” Adirondack Chair Circle” Reviewed by Mark Reinecke

****There’s an infection somewhere in the body politic. For most, removing books from a school library is a clear-cut, black and white issue. There is no argument worth hearing. There is no compromise to be had. And we easily, thoughtlessly dismiss the faceless forces on the opposing side. As the nation digs in its heals deeper, and we remain as dangerously polarized as ever, in walks playwright Stephanie Alison Walker to disrupt all of that with her stunning, brilliant new comedy, “Adirondack Chair Circle,” now playing in its world premiere at the Steppenwolf under the direction of Pam MacKinnon.

Using powerful and much-needed humor to lead us into a more nuanced gray zone, Walker builds bridges in a masterful story that both clarifies and complicates our views.  With high wit and delectable plotting, the show skewers self-regard, hypocrisy, and snobbery as Walker lays bare unpleasant truths about ourselves. But using comic observation to alleviate the sting or tiresomeness of a vexing situation, we are given a bird’s-eye view (literally) of the faces behind the contentious movement and an opportunity to actually hear the impassioned beliefs of each side.

We are in the presence of a strong voice – witty, unassuming, wise – but Walker is deliberately elusive.  No one is being laughed at, mocked or disrespected. This in and of itself is transformative, as our judgmental bubbles are popped and you are presented with uncomfortable issues. It’s at once a searing political commentary, high comedy, a suspense thriller, and a poignant story of three moms fighting to ban books in their local school and a neighboring mom who feels differently.  And it’s presented with great comic force through the eyes of the Crow.

In the book-banning corner, we have a follower (Winona, played by Wendy Mateo), a fighter (Libby, played by Sadieh Rifai) and the leader (Banna, played by Katrina Lenk). In the other corner, we have a liberal, single mom (Evelyn Grace, played by Caroline Neff) who does not believe banning books is a solution. Most of the action takes place in Banna’s perfectly manicured, upper middle-class yard (Todd Rosenthal, scenic design) with lots of hard kombucha and wine and with Banna’s painfully curated charcuterie trays. The trio of ladies sit in a circle of adirondack chairs and set out to win the battle of the books under Banna’s lead.  Winona soon teams up with Evelyn, the opposition, as pickleball partners and the story takes off. Throughout we have the Crow (David Darrow, who also plays other roles including the “media trainer”) who is the eyes and ears for the audience. He is disruptive, outrageously funny, and likes to leave his mark in regular disgusting messes.

As the play continues, we see clear character development and snapshots into the personal lives of each of the women on both sides.  And the power dynamics of Banna’s group continues to evolve throughout. Believing that the schools have indoctrinated their kids, this appears to be the motivating factor to remove certain books from the school library.  At the same time, Banna struggles to accept her daughter’s gender-identity transition and a growingly distant husband.  Evelyn, in turn, is advocating to use these targeted books to have honest and difficult conversations with your children.

There is a beautiful combination of a tremendous script, fine direction, and highly skilled actors, all of whom appear to be without scripts but who are thinking and speaking in real time. There were several moments during the presentations at the School Board meetings where the audience’s silence was so profound that it seemed to vibrate. It’s the deep quiet of an entire audience listening to a single performer speak as if everyone’s lives, on and off the stage, somehow depend on what is being said. This gives the show a certain emotional weight, an intellectual puzzle, and a philosophical anchor.  But at the core of this work, we are asked to have new responses and revelations in relation to contemporary conflict, giving many of us a kind of cognitive paper jam. This is the power and strength of this production.

The wardrobes, lighting, sound and projection designs (Izumi Inaba, Barbara Samuels, Mikhail Fiksel, and Nicholas Hussong respectively) are everything you would expect on a stage at the Steppenwolf. Ultimately, the production team presented an immersive experience with all of these elements coming together to transport the audience to a specific place audibly and visually.  Together, they helped develop the characters, set a tone, and create feelings and underscore emotion.  I would have the protesters, whom we do not see, be a little more disruptive and loud to show the audience more clearly that they were the distraction that led to an injury on the court.

One measure of great art must be that it allows for endless interpretation to fit the moment.  And Walker takes it several steps further.  Zeroing in on Banna’s back yard and on the pickleball courts, Walker sounds a warning about where we as a country are and what we as a country have become. And here she wants to be constructive and offers a consolation and issues a summons. The audience will eventually learn how this fight is resolved, but that is not important. Walker deepens our connections to each other and strengthens both arguments.

And at this fraught time, this show presents an illuminating pathway forward to build more hope for the future through powerful, comedic story telling. But there are no young voices in this story. It is strictly an adult-controlled topic in this telling. The Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council and Teen Curators have prepared a QR code in show’s program to access an interactive study guide for this show.  Hearing their questions, and listening to their voices gives me tremendous hope for the future as well.

“Adirondack Chair Circle” is a snapshot of our time, and it is timeless in its appeal.  This is more than simply an important show not to be missed.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Opens the World Premiere of

Adirondack Chair Circle

Written by: Stephanie Alison Walker

Directed by: Pam MacKinnon

Extended through December 13, 2026

Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater

1646 N. Halsted Street

Chicago

Curtain times:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm

Saturdays at 3 pm and 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Single tickets for all performances are now on sale at www.steppenwolf.org or the

Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click on “Adirondack Chair Circle”.