Rave Reviews for Rain

If you have been following the theater reviews for the Naked July shows this summer, you have probably noticed that several reviewers have heaped praise on the current show by the Living Canvas ensemble titled Rain. If you have missed them, here are some excerpts from several reviews with links to the full versions of the stories. There are only four more performances for this great Living Canvas show on the schedule this summer (August 12, 13, 19, and 20), so if you want to be mesmerized by this marvelous multimedia experience, be sure to get to the National Pastime Theater in the next two weeks before the shows close on August 20.


Writing in a recent issue of New City, Zach Freeman writes “Rain is the eighth Living Canvas show in Chicago and it’s clear that artistic director Pete Guither has really made this one a collaborative effort. Working with a script by Bill Daniel, sound designer Isaac Mandel and director/choreographer Gaby Labotka (along with the talented cast) have created a moving, funny and visually striking piece that plays out beneath Guither’s projected images. Like the water that the show constantly references, Rain effortlessly flows from one vignette to the next till it reaches its impressively splashy finale. Most notably, Rain succeeds in its mission of letting the audience see the (non-sexual) beauty in bodies of all shapes and sizes.” Read the full article in the online version of New City.

Tom Williams wrote an extensive review of Rain in the Chicago Critic blog and he gives the show a “recommended” rating. After presenting a detailed synopsis of the plot of the show, Williams sums up the spirit of Rain with his final observations: “The fun culminates with a funny rendition of “Singing in The Rain” that found the cast splashing water around while spinning their umbrellas. The audience roared their approval. The show was fun especially for those adventurous audience members who eagerly stripped naked and joined the cast on stage upon an invitation from the cast. The fun show has a visceral appeal for more than the voyeuristic; it is a pleasant and tasteful expression of the human body. The cast and the audience have fun and no one is getting exploited- all play homage to the natural beauty of the body. If you’ve never been to a Living Canvas show – try this one – it’s fun.” The full review is available at the Chicago Critic site.

Likewise, the reviewer for the Sheridan Road blog had praise for the technological qualities of the lighting and sound that are at the core of this multimedia show, and concludes with this observation: “Because of this technical ingenuity, The Living Canvas: Rain ultimately offers itself up as one of the most unique and intensely beautiful stage shows that one is lucky enough to experience in their lifetime.” Click here to read the full article on the Sheridan Road site.

Don’t miss the final shows this summer and, when you do come to National Pastime Theater to immerse yourself in this amazing experience, don’t forget that you are invited to join the cast onstage at the end of the show to shed your inhibitions (and your clothes) to find out what it feels like to be a “living canvas.”