Sadieh Rifai, Katrina Lenk and Wendy Mateo
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents ADIRONDACK CHAIR CIRCLE Review - The Suburban Moms Are On The Case
TLDR: A group of conservative, suburban moms meet every Wednesday to discuss their plan of attack to convince the school board to ban certain books in Adirondack Chair Circle. They face an uphill battle especially when being challenged by their liberal-minded counterpart. Not quite hitting the marks for a satire, it feels more like a play to show this book-banning argument through a different lens, but still gets a smart quip or two in there to keep the tone light.
Sadieh Rifai, Katrina Lenk and Wendy Mateo
The Schools Are Trans-ing Our Kids!
Around a backyard firepit on a perfectly green and manicured green lawn sit four bright red adirondack chairs and matching lawn furniture. The lighting features above in Steppenwolf’s theatre space also match this perfectly manicured backyard with a picturesque blue sky and fluffy white clouds. Everything in this space is meant to be perfect. So it’s understandable for suburban mom, Banna (played by Katrina Lenk) when something happens that shakes up her perfectly aligned life, she reacts by trying to maintain control. She calls the other moms in for their usual Wednesday night meeting (which, yes, involves wine most of the time) where they plan their next move for their cause - banning books from the school library.
Adirondack Chair Circle feels like the adult version of Mean Girls. These are the rich girls. The popular ones. The ones that are you want to align yourself with for social status. Enter their arch-nemesis, Evelyn Grace played by Caroline Neff. She’s everything this group considers to be their opposite, but most importantly she’s the liberal to their conservative. As the group of women plot their next move with the schoolboard, there may be a chink in their armor as one of them finds themselves chatting with Evelyn and seems open to hearing her perspective.
We follow this main mom group through clever set design by Todd Rosenthal as it’s not only “perfect,” but also uses the space smartly like having a pickleball net rise from the lawn when we’re at the court and having a corner of the theater feel like the podium in the school auditorium for the board meetings. It moves us as we follow these women as they navigate school politics, arrange protests, play pickleball, and do everything in their power to halt a changing society around them in Adirondack Chair Circle.
Both Sides of the Argument
What’s interesting about Adirondack Chair Circle is that the play is billed as a satire. However, it doesn’t necessarily turn anything on its head or present things facetiously. It honestly felt more like an effort to show the opposite of the liberal-minded perspective by showing it through the conservative mom lens. To that point, it does an excellent job.
We understand that Banna doesn’t know what to do when her child comes out as non-binary but can’t abandon her ideology. Then Evelyn as her foil shows how she still connects with her kids and meets them where they are, even if that means having uncomfortable discussions about books called The Abortion Club. But she’s the weird one and part of the society corrupting our children, so Banna is stuck in this role she’s created for herself with only her “friends” to support her.
Also another fun perspective added to the play is an observant Crow played by David Darrow. He serves as our Greek chorus, judging the goings-ons between the two warring households. He adds a touch more humor as he walks and hops around the stage like a bird while dropping a fun judgement or two that shows not even he is on Banna’s side.
Adirondack Chair Circle doesn’t feel like it’s defending one perspective over the other (except maybe when Crow takes a vengeful shit all over Banna’s backyard), but offers a theatre performance reflective of arguments happening in that particular slice of life.
Caroline Neff and Wendy Mateo
The After Party Thoughts
The selling point of Adirondack Chair Circle is the script that’s full of sharp jokes and some jabs at what us liberals would consider the misguided thinking of conservatives along with the performances of the cast that have us believing these are self-righteous suburban moms. Where it falls flat is the even-keeledness of it where it either didn’t go far enough into the satire or didn’t have enough drama to create a high stakes environment.
At the end, Adirondack Chair Circle feels like its goal is to show this perspective to offer an empathetic point of view or expand people’s understanding a bit more. Not to say the conservatives get everything they want in this play, so for those who are worried it’s too sympathetic to the right side of the aisle, fear not for they do get their comeuppance in the end. For those that aren’t looking for a slice of life kind of play, particularly a play that’s about a group of book banning, conservative moms, then this show wouldn’t be a good fit for you. But for those that like a show that argues political points happening today or those who are fans of The Real Housewives, then Adirondack Chair Circle would be a good fit for you!
RECOMMENDED
David Darrow with Sadieh Rifai and Katrina Lenk
When
Now through December 13, 2026
Where
Steppenwolf Theatre
1646 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
Runtime: 2hrs 25min, including an intermission
Tickets
$20+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 312-335-1650 or through the Steppenwolf Theatre website
Photos
Michael Brosilow
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
David Darrow and Katrina Lenk
CAST
Caroline Neff (Evelyn Grace)
David Darrow (Crow)
Katrina Lenk (Banna)
Wendy Mateo (Winona)
Sadieh Rifai (Libby)
Tiffany Bedwell (U/S Banna)
Brittany Burch (U/S Evelyn Grace)
Alex Casillas (U/S Winona)
Warren Keith Duncan (U/S Crow)
Erinn Fredin (U/S Libby)
Wendy Mateo, Sadieh Rifai, Caroline Neff, and Katrina Lenk
CREATIVE
Stephanie Alison Walker (Playwright)
Pam MacKinnon (Director)
Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Designer)
Izumi Inaba (Costume Designer)
Barbara Samuels (Lighting Designer)
Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Designer)
Nicholas Hussong (Projection Designer)
Steph Paul (Choreographer)
Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach)
Bryar Barborka (Dramaturg)
Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer)
Elise Hausken (Production Manager)
JC Clementz (Casting Director)
Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager)
Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager)