Review: ADOLESCENT SALVATION at Theater Wit
The Chaos and Vulnerability of Growing Up. Now running until October 3rd
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No one can deny the teenage years are some of the most transformative, influential and insane times in human life. In the Chicago Premiere of Adolescent Salvation at Theater Wit, the play creates this experience to the most absurd turning point. Playwright Tim Venable and director Guillermo Cienfuegos bring the play to Windy City after its success at the Rogue Machine Theatre’s 2025 production in Los Angeles, CA.
High school teens Natasha (Piper Jean Bailey), Taylor (Jordan Levene) and Taylor (Brandon Acosta) are classmates who do not spend time together. One night they are thrown together at a sleepover so their parents do not have to deal with them. What first feels like a silly night of shenanigans, takes a turn with the sharing of dark secrets and a grim tone that causes the teenagers to protect one another.
When the audience steps into the venue, one cannot help but marvel at Jonathan Berg-Einhorn’s scenic design. The audience comes through Natahsa’s closet, and are seated in the rounds of a colorful teenage bedroom. Surrounded by Ellie Fey’s lighting design and AnnaMae Durham’s props, every nook and cranny is filled with colors and darkness alongside Venable’s script. Josephine Everett’s costumes also succeed in representing the characters’ personalities on stage.
The cast brings much of the play’s emotion and humor to life. Bailey, Levene, and Acosta portray a genuine friendship filled with teenage immaturity, vulnerability, and loyalty. Each actor adds a unique personality to their character: Bailey plays a sheltered teen navigating major changes in her life; Levene portrays a popular girl who reveals her vulnerable side when those she cares about are hurt; and Acosta is a quirky gay boy who uses humor to bring levity while showing genuine care for those around him.
Portraying Natasha’s mother Victoria, Maura Kidwell gives a stand-out performance in her short scene near the end of the play. Kidwell presents a realistic visual of an adult who experiences a life-shattering change which leaves them as a single parent and turns to drinking to numb the pain. Her scene with Bailey will pull at the heartstrings of audiences who have similar experiences or childhoods altered by a parent dealing with alcoholism. While it is important not to spoil the play, audiences should be aware of the triggering content listed on the website’s Adolescent Salvation details page.
At the end of the night, Adolescent Salvation is a reminder even the most ridiculous nights of our teenage years can hold moments that change us. The play finds humor in the awkwardness of being a teenager while also showing the vulnerability that often comes with growing up. It is funny, uncomfortable, heartbreaking, and ultimately a story about finding people who will stand beside you when everything changes.
Adolescent Salvation performs until October 3rd at Theater Wit. For more information about the venue, visit the official website.
Photo Credit: Boris Martin
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