Review: FEFU AND HER FRIENDS at Theatre Pro Rata

Some shows are easy to sit back and watch. Fefu and Her Friends isn’t one of them — and that’s what makes it so interesting.

Performed inside the Searle Mansion, this production turns the audience into part of the experience. During the second act, everyone splits into smaller groups and moves room to room throughout the house while different scenes happen at the same time. It feels less like watching a play and more like accidentally overhearing deeply personal conversations.

María Irene Fornés’ writing is funny, awkward, uncomfortable, thoughtful, and emotional all at once. Even though the play is set in the 1930s, the conversations between these women still feel surprisingly current. The characters bounce from joking around to revealing painful truths so quickly that you never quite know where a scene is headed.

Jessica Winingham is excellent as Fefu, giving the character both confidence and unpredictability. You’re never completely sure what she’s thinking, which makes her fascinating to watch. Jhax Berryhill brings a quiet heartbreak to Julia, and the rest of the cast — Brettina Davis, Christy Johnson, Gracie Nayman, Nora Sonneborn, Nissa Nordland, and Chesa Greene — all make the group dynamic feel natural and believable.

What really works about this production is how intimate it feels. In some scenes, the audience is only a few feet away from the actors, which makes every pause, glance, and uncomfortable silence stand out even more. Director Carin Bratlie Wethern smartly lets the show unfold without forcing big dramatic moments, and that makes everything feel more real.

This isn’t a straightforward play where everything is neatly explained. You catch pieces of conversations, different perspectives, and emotional moments as you move through the mansion, and part of the experience is figuring out what it all means for yourself.

By the end, Fefu and Her Friends feels less like a typical night at the theater and more like you briefly stepped into someone else’s world.

For more ticket and show information, please click the ticket link button below.

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