Displaying items by tag: Theater Wit

As America watches a college admissions scandal unfold in the headlines, Theatre Wit opens a revival of Joshua Harmon's early 2018 play, "Admissions". First produced at the Lincoln Center last winter, Harmon's play was definitely on to something broiling in suburban American life. This remount was announced long before the current events rendering this new work very relevant. Directed by Jeremy Wechsler, this production is another installment in Theatre Wit's original programing. 

Sherri (Meighan Gerachis) is a middle-aged prep school admissions counselor. It's her job and personal mission to increase diversity at the upper middle class school. She prides herself on increasing the quota to 20% non-white students. When her own son is rejected from Yale and his mixed-race best friend is accepted, things get tense for this family. 

"Admissions" is a one-act play that dissects the various identity politics even those on the same side can find themselves playing into. Sherri's son Charlie (Kyle Curry) has a lengthy, if not sort of racist, rant that truly poses some interesting questions about the origins of what we consider race today. And as any mother with a concern for her child's future, Sherri starts to examine her own hypocrisy for being angry about her son's rejection. The irony of Sherri's motivations underscore that college admissions are nearly as important to parents as their students. 
One of Harmon's intentional quirks in the script is that the entirely white cast is having this intense discussion about race. Characters of color are eluded to but never featured on stage. It's a good allegory for some of these complicated debates "woke" white people have among themselves. It makes you wonder about the sincerity of our so-called wokeness. 

Performances make this production stand out. The play opens on a hilarious scene between Sherri and her co-worker Roberta played by Judi Schindler. The naivete with which Schindler approaches the dialogue completely captures the way older Americans think about race, a sort of what's-the-big-deal-? attitude. Gerachis turns in a very relatable performance. She seems to know this character well and is rarely concerned with audience likeability versus getting to the truth in this well-meaning but complicated character. 

"Admissions" is a topical look at what's at stake for today's youth. On one hand we have a cultural cynicism about higher education but on the other we understand its value in our economy. As we look at the current scandal, we ask ourselves why the already advantaged need more advantage for their future. Giving extra privilege to the privileged effectively reduces the amount of seats at the table of prosperity. Harmon also understands the pressure today's teens face from an early age to succeed at any cost. This is more than a play about college but rather a play about what we take for granted. 

Through May 12 at Theatre Wit. 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

Sometimes we see couples in restaurants and think how on earth did they ever end up together? Sadly, the couple in question might be feeling the same way. Is it the idea of settling or just assumed gender roles that lead so many married couples to this place? Will Eno’s play ‘The Realistic Joneses’ makes its area debut at Shattered Globe Theatre in a collaboration with Theater Wit. Shattered Globe is particularly well known for ensemble acting, Jeremy Wechsler (also artistic director) directs this 2014 dark comedy.

After a star-studded run on Broadway, Eno’s suburban play finally comes to Chicago. While hard to categorize, ‘The Realistic Joneses’ is an unsettling look at a couple’s battle with a degenerative disease. Middle-aged Jennifer Jones (Linda Reiter) is caring for her husband as he succumbs to an ALS-like illness. She feels taken for granted and begs her husband Bob for the emotional intimacy it seems she’s been waiting on for years. Their lonely lives change when a young, mysterious couple with the same last name moves in next door. With a strange but oddly satisfying dialogue cadence, Jennifer and Bob get perhaps too close to their new neighbors Pony (Cortney McKenna) and John (Joseph Wiens).

Will Eno proves with this play that loose ends and uncertainty are okay in life and in theatre. Joseph Wiens captures the at times absurd, but insightful dialogue in a way that makes it almost seem not absurd. There’s a familiarity in his delivery. We’ve all met someone like this and Eno digs deeper to show us why characters like this exist in an orderly world. Cortney McKenna plays his bubbly wife Pony with such sincerity that you almost forget how absurd her lines are as well. Crazy as what these two characters say to each other and their neighbors sounds, there’s a rooted sense of honesty that Eno suggests is the key to a happy life and relationship. It is Linda Reiter’s performance that ups the emotional ante of the play. Bits of anger boil through a strong exterior which makes the conclusion even more bleak.

This is a solid play but perhaps not for everyone. Shattered Globe marketing materials uses a quote which says this is one of the strongest plays since Tony Kushner’s 1993 Pulitzer winner ‘Angels in America.’ Though this play is good, it’s not anywhere close to the monolith that is ‘Angels in America.’ This is a tight hour and a half stroll through the everyday lives of two couples that share the same name. In it there are nuggets of wisdom about everyday life that may not have a ton of plot-weight, but stick with you for days after. There’s a lot to unpack in this piece and surely nobody will leave saying “I didn’t get it.” Eno sticks closely to a reality we all understand; sickness, death, love and where we all fit into it.

