PicksInSix Review: Adolescent Salvation - Theater Wit
“Worst. Sleepover. Ever.” Is No Exaggeration!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Perse Grammer
To enter Theater Wit’s production of “Adolescent Salvation,” I have to push through the clothes hanging in a teenage girl’s closet. Upon entering, I am immediately transported to the bedroom of every quirky rich girl I knew growing up. The walls are covered in posters and tapestries, color-changing lamps perch on various surfaces and a turquoise record player stands out amongst the knickknacks. Blasting songs like “Ignorance” by Paramore and “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius only enhance the teenage girl-dom of it all. Tying the space together are the fairy lights grandly draped from the high white rafters. Scenic designer Jonathan Berg-Einhorn has knocked it out of the park, immersing the audience in the show by making them part of the walls.
This room belongs to Natasha. And we’ll soon learn that her closet doesn’t just contain clothes and eager audience members. There is also at least one skeleton.
We begin in the dark, with nothing but screen light and TikTok audio blaring from the phones of three teens sprawled across the floor. Sweet, awkward Natasha (Piper Jean Bailey) and snarky, domineering Taylor (Jordan Levene) have nothing in common apart from moms insisting they have a sleepover. Taylor has dragged along her gay best friend, who is also named Taylor (Brandon Acosta). Let’s call them Taylor G. (for girl) and Taylor B. (for boy). While Taylor B. has some genuine interest in befriending Natasha, Taylor G.’s focus is on extracting her darkest secrets. But when she discovers something far worse than she expected, Taylor G. hatches a plan to save Natasha—a plan that will also put her in grave danger. While the play is a bit clunky at first, it finds its groove as the plot twists get crazier. And oh, do they get crazier!
As the night unravels, Natasha’s initially adorable distress morphs into a vicious breakdown. Bailey brings a kaleidoscopic approach to Natasha—she’s kind and innocent, manipulative and demanding, and above all else, intensely struggling. Acosta’s performance is steady and humorous, bridging the gap between the girls’ clashing perspectives. He’s also got a knack for physical comedy. Which, whether using props or bodies, is a delightful constant of “Adolescent Salvation.” As Victoria, Maura Kidwell’s physicality is eye-catching—all sharp angles and dramatic leaning. She entirely embodies Natasha’s mom and former hero, a woman who used to be in a feminist band called The Late Term Abortions. Levene’s Taylor G. is apathetic one moment, passionate the next, all wrapped in a layer of deeply teenage snark. She’s the mean girl who’s funny enough that you don’t quite want her to stop talking.
While playwright Tim Venable delves deep into every character, I wish we got to explore more of Taylor G.’s nuances within the text. There are a few mentions of her difficult home life—her mom cheating on her dad with a younger man—and Levene’s performance alludes to Taylor G.’s desperation to control the room. But she starts “Adolescent Salvation” declaring she will never disclose vulnerability, and in a play where everything gets turned on its head, that remains true to the end. While Taylor B. and Natasha bond with relative ease, Taylor G. is Natasha’s tormentor and her white knight. The push-and-pull between them is the driving force for much of the play’s action. But unlike Natasha, we just don’t know why Taylor G. behaves the way that she does. Knowing that could make a touching moment near the end—the Taylors crawling through Natasha’s window to help her like true friends should—more impactful. Even so, that scene is strong. Strong enough to be the final moment of the play, in my eyes.
Director Guillermo Cienfuegos and his team have developed a thrilling play that shines a light on the dark realities of being a teenager with nobody’s support but unlikely friends. “Adolescent Salvation” has engineered moments that will make you cackle and cringe, often at the same time. The theatre in the round setup—with great attention paid to sightlines—means whenever you can’t bear to look at the action on stage, you’ve got plenty of fellow audience members writhing in discomfort to watch. I won’t say what exactly causes these audible groans and full body cringes—you’ll just have to experience that for yourself. Because the shock factor is crucial to ensure “Adolescent Salvation” is abruptly funny and intoxicatingly uncomfortable.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | PERSE GRAMMER is a multidisciplinary writer and theatre artist based in Chicago. Grammer is currently developing their latest play through a mentorship with Sandy Shinner at Shattered Globe Theatre. They hold a BFA in Playwriting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. www.persegrammer.com
PHOTO|Boris Martin
Theater Wit
presents
Adolescent Salvation
1229 Belmont Avenue
through October 3, 2026
WEBSITE
TICKETS
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC
