Lauren Shouse

John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower

Directed by Lauren Shouse

Designers: Set – Gary Hoff, Lights – Amber Whatley, Costumes – Melissa Durmon, Sound – Jacob Allen, Choreography - Melissa Steadman, Intimacy and Fight - Madison Kisst

Cast: Aubrey Bagley, Brent Bentley, Lucas Calhoun, Brityn Ramsey, Advika Ravishankar, Lorenzo Rivera, Ella Saliba, McKenna Steel, Norah Younger, Christina Brielle Robinson, Benit Hensley

“John Proctor Is the Villain is very good theater. Shouse proves particularly adept at working with this predominantly young ensemble. There is no sense that she is directing young actors to act like teenagers. Instead, she gives them the freedom to create recognizable young people with individual personalities, insecurities, contradictions and senses of humor. The result is an ensemble that feels genuinely connected. Nashville Repertory Theatre has assembled a production that understands the power of those questions without becoming weighed down by them. Shouse keeps the pace energetic, the young cast keeps the world vibrant and Belflower’s script provides plenty of humor along the way. That combination makes John Proctor Is the Villain not only an important piece of contemporary theater, but an entertaining one. And perhaps that’s the biggest surprise. You come expecting a play about The Crucible. You leave thinking about the stories you’ve been carrying around your entire life. That’s the kind of theatrical alchemy Nashville Rep does exceptionally well.” Jonathan Pinkerton, JPH Entertainment

“This is the kind of show that reminds us why we do this. The performances are phenonmenal, the direction is incredibly precise, the technical elements create a world that feels completely lived in. Most importantly, it takes difficult subjects and allows teenagers to wrestle with them like actual teenagers: messy, funny, angry, confused, and painfully human. There are images from this production that will stick with us for a while. And we’d watch it again. And again. And again.” — BackRowNashville

“Given how it tackles the different effects and responses of the #MeToo Movement, it needs a director who can handle it well. They need to be sympathetic, but they also can’t deliver it too gently. Thankfully, Lauren Shouse was the woman for the job. She understood the balance between the grieving over the loss of innocence, the anger over everything falling apart, and the release of all the bottled emotions. Shouse really puts you in the shoes of those teenagers as they try to navigate through all the conflict and trauma.” — Catherine Buford, Broadway World

“A Must-See for Older Nashville Teens and Their Parents, Nashville Rep’s Season Opener Is Smart, Funny and Explosive!. Director Lauren Shouse has assembled an appealing, dynamic ensemble, and the result is a dramatic comedy that lands beautifully. This is a cast full of fresh talent making their Rep debuts, and they are a joy to watch.” - Susan Swindell Day, Nashville Parent

Human Resources by Nate Eppler

Nashville Story Garden and Oz Arts Nashville

Spring 2025

Cast: Lauren Berst, Geoff Davin, Josh Inocalla, Bakari King, Joe Mobley, Candace Omnira, Wesley Paine, Tamara Todres, Megan Uttech, Ayla Williams

Production Team: Chris Ammons (Graphic Design), Jessica Anderson & Jacob Anderson (Video Production), Diana DeGarmo (Set), Phillip Franck (Lighting), Madeleine Hicks (Props), Tasha AF Lemley (Sound), David Long III (ASM), Melodie Madden Adams (Costumes), Darci Nalepa Elam (Assistant Director), Lacy Tier (Stage Manager), Alex Useted (Production Manager)

“Ambitious, surprising and wildly imaginative, HUMAN RESOURCES marks an auspicious moment in Nashville theater — and an exciting collaboration between Nashville Story Garden and Oz Arts. Don’t miss it!” — Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Theatre Critic

“Human Resources is a perfect example of what happens when artists get the support they need to push boundaries. This show is a testament to the power of collaboration and the unexpected places Nashville’s arts scene can go when the right people come together.”