Through March 9 at Shattered Globe at Theater Wit. 1129 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

The setting is a drought-stricken Midwest cattle town. Sheriff File (played by Denzel Tsopnang) and the town folk set the mood as they lament that “the earth is burning, crops is bad, and land is dry” in opening number “Another Hot Day” of BoHo Theatre’s presentation of 110 in The Shade.

But it’s not all bad news as one cattle ranching family, H.C.(Pops), Noah, and Jimmy get the welcome news that sister Lizzie’s Coming Home. Lizzie (played by Neala Barron) has been visiting kin, in the hopes of finding a husband. Her quest for love however was as fruitless as the drought-damaged trees.

When fast talking charismatic Starbuck (played by Tommy Thurston), a self-proclaimed “rainmaker”, comes rolling into town proclaiming that for a measly $100, in advance of course, “it’s gonna rain all through the mornin’. It’s gonna rain all through the night. It’s gonna rain all day tomorrow, Now, won’t that be a sight!” the town is whipped into a frenzy.

Beyond the frenzy and excitement (and tension) as we await the promised rain, we witness many layers of emotion in the characters, including insecurity and self-doubt, internal conflict, family conflict, and ultimately love and hope.

Neala Barron (Lizzie) gives a very emotionally raw performance. Her body language and facial expressions were honest and believable. In “Simple Little Things”, I had tears in my eyes. I truly felt compassion towards her character. Her vocal performance was superb!

Tommy Thurston (Starbuck) gave an equally strong though less emotional performance. His charisma and energy were perfectly matched to his portrayal of the fast-talking con-man, yet he successfully and believably toned it down for the more intimate scenes. Vocally, I felt that the fast pacing of some his songs challenged his depth of breath and dropped off just a little.

Denzel Tsopnang (File) was strong as the third lead. While his role didn’t command as much attention his performance was reserved as the role required. His vocal performance however was first class from the opening number and throughout.

H.C. Noah, and Jimmy (Peter Robel, Billy Dawson, and Christopher Ratliff) were excellent in their supporting roles. They each played an important role in the emotional depth of the story.

The production design and technical direction was outstanding as well, specifically the use of lighting to either set a mood, the special effects of thunder, lightning and rain, and the working windmill were more than I expected in this mid-size venue.

Directed by BoHo Theatre Artistic Director Peter Marston Sullivan, this production is rich in emotion, converting this simple romance into a deeply moving story of family conflict, loneliness, love and hope. While this entire production, because of its strength, could transfer easily to a bigger stage, I am happy to have been able to experience the intimacy and the emotion in this mid-size venue. The ensemble size fit the production and filled the stage nicely; the production never felt cramped in this sized theatre.

BoHo Theatre’s production of 110 in The Shade is a MUST SEE for this theatre season!

At Theater Wit thru Dec 16, 2018.

You may be wondering why four of the city’s most formidable houses are each mounting productions of ‘Frankenstein’ this season. You may be also asking yourself which, if any, to see. It appears that Lifeline, Remy Bumppo, Court Theatre and Lookingglass have all included unique adaptations of the sci-fi classic. More than likely it is because 2018 marks 200 years since a young Mary Shelley published her seminal work. Of course, October is a pretty great time to stage any sort of Halloween theatre, but there’s something about the production running at Remy Bummpo that doesn’t quite feel like a horror story.

From an adaptation by Nick Dear and directed by Ian Frank, Remy Bummpo brings a great deal of humanity to this stage production. Dear’s adaptation was a success when it premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London back in 2011. It went on to be live broadcast in American movie theaters in 2012. This particular script comes with fanfare. The RNT production was directed by Danny Boyle and starred a then fledgling Benedict Cumberbatch. Something interesting Ian Frank borrowed from the London staging was the interchangeable casting of the Creature and Victor, played here by Nick Sandys and Greg Matthew Anderson. The two switch roles every other night. Sandys portrayed the Creature in Tuesday night’s opening.

Dear’s swift moving script begins at the creation scene, arguably the most dynamic moment of Shelley’s source material. Not too many frills here but the device saves quite a bit of exposition, because honestly who doesn’t already know the basics of the story? For those unfamiliar with Shelley’s original text, this is where the plot might diverge from popular memory. Dear’s script maintains a great faithfulness to the novel rather than the Boris Karloff monster movie.

Sandys performance as the Creature is more tragic than scary. Though, Kristy Leigh Hall’s special effect makeup makes Sandys unrecognizable and very menacing. The Creature, like a baby, begins naked and ignorant of the world around. Over the course of the 90-minute play, we watch a cruel world educate the outcast Creature into becoming a monster bent on revenge. Sandys eventual monologues about the desire for love are as haunting as the murder scenes. The script intellectualizes the Creature in a way that makes the audience pity him instead of fear him.

Ian Frank’s production is intimate and minimal. A sleek stage design by Joe Schermoly gives this production a disorienting effect. It’s almost to say, forget what you think you know about ‘Frankenstein’. In fact, this ‘Frankenstein’ may not even be a true horror story. Unlike Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ or Gaston Leroux’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ – ‘Frankenstein’ sets itself aside as a story of scientific failure and the condition of humans to fear what we do not understand. It’s a story about the human need for love and this production tugs at the heart more often than it curdles the blood. Mary Shelley would appreciate the depth this adaptation gives to her most important contribution to literature.

Through November 11 at Remy Bummpo. Theatre Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

Being a Chicagoan, it’s always fun to take in city history – to learn about the great things that made Chicago what it is today – one of the best known metropolitan areas on the planet, rich in history and tradition. In ‘Burnham’s Dream: The White City,' the play focuses on Daniel Burnham, a man who became an architect while learning on the job rather than with an education. Burnham, perhaps best known for authoring The Plan of Chicago in 1909, one of the most significant documents on urban planning, was one of the chief minds behind taking on the massive job of building the 1893 World’s Fair over what was then just a swamp-ridden Jackson Park. ‘Burnham’s Dream’ focuses on Burnham’s life throughout this miraculous endeavor.

Pavi Proczko is palpable as Daniel Burnham, giving us a good sense of the architect’s smarts, determination and dedication to the colossal project. Proczko provides an inner depth to the character that is easy for audience members to relate. Burnham’s business partner and long-time friend, John Root, is well-played by Sam Massey. Root, perhaps more of a big picture dreamer wants the fair to be all-encompassing, “a fair that is truly welcoming to everyone.” The two play off each other well; one the visionary the other making ideas a reality. Chase Wheaton-Werle also puts forth a strong performance as the likable Irish immigrant, Michael O’Malley while Genevieve Thiers impresses the audience with her vocal talent as Bertha Palmer. Jessica Texidor’s choreography is unique and gets the most out of its limited open stage.

Throughout the play, we get a myriad of 1893 World’s Fair fun facts such as learning that that is where the zipper and Cracker Jacks were first introduced, and that one of the many buildings was designed by a team of female architects (something unheard of at the time). We are also made privy to the fact that in order to complete the fair on time and to save a huge sum of money, the building’s exteriors were finished with staff plaster since atop steel frames, after all, the buildings were meant to be temporary. Though primarily dealing with the fair’s creation, it’s setbacks and triumphs, ‘Burnham’s Dream’ also provides a window into how women’s rights and those of African-Americans were dealt treated – Root certainly an advocate of inclusion, a stage for the world to see America’s advanced ideologies.

And while viewers might not go home humming the songs, the play in itself is interesting enough, moves along at a nice pace and is well-acted. For 1893 World’s Fair buffs, ‘Burnham’s Dream’ will be an entertaining way to watch it come to life piece-by-piece. For those who are not so familiar with the story, you’d be in store for an engaging Chicago history lesson.

Finely directed by Erik Wagner, Lost and Found Productions world premiere musical “Burnham’s Dream: The White City’ is being performed at Theater Wit through July 1st. For tickets and/or more play information, visit www.theaterwit.org.

Lydia R. Diamond deserves most of the credit for the many wondrous theatrical moments in her play, Smart People. But without the spectacularly able cast and the razor’s edge pacing set by director Hallie Gordon, you would not be able to enjoy her excellent script. 

Smart People covers all the social terrain maturing adults must traverse – from romance, to careers, consumerism, social competition, to sex, and yes, racism. But this is not your father’s racism, by a long shot. No, this is the peculiar, post-modern type that could only be conjured up in our “post-racial” America. Author Diamond says as she wrote it, she realized the play would need to face racism directly. But it’s about much more than that – because it’s about the whole of life, and how we engage with each other. 

The characters are indeed smart – sharp and witty, well off, even smartly dressed. Set in the environs of a university medical center, the story centers on a white researcher Erik Hellman (Brian White) whose pioneering studies point to a biological basis for white racism against blacks. A rising research star, he is celebrated among liberal academics for nailing incontrovertible evidence of, and the objective basis for, white racism.

