Strangers and Romance (Photos from current production, reviews from previous productions)
Beverly Friend (Theater Critic) - "Jupiter Theater opens with a very tidy package, the Midwest premier of two one-act plays by Barbara Lhota. Both take place on Christmas Eve, and, in their unfolding, provide a gift or sheer pleasure for their audience." Theater Critic for Pioneer Press Group
"In its inaugural production, Jupiter Theater has captured the essence of two Barbara Lhota one-acts, entertaining explorations of raw neediness that also offer sparkling comedy." Chicago Reader, Jenn Goddu
Third Person
"Part Nora Ephron-style romantic comedy, part self-administered regression therapy, the play shifts with alarcrity between extremely funny and extremely harrowing." - Gary Susman, Boston Phoenix
Boston Herald's Pick for Top Ten Plays in Boston in 1993
Boston Herald's Pick for Top Ten Plays in Boston in 1993
Los Desaparecidos: The Vanished
"Los Desaparecidos (The Vanished) delivers not only rough-and-tumble entertainment, but enough intrigue and romance to rivit the most avid soap opera fans--in a good way....With clever, witty dialogue and vigourous swordplay that includes rapiers, knives, daggers and shields, the play makes for a thoroughly enjoyable time. The final scenes of the play are infused with drama and emotion and a healthy does of surprising twists and turns that made some in the audience gasp." Elena Ferrarin, Daily Herald Chicago
CRITICS' PICS 2008 - Windy City Times
Los Desaparecidos (The Vanished) - "Don't let the title fool you--if you liked The Princess Bridge, you'll love this swabuckling romance of "unusual relationships' in 16th century Spain." Mary Shen Barnidge
CRITICS' PICS 2008 - Windy City Times
Los Desaparecidos (The Vanished) - "Don't let the title fool you--if you liked The Princess Bridge, you'll love this swabuckling romance of "unusual relationships' in 16th century Spain." Mary Shen Barnidge
"Lhota's wonderfully overheated story of intrigue and forbidden love contains so many complicated relationships and surprising plot twists." - Jack Helbig, Chicago Reader
"Los Desaparecidos is a work full of loaded subtexts of extreme conflict and well-kept secrets." ...."The work plays clearly with the emotions of the spectator, who begins to discover the threads of the plot..Surprises in which tense and critical moments are suddenly turned around by the humor with which the dramatists has seasoned the speechs." - Elio Leturia, Daily HOY
Personal Penchantsn (One - Act)
"The juxtaposition between Louise's struggle to find just the right adjectives and Jackie's reaction to the words is amusing—there's something wonderfully human about the way standard English can get so utterly lost in translation as it moves through cyberspace. As was the case when the women were exchanging cyberchat, the audience sees what each gal is thinking as well as saying. The reactions are clever and funny, all leading up to a somewhat surprising and sensual finale. " - Catey Sullivan, Windy City Times
"The overlapping dialogue is cute and clever as they find personal profiles of interest and then rule them out because of potential signs of neurosis. (Personal Penchants) presents a silly yet realistic look at the online search for love." - Venus Zarris, Gay Chicago
"The overlapping dialogue is cute and clever as they find personal profiles of interest and then rule them out because of potential signs of neurosis. (Personal Penchants) presents a silly yet realistic look at the online search for love." - Venus Zarris, Gay Chicago