— Douglas Corzine, Nashville Scene

“Human Resources, is undoubtedly one of the most experimental and poignant theater pieces developed and staged in Nashville in the past few years. The impressive focus on details and the hard work of the performance team was clearly visible.” — Fjolla Hoxha, Music City Review

Waitress by Jessie Nelson and Sara Bareilles at Nashville Repertory Theatre

Directed by Lauren Shouse

Designers: Set – Gary Hoff, Lights – Dalton Hamilton, Costumes – Melissa Durmon, Sound – Mark Zuckerman

Cast: Sarah Aili, Christopher Bailey, Matthew Beneson-Cruz, Dustin Davis, Teal Davis, Roxy, Delger, Dennis Elkins, Annabelle Fox, Richard Harrison, LaDarra Jackal, Piper Jones, Bakari King, Maya Riley, Melissa Steadman, Douglas Waterbury-Tieman, Meggan Utech

"Nashville Rep has mixed its talented company with a wonderful story to create a visual, emotional, and artistic journey that deserves to be seen and enjoyed. There are productions that are good, and there are productions that are great, but this one really takes the cake. Pie." -- Jonathan Pinkerton, Nashville Frenetic Peripatetic

"Director Lauren Shouse made sure absolutely everyone is well cast. Sarah Aili as Jenna balances the character well: kind and attentive to others, while flawed and unable to recognize her inner strength. Piper Jones is Becky, and her powerful voice blew me away in “I Didn’t Plan It.” She is funny and has the exact right amount of sass. Annabelle Fox nails the likably weird young Dawn. Her real-life husband Douglas Waterbury-Tieman plays Ogie, her romantic interest. His talented comedy meshes with hers perfectly, and his two big songs were fantastic. Earl, the hilariously stupid and tragically abusive husband is played by Dustin Davis, and he skillfully oscillates between making the audience laugh and making them furious. Christopher Bailey is Dr. Pomatter, Jenna’s gynecologist, and his tense nervousness is both charming and deeply funny. The comically disapproving Nurse Norma is played by Meggan Utech with flair. Bakari King as Cal, the gruff diner owner, is all bark and no bite.  The show is a lot of fun. Plan to see it and to go out for pie and coffee afterwards." -- GE Tipton, Music City Review

POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive by Selina Fillinger at Nashville Repertory Theatre

Directed by Lauren Shouse

Designers: Set – Gary Hoff, Lights – Darren Levin, Costumes – Melissa Durmon, Sound – Sara Elkhatib

Cast: Rachel Agee, Lauren Berst, Darci Elam, Quincey Huerter, Kris Sidberry, Tamiko Robinson-Steele, Tamara Todres

"Shouse makes a welcome return to Nashville Rep, directing what feels like an A-list ensemble of farcical Flying Wallendas and walking the story’s outrageous tightrope with a delightful sense of daring. Balancing the smart with the silly, Shouse keeps the action moving forward with great precision and clarity. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she has pulled together a stellar cast.... Fast-paced and searingly funny, this is one POTUS that is sure to win the popular vote."  --Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene

"Nashville Repertory Theatre closes out its 39th season with one of the best laugh-out-loud comedies we’ve ever seen on a Tennessee Performing Arts Center stage: Selina Fillinger’s brilliant and uproariously funny, if all-too-real, POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Directed by the acclaimed Lauren Shouse and performed by an all-star cast that’s filled with seven of the best actors in Nashville, it’s a smart, incisive and topical farce that’s certain to lift your spirits and feed your soul during this American election cycle that features what seems to be the longest presidential campaign in the history of the free world... Shouse and her multi-talented cast bring Fillinger’s whip-smart and evocatively written script to life with a sharp focus and a well-paced sense of timing that ensures audiences will be totally caught up in the behind-the-scenes intrigue of POTUS…, to create a no-holds-barred production that is, by turns, immersive, subversive and more fun that a barrel of congressmen gathered in a circular firing squad." - Jef Ellis, Broadway World

The Cake by Bekah Brunstetter at Nashville Repertory Theatre

Directed by Lauren Shouse

Designers: Set – Joonhee Park, Lights – Phillip Frank, Costumes – Alexis Grisby, Sound – Kevin O’Donnell

“Lauren Shouse's directorial resume is quite the impressive one and over the years she's helmed productions for Nashville Repertory Theatre that have been justifiably acclaimed both by audiences and critics alike. But despite the notoriety that seems to always accompany a "Lauren Shouse-directed production," perhaps none is more deserved than the accolades that follow in the wake of The Cake, the latest entry on her already stellar list of shows.