His best friend and basketball buddy is Jackson Moore (Julian Parker), an African-American M.D. who works as a resident in the emergency room by day, and volunteers in a free clinic in a tough neighborhood at night. Parker, whose extended family still struggles financially, is on the way up himself. But he has identified friction for his career in a source of racism – the white doctors supervising him who he feels certain are hazing him.

White’s love interest is Ginny Yang (Deanna Myers), a high power academic figure who is researching the forces that cause Asian women to punish and subordinate themselves to spouses and families. Tough as nails and the most brilliant of the lot, Yang makes a hobby of terrorizing clerks at Nordstrom’s and Hugo Boss as she power shops her heels and handbags.

Into this trio of self-absorbed achievers stumbles Valerie Johnston (Kayla Carter), an actress. Disappointing her well-to-do African-American family, she has abandoned their career aspirations for her own goal: to become an actress. She faces the “you aren’t black enough” racism from her own community, and racist typecasting when she reads for roles.

Valerie runs into Jackson in the emergency room, where she arrives dressed as Kate from Taming of the Shrew, for stitches to a head wound from hitting a stage scenery flat. Asked repeatedly, "Were you beaten?" she declares in exasperation, "What does a black woman have to do to convince people she hasn't been beaten?"  

For the audience, Valerie is the most sympathetic character. A stand-in for the author, perhaps, Johnston’s Valerie is a delectable feast of acting skill, as her character reads for roles, and reads and re-reads scenes at an unseen director’s request. 

The repartee and dish is loads of fun. When Brian meets Valerie on a double date with Ginny and Jackson, he tells her of his work. "I'm trying to show all white people are racist," he says. "It's kind of hot when a white guy says that," Valerie replies. 

As Ginny and Brian get acquainted, she sizes him up. "Professionally, you are almost as self destructive as I am. "I'm liking that!"

In fact, this brace of actors is something to relish: Deanna Myers is a force on stage as Ginny; Jackson Moore excels in a range from home boy to ironic bud, to reluctant lover. And Erik Hellman brings the natural style so evident in his frequent roles at Steppenwolf.

The paths of this foursome cross as the action progresses, and White gets into trouble for overplaying his discoveries about racism and threatening the institution. We watch, along with the other characters, as he falls from grace. 

Diamond has given us a great play, creating characters who are sincere, but whose foibles and failings are transparent to the audience, and to each other. Largely a romantic comedy, Smart People is highly recommended. It plays through June 10, 2018 in the Gillian Theatre at Glencoe’s Writers Theater.

Women Laughing Alone with Salad from Theater Wit is a funny mess. Based on the popular meme of stock photos of women who always seem to be having the time of their lives while eating a bowl of tasteless raw vegetables, the play tries to satirize this concept. The concept being that only stringently healthy and active women can be happy, and the only happy women are stringently healthy and active. As if the hysterical laughing accompanying the salad in the photo will trick us into loving the most boring meal known to humankind.

The best scene might have been when the four person cast did exactly what it says on the tin: they smiled and laughed and eventually full-out boogied while eating salad. The satire here was on point, and I loved the straight-up mocking of ridiculous advertisements aimed toward women. Look at how much FUN we're having depriving ourselves of any carbohydrates - a thing our bodies *need*, by the way!

As far as the actual storyline goes, it was, like the lettuce confetti that rained down onstage at one point, all over the place. Many things were trying to be said, I think, but the play never makes a clear point. Nobody learns anything, characters or audience. The audience is led to believe that all skinny women are annoying and bulimic and "real" women are confident in their voluptuousness, until the rug is pulled out from under us and we learn that, surprise, the "real" woman is a slave to salad, too.

There were a lot of elements that, on the surface, give this play an edge: nudity, a threesome scene, an Oedipal complex, some gender-swapped roles, which were entertaining, but to me seemed like folderol distracting from the fact that the story was haphazard.

I appreciated the bravery of the actors and playwright Sheila Callaghan for taking the leap -- the acting was well-done and the script did shine through occasionally with some great, funny lines -- but this play was anything but salad: Big, flashy empty calories. Fun to eat, but with little nutritional value.

Women Laughing Alone With Salad is playing at Theater Wit through April 29th. Tickets at TheaterWit.org.

*Extended through May 2nd!

About Face Theatre’s Time Is on Our Side is a wonderful play that carries a LGBTQ theme throughout. This might make some people uncomfortable – and for those it does, this play is a must see. The subject matter is very open. The characters are very open. I found it simply charming. The story is truly timeless.

