean, the lead guy, the evil one, he’s been in things before, right?”

“Gómez? Or the romantic interest for Laurencia?”

July 9, 2017

H*ckin’ Good Puppers: Imagine U’s “Go Dog Go

—Originally published April 26, 2017—

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of Northwestern students who always go to see plays together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls saw “Go Dog Go!,” Imagine U’s french mime piece directed by Gina Marie Hayes. Let’s hear what they had to say on their way back from the theater…

“I want to go play on the stage!”

“You’re too big to play on the stage, Hazel. These are little, little children.”

Hazel grumbled and grabbed onto Gwen’s hand. As the girls attempted to make it through the traffic jam of young children and parents that clogged the pathways of the Mussetter-Struble Theatre, with Eleanor attempting to lead them through, Dania glanced over towards the stage. A parachute had been laid out, and children were running under it. She was much, much too big to be playing there – well, she was there in spirit, anyway.

Making it to the far right of the space, Eleanor began to leave, before hearing Gwen behind her.

“Eleanor! Wait up!”

July 9, 2017

Nearly One Hundred: The Hanslick Girls on “The Waa-Mu Show: Beyond Belief”

—Originally published May 8, 2017—

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of Northwestern students who always go to see plays together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls saw “Beyond Belief,” the 86th Waa-Mu Show, and the fourth seen by all three girls. Let’s hear what they had to say the following day, after seeing the show…

Eleanor slumped down into the couch in the living room, glancing at her phone. It was a dull Monday evening, and she was procrastinating on midterms – as one did at that time, two weeks out from Dillo Day. The anxiety over her impending graduation was beginning to hit harder, and she was attempting to distract herself from the terror of the situation. She closed her phone, tossing her eyes to the ceiling, and around the room.

Through the door, she could just see into the next room. Gwen was hunched over her desk, poking at something with a pen and occasionally writing down something short.

July 9, 2017

Un Bel Dì: The Hanslick Girls Review Vertigo Productions’ “This Is Not A True Story”

—Originally published April 17, 2017—

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of Northwestern students who always go to see plays together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls saw “This Is Not A True Story,” Preston Choi’s new play presented by Vertigo Productions. Let’s hear what they had to say on their way back from the theater…

“I can only hope in writing this play I can offer some incarnation of these women a life they have choice in, a world where they decide their fate. I am flawed already by writing it, but I hope it is a better story.”

Those words, taken from the end of the Writer’s Note penned by Preston Choi in the program for this new play, had stuck with Eleanor throughout the performance. How strange it was, she considered, that this story of asian female empowerment was penned by a male author. But it was a clever admission, she considered, coupled with the play’s title. If it wasn’t a true story, certainly, at least it was a better one.

“That one was weird,” Dania said, as they walked across the quad away from Shanley.

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