Bekah Brunstetter's The Cake is, by turns, laugh-out-loud funny, genuinely moving, infuriating and heartbreaking, provocative and thoughtful and, under Shouse's brilliant direction of a superb cast, an authentic reflection on love and community and a testimony to what makes a family. Shouse's sublime direction of The Cake, of course, goes beyond her casting abilities and she underscores every hilarious moment with genuine affection and good humor, with every heartbreaking moment illuminated by pathos and grace. To be frank, we cannot imagine any director crafting a more delicious serving of The Cake.” — Jef Ellis, Broadway World

“Director Lauren Shouse leans into the script’s considerable humor while mining the material for honesty and truth. She keeps the action humming along at a crisp pace, offering a marvelous showcase for her outstanding cast. At a time when we often feel completely divided by politics and estranged from our neighbors and loved ones, The Cake asks us to open our hearts and walk through all the messy emotions together. As Shouse tells us in her director’s note, the hope is that this play “will help start the hard conversations that lead to growth.” — Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene

by Henrik Ibsen. Adapted by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and Kirsten Brandt.

Raven Theatre, Winter 2020

Cast: Amira Danan, Mike Dailey, Carmen Liao, Shadana Patterson, Nelson Rodriguez, Gage Wallace, Kelli Walker.

Set Design by Jackie Penrod. Lighting Design by Becca Jeffords. Costume Design by Izumi Inaba. Sound Design by Eric Backus. Photos by Michael Brosilow.

Highly Recommended “In the Chicago premiere of this Henrik Ibsen adaptation, Raven Theatre and director Lauren Shouse create masterful suspense—something that could be difficult to pull off with a setting of 1870s Norway. The strength of Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey's translation, adapted by herself and Kirsten Brandt, is its use of contemporary language and a tighter, two-act structure to drive this proto-feminist tale of a disintegrating marriage and a young woman discovering herself.” — Marissa Oberlander, Chicago Reader

***Recommended “19th century mores are alive and well in director Lauren Shouse’s staging of the classic drama.” —Kris Vire, Chicago Sun-Times

***Recommended “Shouse’s direction makes the rich texture of Ibsen’s story and the new adaptation come alive. ” —Nancy Bishop, Third Coast Review.

Recommended “Although director Lauren Shouse retains the 19th century setting of Nora’s tale, Shouse re-envisions the meaning of Ibsen’s revolutionary, feminist masterwork for the audience of today. … Shouse pushes the bounds of convention with her staging of Ibsen’s classic. She juxtaposes Nora’s idyllic family life and the comfort of her parlor, against the brutality of Nora’s inner turmoil over the impending revelation of her secret. Indeed, the play feels like a psychological thriller: in the few moments when Nora is left alone onstage, the world of her parlor transforms into a hellscape: Eric Backus’s menacing compositions drone and Becca Jefford replaces the invitingly bright parlor lighting with lurid and purple and yellow hues, which play across Nora’s faltering smile. Amira Danan’s Nora rises to the challenge of her role, both as Ibsen’s most iconic leading lady and the subject of a psychological thriller..” —Alisa Boland, Rescripted

Every Brilliant Thing

Nashville Repertory Theatre Fall 2019

Starring Mark Cabus

Scenic Design by Gary Hoff, Lighting Design by Darren Levin, Properties Design s by Amanda Creech

“So what made this Nashville Rep weekend so special? Cabus has graced many stages, offering his wide range to classical and contemporary comedies, dramas and musicals in acting ensembles and by himself for five decades; Shouse’s long-praised directorial gifts have continued to grow during time here and in Chicago. Watching their efforts on this shimmering show was the theatrical equivalent of hearing veteran virtuosos reveal beautiful new note shapes on Stradivarius strings.

Shouse is like a conductor that never wastes motion with her baton; her command of time and control of a theatrical piece’s ebbs and flows never come with unnecessary flourishes. It was true in the pacing of this piece and in the directorial decisions that made each movement distinct while never losing sight of the overall objective she cited in her note for the play’s program: to lift each other up through story.” — Evans O’Donell, StageCritic.com

“Director Shouse wisely moves Cabus throughout the audience, both those seated near him at the tables as well as those seated in the rows of stacked theatre seats. This movement amongst the audience aides in pulling them into the feel of the story. Also aiding in the involvement of the audience, prior to the play’s start, Cabus greeted audience members as he passed out seemingly random objects like a balloon, a pack of cigarettes, a soda pop or a book and instructed the audience to listen for the number attached to the object and to simply read aloud the accompanying phrase when that number was called out.