Sexuality has been one of the biggest topics of discussion since the beginning of time. Actually, in many cases, it is the topic of no-discussion. Fears and phobias run amuck when you start talking about sex. The fact that there even needs to be an LGBTQ community is ridiculous. Labeling is only counterproductive to the evolution of our species.

The play starts with two people, Curtis and Annie, producing a podcast to “queer history” that ultimately has them stumble upon a secretive family journal belonging to Annie’s Grandmother that prompts an investigation into the history of the LGBTQ movement. Their examination takes them on a journey down many roads from Rosa Parks to the AIDS Quilt as more and more past events are brought to the open.

Well-written and superbly performed, Time Is on Our Side is a very entertaining play filled with several hilarious moments while also bringing to the surface many thought-provoking topics. The first act set up the second very well. It was full of surprises even though there was some serious foreshadowing taking place. A well-conceived production, director Megan Carney and writer R. Eric Thomas should be proud of their achievement.

“This is a hilarious and deeply personal story,” comments Director Megan Carney. “It brings together rich characters of different generations who share a longing to connect, which makes it such a perfect play for us at About Face Theatre. The play weaves a range of stories in which younger folks uncover their roots and elders pass on what they know. Altogether, a powerful story emerges revealing acts of resistance and queer magic through the decades.” 

Rashaad Hall as Curtis and Maggie Scranton as Annie are outstanding in their roles. Riley Mondragon plays Claudia and plays the role amazingly well. I thought she stole the show until we are introduced to Rene played by Esteban Andres Cruz, who is a true scene stealer. Cruz also shows his versatility by playing another character in the play, as does Mondragon.

I believe the LGBTQ labeling needs to stop so that one day we can just refer to everyone as people. We come in all varieties. What people do is their own business and not and not anyone else’s. The fact that there needs to be a community based on being “different” is unfortunate. What is different? The more you dig, the more you realize how similar we are, not how different.

I wholeheartedly recommend this funny and highly-stimulating play.

Time Is on Our Side is being performed at Theater Wit through April 7th. For more information on this play, visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com.

With the homecoming and family-visit season safely in the rear-view, Shattered Globe presents a new play by Rachel Bonds about the places we come from. “Five Mile Lake” is directed by Cody Estle, his first production with the company.

Bonds writes about a feeling that many city transplants can relate to all too well. “I can’t believe I managed to spend 18 years there,” she says of her small hometown in the stage notes. Though Bonds seems to have escaped small town life at a young age, her script is not a snobby look down her nose at small town America, in fact, it’s almost the opposite. There’s a longing for a perceived simplicity in this play. The irony is that no matter where you live, complexity is unavoidable.

‘Five Mile Lake’ is about five characters in a town outside Scranton, at the edge a frozen lake. The symbolism is not lost. Local coffee shop coworkers Mary (Daniela Colucci) and Jamie (Steve Peebles) live fairly uneventful lives until Jamie’s older brother returns with a new girlfriend and an open-ended visit.

In many ways, this is a retelling of Chekhov’s masterpiece ‘Uncle Vanya’. Mary and Jamie seem to toil endlessly in their dismal lives. Jamie works on a lake house his brother Rufus (Joseph Wiens) and girlfriend Peta (Aila Peck) are suddenly interested in when their impressive city-life turns to shambles. Mary is bogged down by a shell-shocked brother Danny (Drew Schad), all the while dreaming of a life outside Five Mile Lake. Between these desires for other circumstances are subtle, but wholly palpable, moments of truth.

Shattered Globe is an ensemble theater and most of their productions feature familiar faces. The result is a sense of intimacy between actors that translates to an audience. There’s a naturalistic cadence to Rachel Bonds’ dialogue too. Sometimes inside-jokes or silliness between characters seems contrived on stage. Whenever Daniela Colucci is in a scene, you feel like you’ve known her all your life. There’s something really authentic going on here. Estle gets great performances out of even the smallest, non-verbal moments of the play. A scene in which Rufus and Mary’s older brother Danny run into each other after years of estrangement is so fraught that just a searching look from Drew Schad is enough to break your heart.

“Five Mile Lake” is a prime example of why you should see new work. Sometimes it’s a gamble, but other times in the middle of an ordinary Sunday you find yourself completely invested in the problems fictional characters. You take them with you, because they are you.

Through February 24th at Shattered Globe Theatre. Theater Wit. 773-975-8150

Shattered Globe Theatre welcomes back one of Chicago’s own, