THE DROWNING GIRLS
ABOUT​
EVERYONE LOVES A WEDDING!
The Brides of the Bathtub, Bessie, Alice, and Margaret - the three wives and victims of George Joseph Smith, an Edwardian opportunist who married women, took out life insurance policies on them, and subsequently drowned them in their baths - return as ghostly brides to relive the shocking events leading up to their deaths.​
THE DROWNING GIRLS is a bathtub, true crime fantasia. RSVP to the weddings of the year.
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Directed by Daniel King
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"The imaginative depth of The Drowning Girls is enough to take your breath away." -BOB CLARK, CALGARY HERALD
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"Morbidly funny" - Kerry Reid
ABOUT THE PLAY
THE DROWNING GIRLS is based on the Scotland Yard case of the notorious George Joseph Smith and his victims, "the brides of the bathtubs." It was written and conceived by two University of Alberta grads, Beth Graham and Daniela Vlaskalic and their professor, Charlie Tomlinson who also directed the piece.
It was first produced in 1999 at the Bride of Frankenfringe, the eighteenth annual edition of the Edmonton Fringe and was a smash hit. It toured nationally from 2009-2011. ​​​​​​​​
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REVIEWS OF THE PLAY
"Canadian playwrights Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson and Daniela Vlaskalic have created a bewitching play of remarkable theatrical inventiveness, thematic depth and range, and mesmerizing characters.
More than that, their script is a triumph of aesthetic form and proof that visuals and emotions can propel a story just as well as plot."
- KATRICIA LANG, BROADWAY WORLD HOUSTON
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"Take the Edwardians' morbid fascination with death, murder and the macabre, along with what we know about the powerless and constrained lives of middle-class women (particularly unmarried women) early in the twentieth century, then add black humor, some woman-to-woman celebration, a bit of mockery and touches of real sorrow, and you have The Drowning Girls."
​- JULIET WITTMAN​​, DENVER WESTWORD
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"A compelling tale of love, betrayal and murder"
- REGINA LEADER POST
DATES
Performances - March 13-30, 2025
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 3pm
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PLAYWRIGHTS
Beth Graham, Daniela Vlaskalic, and Charlie Tomlinson
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TICKETS
Regular tickets are pay-what-you-want. The suggested ticket price is $45.
All tickets are paperless and your name will be on the list at the box office. *Please be advised there is no late seating.*
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RUN TIME
75 minutes with no intermission.
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CONTENT ADVISORY
Murder, drowning, ​the plight of women in society that really hasn't changed all that much in 100 years, death, dark humor
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PERFORMANCE LOCATION
Raven Theatre - Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
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ACCESSIBILITY
Raven's Schwartz Theatre is fully ADA and wheelchair accessible.
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GETTING THERE
PARKING: Free parking is available in our lot and is first come, first served. Enter the lot from northbound Clark Street. There is free, non-metered, parking on Granville, just east of the theatre. Ample street parking is also available on Clark.
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PUBLIC TRANSIT: Public transportation is available on the #22 Clark Street bus (Exit at Granville) and the CTA Red Line (Exit at the Granville station, walk West on Granville to Clark Street). Click here to go to the CTA website for train & bus schedules.
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FOOD & DRINK
Raven has concessions available, candy, soda, water and a small selection of alcoholic beverages. (Please remember that the performance space is smaller and the actors can absolutely hear the plastic scrunch noises when you scrounge around for gummy bears. We get it! But please just try to be mindful of the disruption on the actors and audience when eating and drinking. Thank you!)
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Access Raven Theatre's Dining Guide Here.
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THANK YOU
Three Crows would like to thank the Lucy, Amy, and Ryan and the team at Raven Theatre.
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
CREATIVE TEAM
PLAYWRIGHTS Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, Daniela Vlaskalic
DIRECTOR Daniel King
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Kit Ratliff
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Bridget Delaney
SCENIC DESIGN Spencer Donovan
VIOLENCE & INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHER Michael Bevis
SOUND DESIGN & ORIGINAL MUSIC Samuel Fitzwater-Butchart
LIGHTING DESIGN Alexa Wiljanen
COSTUME DESIGN Dagny Mullins
PROPS DESIGN Judith Laughlin
CREATIVE PRODUCER Nathaniel Negron
CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
BESSIE Selena Lopez
ALICE Lindsey Zanatta
MARGARET Diane Sintich