Broaching subject matter as varied and relatable as the death of a beloved pet to suicide, depression, first love, lost love and finding the beauty in the smallest of gestures and the grandest of happenings, Every Brilliant Thing is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. By play’s, when the narrator has kept the list going again and again just when he’s needed it throughout the trials and tribulations of everyday life, there’s a million things on the list. Suffice it to say, I’d like to add at least a few more…Nashville Rep, director Lauren Shouse, star Mark Cabus and Every Brilliant Thing about this production of Every Brilliant Thing.” — Jonathon Pinkerton, JPH Entertainment

A Christmas Story Adapted by Philip Grecian.

Nashville Repertory Theatre 2021, 2010 and 2011.

Cast (2021): Sam Ashdown, Brett Cantrell, Andrew Johnson, Tamiko Robinson Steele, Mike Sallee Jr., Megan Utech, Sam Whited,

Cast (2010 and 2011): David Compton, Jamie Farmer, Andy Kanies, Eric Pasto-Crosby, Sam Whited, David Wilkerson, Peter Vann.

Set Design: Gary Hoff. Costume Design: Trish Clark. Lighting Design: Michael Barnett. Photos by Harry Butler.

by Selina Fillinger.

Summer 2019

Chicago Premiere, a co-production between Sideshow Theatre and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble.

Cast: Patrick Agada, Mary Cross, Guy Massey.

Set Design by Arnel Sancianco. Lighting Design by Diane Fairchild. Costume Design by Noel Huntzinger. Sound Design by Eric Backus.

Nominated for 2019 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production, Best Set Design and Best Supporting Actor.

Critic’s Pick - “Shouse’s production is both artful and emotionally resonant” - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune.

Recommended - "Lauren Shouse's taut staging brings out the best in all three actors. " Kerry Read, Chicago Reader.

Highly Recommended - “SOMETHING CLEAN is a production with emotionally messy material to tackle, but this superb ensemble handles the task with extreme tenderness, intensity and attention. Playwright Selina Fillinger has found a strong advocate in director Lauren Shouse for her words.” — Tonika Todorova, PerformInk.

Recommended - “The cast, together with director Lauren Shouse, capitalize on the script’s humor to keep the stark subject matter from sinking into darkness. SOMETHING CLEAN is richly written and sensitively produced.” — Susan Lieberman, Picture This Post.

By Theresa Rebeck

Compass Theatre

Winter 2019

Cast: Echaka Agba, Denise Hoeflich, Jeff Kurysz, Ted James, Charlie Strater.

Set Design: Lauren Nigri. Costume Design: Izumi Inaba. Lighting Design: Becca Jeffords. Sound Design: Kevin O’Donell.

Photos by Michael Brosilow.

Highly Recommended! “Until our consciences re-awaken, though, Compass Theatre delivers a thrilling gladiatorial match, replete with intrigue, betrayals and double-crosses. Director Lauren Shouse has assembled a nimble cast featuring the formidable Echacka Agba, who delves Rebeck's occasional overly-broad characterizations for subtextual nuance ( watch her in a wordless moment by the water cooler ). Ted James, Denise Hoeflich and Jeff Kurysz likewise portray Rebeck's casualties-of-war with a light touch ultimately engaging our empathy, in sharp contrast with Charlie Strater's loathsomely solipsistic Stu. "Why do we still have to do it this way?" sighs Janice, as the women survey the carnage necessary to gain a seat at the table. Audiences in 2019 might want to ask, too.” — Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City Times.

Highly Recommended. “In this writer’s view, lesser hands managing this tie-it-up-with-a-bow type script could easily fumble. Director Lauren Shouse seems to know she has top tier talent to work with--- the casting choices—all-- seeming to be the first master stroke. Agba fans will not be disappointed. She creates her character so completely that by the end of her first scene we feel like we’ve known her for ages. How perfect that Shouse positions Agba in the shadows during many scene changes as an observer – where her high heeled boot physical presence alone dominates and tells us this is herstory unfolding. “ Amy Muncie, Picture This Post

Recommended! “Compass Theatre, a new Equity company making its debut with Rebeck's play, staged by Lauren Shouse, lands plenty of sharp jabs to the solar plexus. Rebeck shows how often women are undercut not by obvious sexual harassment, but by pernicious microaggressions and gaslighting.” — Kerry Reid , Chicago Reader

Highly recommended. “What We’re Up Against is artfully staged by director Lauren Shouse.The excellent cast and crew of this new company include many Chicago theater veterans, including Echaka Agba as Eliza, the ambitious architect; and Denise Hoeflich as Janice, her female colleague. Shouse guides the cast of five briskly through a series of scenes set in the offices and conference rooms of this firm. Rebeck’s script dramatizes women’s efforts for professional respect as they were in 1992 and—inexplicably—as they still often are today.” — Nancy Bishop, Third Coast Review.

By Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty

Nashville Repertory Theatre - Fall 2018.

Cast: Sarah Aili, Megan Murphy Chambers, Bradley Gale, Natsuko Hirano, Jonah Jackson, Melinda Sewak, Sawyer Wallace

Music Direction by Jason Tucker, Set Design by Gary Hoff, Costume Design by June Kingsbury, Lighting Design by Darren Levin, Sound Design by Ned Singh, Props Design by Cassidy Parkison.

Broadway World Review: “Never before have audiences responded with such startling enthusiasm and thunderous applause to a Nashville Repertory Theatre opening night - at least in my memory and I've been reviewing shows at the Rep for 30 years now - than what I witnessed last night as Avenue Q kicked off the company's 2018-19 season in astonishingly irreverent style. Shouse directs the riotously funny and uproariously entertaining Avenue Q with imagination and wit (her deft updating of various pop culture references in the script land solidly among the audience who reward her efforts with deafening laughter and audible gasps), infusing the already terrific piece with more magical moments in which the audience becomes complicit in the story being told and the "acts" being performed onstage.” - Jeffrey Ellis

Out and About Nashville Review: “The Rep’s production of Avenue Q is a big hit! Now in its last week at TPAC, but if you’ve got the time it’s absolutely worth the time and money. The show has been around for a while, but this production has been updated to feature #MAGA racism and Trumpian extremists in its staging. Don’t be fooled by the puppets: yes the show is funny, but it’s also poignant and has a depth of insight into the condition of modern human beings in the world. And in the end, the kinder, gentler world-weary cynicism it presents just resonates.” — James Grady

Nashville Parent Magazine review: “Lauren Shouse’s expert direction coupled with the cast’s extreme talent results in a huge hit from start to finish. While the entire show will keep you in stitches, the night of inebriated debauchery that Kate and Princeton experience — “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love)” — is definitely the most sensational side-splitting scene of the show. I mean, what’s funnier than drunk puppets getting it on? Go ahead and treat yourself to an extraordinary night of theatrical fun with Nashville Rep!” — Chad Young

By Bekah Brunstetter

Rivendell Theatre 2018.

Cast: Tara Mallen, Keith Kupferer, Krystel McNeill, Tuckie White.

Set Design by Arnel Sanciano. Costume Design by Janice Pytel. Lighting Design by Cat Wilson. Sound Design by Shannon O’Neill.

Photos by Michael Brosilow.

Nominated for 2018 Joseph Jefferson Award for: Best Director, Best Production, Best Actor in a Principal role and Best Set Design.

Highly Recommended - “The play is sweet and never too blatantly sugary, and Della and Jen are both deeply true characters for whom Brunstetter has obvious kinship. And director Lauren Shouse guides the proceedings with the right delicate touch. The set, from designer Arnel Sanciano, is spot-on perfect, with the bakery looking absolutely real and even cake-like in its pink and white stripes, and wainscoting ingeniously disguising pull-out beds for the home-based scenes. And Mallen is a treat to watch, particularly in the moments when the play gets a bit fanciful.” — Steve Oxman, Chicago Sun Times

Highly Recommended - “The weighty social issues at play here, as well as the intimate relations between two couples, and the free-wheeling use of imagined moments, make this a complicated play to direct, but Lauren Shouse handles all of it deftly, keeping the action moving along briskly but allowing time for several silent emotional moments along the way without ever becoming heavy-handed. The performances she gets from all four actors are exemplary. She cues the audience in on changes in focus or entries into Della’s imagination through the use of the creative lighting by Cat Wilson and excellent sound design by Shannon Marie O’Neill. And that cupcake-perfect set, a clever and surprising design by Arnel Sanciano, is just golden.” —Karen Topham, Chicago On Stage

Highly Recommended - “Expect to laugh a lot, and marvel at Brunstetter’s ability to weave dreams and fantasies into her story in such a way that shouts – “Hey, we are all just humans, aren’t we?” This writer finds it difficult to imagine an actress better able than Tara Mallen to play Della. With her considerable personable charm—and ability to telegraph the roiling oceans of her inner life with morphing expressions as she listens to the booming voice of the baking contest reality show host— Mallen gives us a Della who instantly fixes in our mind as THE stereotype, and then deftly forces us to see her with more depth than we might otherwise muster on our own.” —Amy Munice, Picture This Post

By Melissa Ross

Raven Theatre 2018. 

