Goodman Theatre: Dead Girl’s Quinceañera
Carmen Berkeley and Jacqueline Guillén
Goodman Theatre Presents DEAD GIRL’S QUINCEAÑERA Review - Rewriting The Rules
TLDR: When a friend goes missing the night of her quinceañera, her friends take it upon themselves to find out what happened to her. In between the investigation, we hear from each of them and their specific points of view and experiences within their Latino/a community.
Jacqueline Guillén
Like Cinderella Leaving Without a Trace
The night of Maria's Quinceañera. A momentous occasion for a Latina teenager turning fifteen. She has the dress, her family is surrounding her, and there's nothing standing in her way.
So why does she disappear?
Dropping into her best friend's bedroom at the start of Dead Girls Quinceñera, we see it decked out in Law and Order: SVU posters and has a cork board that now looks like a police procedural board with suspects, motives, and threads connecting them all. Maria disappeared last night leaving only behind one designer shoe. No one else seems to be worried though. Not even her parents who haven't even filed a missing person's report. Enter her friends - Salma, Este, and Phoebe who are determined to get to the bottom of this. The catch is they're up against a clock as the first 24-hours are crucial and on top of that, Salma’s quince is literally a day away which is going to take her away from the investigation.
What comes next is an exploration of the inner workings of girlhood, being part of the Latino/a community, and familial pressures all wrapped up into a thriller mystery of what happened to Maria in Dead Girl's Quinceañera.
Jacqueline Guillén, Ariana Burks and Carmen Berkeley
It Runs So Much Deeper
All of the characters in Dead Girl's Quinceañera reflect a different faction of women growing up in the Latino/a culture and experiences. The girl who is considered “too dark” and faces color prejudice within her own community. One who is a lesbian and would be much more comfortable in a fierce pantsuit than a huge ball gown, but doesn’t feel comfortable telling her family. Another who is an immigrant and works a part time job while in high school and has dreams of becoming a CEO. And finally the one burdened by family pressure to look the other way, even though a close family member is sexually assaulting her.
Each actress carries the weight of who they represent throughout the show and commits to them in the full plot. They each get their turn to express their distinct point of view with a monologue throughout the investigation. They’re all vulnerable as they pour their hearts out into everything that has affected them both inside and outside their community and families. But the style of the show also lends itself to be comedic with dramatic flair and the actresses get to be over the top while also embracing all the bonds of friendship.
Ariana Burks, Jacqueline Guillén and Carmen Berkeley
The After Party Thoughts
Dead Girl’s Quinceañera is a work that many people growing up in the Latino/a culture will relate to. The pomp and circumstance. The pressure of coming of age and what that means. Everything that lies underneath protecting the family and culture. It’s a work that deserves to be heard as it reflects this specific point of view.
That being said, the plot felt artificial and the writing clunky, so it didn't feel like it was a fully formed show.The surface level premise of an amateur sleuth trying to find out what happened to her friend felt like a guise to get to the real message of the play and perhaps just focusing on each individual teenager's story would've been more impactful.
The message in Dead Girl's Quinceañera is one worth seeing this show for, but the set-up and plot, in this writer's opinion, still needs work. For those that are looking for a more cohesive show, this one may not be for you. For those that like new works or those who are looking for a heartfelt performance about that pivotal moment in a Latina woman’s life, Dead Girl's Quinceañera would be a good fit for you.
SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED
Jacqueline Guillén and Ariana Burks
When
Now through November 1, 2026
Where
Goodman Theatre
170 N Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60601
Runtime: 90min, no intermission
Tickets
$20+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (312) 443-3800 or through the Goodman Theatre website
Photos
Justin Barbin
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Jacqueline Guillén and Ariana Burks
CAST
Carmen Berkeley (Ensemble)
Ariana Burks (Ensemble)
Andrea Ferro (Ensemble)
Jacqueline Guillén (Ensemble)
CREATIVE
Phanésia Pharel (Playwright)
Melia Bensussen (Director)
Sara Brown (Set Designer)
Dan Kotlowitz (Lighting Designer)
Salvador Zamora (Sound Designer)
Raquel Adorno (Costume Designer)
Mayte Natalio (Movement Choreographer)
Cynthia Santos Decure (Dialect Coach)
Ludmila de Brito (Associate Director)
Lorenzo Rush, Jr. (Assistant Director)
Daniel Prosky (Assistant Set Designer)
Emma Berry (Assistant Lighting Designer)
Harper Justus (Assistant Sound Designer)
Malkia Stampley (Line Producer)
Sarah Slight (Second Line Producer)