By Deborah Brevoort
Directed by Robert Tobin
Produced by AstonRep Theatre Company
At Raven Theatre’s West Stage, Chicago
“Hatred will not have the last word.”
Gripping drama of making peace with tragedy
The Chicago premiere of Deborah Brevoort’s The Women of Lockerbie, now playing at Raven Theatre, is an emotional look at the grieving process for the women of the Scottish town of Lockerbie who survived the crashing of a bombed 747 Pam-Am Flight 103 in 1988. Seeing and reacting to the damaged homes that killed 11 Lockerbie residents and the horrors of 259 passengers whose bodies and parts there of were peppered around the Scottish town environs, the women became traumatized for the past seven years. Add an American couple, Madeline (Amy Kasper) and Bill Livingston (Jeff Brown), who after seven years can’t stop morning their lost son from the bombing. Olive roams the Scottish hills while Bill tries to comfort her.
The women of Lockerbie try to resolve their grief by attempting to salvage the victim’s clothing and washing and returning them to the heirs. Vowing that “Hatred will not have the last word,” the women organize a demonstration to demand that the American investigator, George Jones (Ray Kasper), allow all the clothing to be washed and returned to the victim’s family as a “closure” gesture for all that will allow love to conquer hate.
The dramatic tension is highlighted by the philosophical pronouncements by the women and the wild grieving by Madeline Livingston. This 80 minute show is emotionally packed, profoundly sad, yet is a spirited look at strength of the Scottish women determined to make sense out of tragedy. The ensemble acting is terrific, with Amy Kasper and Jeff Brown particularly effective. The tone and message is clear and powerful. The show is worth experiencing.