Cast: Lynne Baker, Lucy Carapetyan, Stella Martin and Benjamin Sprunger. 

Set Design by Lauren Nigri. Costume Design by Noel Huntzinger. Lighting Design by Becca Jeffords. Sound Design by Eric Backus. 

Photos by Michael Brosilow. 

Highly Recommended - "Nice Girl is a quiet story, but a hearty and fulfilling one. Ross’ script is simple but powerful, and poignant in a world where women are still fighting a seemingly never-ending battle for autonomy. As a 37-year-old single woman myself (albeit one with a very different life from Josephine’s), it was refreshing to see someone of my age, gender and social status represented not as a stereotype or a joke, but a living, breathing person. Thoughtfully directed and performed, Nice Girl may not blow you away, but it will leave you satisfied and humbled." --Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat

Highly Recommended - "This sweetly knowing, open-hearted 2015 script is gently embraced by Lauren Shouse’s equally tough-loving Chicago premiere at Raven Theatre. As always, the best, as in the most wrenching, plays are not about “win-lose” outcomes between good versus evil. They’re about “lose-lose” choices between one good opposite another — love versus loyalty, freedom fighting duty, the past against the future. That’s the passionate payoff that follows two hours of Nice Girl. It’s well worth the wait." -- Larry Bommer, Stage and Cinema

Highly Recommended - "With that wide Raven stage, it’s easy to let a play get unfocused, but director Shouse is careful to keep things balanced, bringing out these stellar performances in her actors and never allowing a single moment to drag out. I’ve never felt that a two hour play passed so quickly. And a lovely “what will happen next?” ending  (aided by the strong lighting of Becca Jeffords) leaves the audience walking out of the theatre talking about the future of the characters, pondering whether a “yes” will really be a “yes” and recognizing all of the times in our own lives when it was not." -- Karen Topham, Chicago Onstage

Highly Recommended - "The piece is beautifully constructed; every word counts. The direction feels effortless, but is in fact tautly controlled. Each personality is finely drawn and well portrayed. This play will take you on an emotional journey, and make you laugh along the way." -- Debra Davey, Splash Magazine

By Matthew Lopez

Northlight Theatre 2017. 

Cast: Sean Blake, Keith Kupferer, Jeff Kurysz, Nate Santana, Leslie Ann Sheppard. 

Set Design by Jacqueline and Richard Penrod. Costume Design by Rachel Laritz. Lighting Design by J.R. Lederle. Sound Design by Kevin O'Donnell. 

Photos by Michael Brosilow. 

Highly Recommended - "Smoothly directed by Lauren Shouse, who uses the small open stage at Northlight to sheer perfection, this 105 minute (no intermission) play tells us a story that will make you think how an “outsider” ( defined as someone “different”) can bring people who are different together." -- Alan Bresloff, Around the Town Chicago

Highly Recommended - "Heart, sass, and spanx. In a show about drag, all are welcome in The Legend of Georgia McBride. So if you’re looking to escape for a few hours and see some truly bad wigs (in a hilariously good way), this show is for you. Just be prepared to laugh and secretly tap your foot to country music...even if you’re not crazy about country, your foot will be tapping." -- Sharon Krome, Picture this Post

Recommended - "The Legend of Georgia McBride is a play about drag queens. But somewhere in there it is also a play about life and how we live it. And it may not be perfect but it does happen to be wildly entertaining. The night I was there the crowd laughed extensively and left talking enthusiastically about the show. We critics can get picky, but the bottom line is that that is what it’s all about." -- Karen Topham, Chicago Onstage

By Harold Pinter

Raven Theatre 2016.

Cast: Abigail Boucher, Richard Cotovsky, Sam Guinan-Nyhart, Keith Neagle.

Set Design: Lauren Nigri. Costume Design: Stepahnie Cluggish. Lighting Design: Becca Jeffords. Sound Design: Kevin O' Donnell. Photos by Dean La Prairie. 

