←Recommendations of The Care and Feeding of Restless Spirits

ALY KANTER takes us back to the autumn of 1920. We are in the Mary Todd Hotel for Professional Women. Four women are into spiritualism and seances on each Tuesday night. But, as the play enfolds, we begin to better understand what is really going on. “The Care And Feeding Of Restless Spirits” is at its core an awakening of the quest of women to be recognized, empowered, and heard. I truly loved the characters. I highly recommend this play.

Oh, those restless spirits! Kantor’s characters are vividly drawn and immediately likable. Set in 1920, this tender, female-centered story moves briskly, carried by sparkling, authentic dialogue. The women seek comfort through mysticism, which is anathema for Sully, Annie’s beau. His efforts to dissuade her don’t have the effect he intends but may be what Annie needs to unburden herself. The Care and Feeding of Restless Spirits is powerful, thought-provoking, and ultimately affirming. Brava!

The 1920s marked a progressive shift on the period, which is perfectly displayed in the characters as they try and navigate this "fad" of spiritualism. I loved how this play utilizes the paranormal by showing how human it is to desire a sense of closure within our mortality. How loss can come and affect us many different forms, and how remembering those who have passed can help us come to terms with our own lives. This play was incredibly touching & a ~possessing~ read from start to finish!

I loved these women, and loved spending time with them as they wrestled with the traumas of the Great War, the personal devastation of the influenza epidemic, an ongoing fascination with spiritualism and the hopes for the beginnings of independence and equality from the Suffragette movement. The dialogue is great, crisp and witty and the play is fast-paced and fascinating. Terrific fun.

Aly Kantor spins a lovely tale in THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RESTLESS SPIRITS. This play immerses you into a period of time fraught with change - the world simmering with unrest following a pandemic. Sound familiar? The bonds formed by the inhabitants of the Mary Todd Hotel prove stronger than the patriarchal interloper. I love how Kantor doesn't demonize the antagonist while clearly delivering a message that resonates for the time this period piece was set and is still relevant today. Marvelous!

In THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RESTLESS SPIRITS by Aly Kantor, we're gifted an exquisitely crafted story that kept me captivated from start to finish. Set in the 1920s, there are so many wonderful lines throughout and it keeps the dialogue sharp and vibrant as it explores gender, sexuality, spirituality, and so much more. Each character is wonderfully developed and I kept imagining the dynamic production as I read. This play will be incredibly exciting for a creative team and audiences alike. I can't wait to buy my ticket.

Loved this! Felt like a feminist Blithe Spirit meets Stage Door. Four loveable females, one stage magician (who is metaphorically putting his woman in a box and sawing her in half!) and simple staging -- but with plenty of fun details for lights and sound. Kantor conjures up an enlightening and entertaining evening at the theatre.

I love this. Four young women in late 1920 (grappling with things young women still grapple with today, unfortunately) have a weekly seance - until the magician boyfriend (LOVE IT) of one finds out and tries to put an end to it. I love how this play feels both of its time (I googled Olive Thomas!) and current. Working through the emotions that come with living through a pandemic and a war will resonate with an audience in 2024 as much as it would have in 1920. Plus there are ghosts. 10/10.

Wonderful! I really admire how Kantor builds character with structure and dialogue. Makes for an effortless read, and this never dragged. Great authenticity for the work as well… definitely captured the era well. I love all the characters, but I really loved the interaction between Lottie and Violet the best… wonderfully done there in terms of building that relationship. The “bad magician” stuff with Sully was really funny as well… what a well written heel. Definitely recommend this for production, theater folks... your audiences will love it!