Highly Recommended - "Lauren Shouse brings just the right chilly, razor-sharp edginess to the production, and her actors capture the tension, fatigue and devastation that so much lying (whether to themselves or others) can generate." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

Highly Recommended -- "Raven Theatre’s production, smartly directed by Lauren Shouse, shows why we consider Pinter a master of the nuances and sharp edges of personal relationships." - Nancy Bishop, 

Highly Recommended! - "Lauren Shouse's sharp, slick direction seduces audiences with a female sensuality, so different from the usual male-directed productions. She strips away the artifice and romance of what it means to engage in an affair, with a feminine perspective. Scene changes are performed with a simple, deliberate, almost choreographed precision, blending beautifully with the scripted moments. This production is the perfect amalgamation of a classic script, a talented cast and a skilled, creative director and technical team. " - David McCann, Windy City Times 

Highly Recommended - "The affair is a tangled, bruising mess; the telling of it, at Raven Theatre, is a thing of raw-boned beauty... The scene in which Robert confronts his wife with his chance discovery of her affair is the harrowing highlight of Raven’s production, as the rhetorically circling husband closes in on his prey and she, seeing the inevitability of the truth exposed, simply and vacantly confesses. It’s a directorial masterstroke and an exhilarating piece of acting by Boucher and Neagle." - Lawrence B. Johnson, Chicago on the Aisle

By Gina Gionfriddo

Nashville Repertory Theatre 2015.

Cast: Amanda Card, Ruth Cordell, Shannon Hoppe, David Ian Lee, Cheryl White

Set Design: Gary Hoff. Costume Design: Trish Clark. Lighting Design: Phillip Franck. Props Design: Evelyn Thornhill. Photos by Harry Butler, Shane Burkeen and Phillip Franck. 

"Director Lauren Shouse demonstrates an eye for detail and a gift for pacing, bringing Gionfriddo’s script to life with the help of an outstanding ensemble. With tantalizing wit and thought-provoking conflicts, “Rapture, Blister, Burn” provides a brilliant opening for The Rep’s 2015-16 season — don’t miss it." - Amy Stumphl, The Tennessean

"Directed with her characteristic flair by former Nashville Rep artistic associate Lauren Shouse (who returned to her local theatrical home, after several years in Chicago, to helm the production), Gionfriddo's astoundingly provocative play - which sounds and, perhaps more importantly, feels as if it is being created as you watch this sparkling and cracklingly intense production play out before you - is sure to spark conversation long after you leave the theatre." --Jeffrey Ellis, Broadway World

"Getting to deliver Gionfriddo’s thoughtful and often witty dialogue is a cadre of actors perfectly cast by director Lauren Shouse. Yes, I’m enraptured by “Rapture…” – fascinated by the ideas, illusions and illuminations in life that provide such rich grist for Gionfriddo’s mill. The marriage of her genius (a word that’s overused by reviewers like me but nevertheless accurate in this playwright’s case) with Nashville Rep’s Broadway-consistency professionalism makes this presentation an exceptionally strong beginning to the company’s 2015-16 season." -- Evans Donnell, Nashville Arts Critic

By Tracy Letts

Nashville Repertory Theatre 2012.

Cast: Jeremy Childs, David Compton, Elizabeth Davidson, Brandon Hirsh, Henry Haggard, Shelean Newman, Joe Robinson, Jon Royal, Brian Russell.

Set Design: Gary Hoff. Costume Design: Trish Clark. Lighting Design: Michael Barnett. Photos by Harry Butler.

Nashville Scene Best Ensemble 2012. 

"Director Lauren Shouse has staged this engaging piece with a confidently rugged energy. The real strengths here are the roles and the actors who play them, and Shouse shepherds her cast with uniformly successful results. Superior Donuts is a worthy excursion through a big city's richness, and a thoughtful examination of the disappointments that can befall those banking on long-shot dreams." Martin Brady, Nashville Scene

By Nate Eppler

3Ps Productions 2011. Cast: Rachel Agee, David Compton, Rebekah Durham, Jennifer Richmond.

Set Design: David Compton. Lighting Design: Katie Gant. Photos by Chris Bosen. 

American Critics Association Steinberg Award semifinalist 2011. 

Broadway World Nashville Best New Work 2011. 

"After director Lauren Shouse's four superb actors had taken their bows and left the stage, the lights came up and the audience sat completely still. Riveted to their seats by the brilliantly told tale that had just played out before them, audience members quietly processed their thoughts, basking in the afterglow of what was, most certainly and without fear of exaggeration, one of the most important nights Nashville theater has ever seen." -- Jeffrey Ellis, Broadway World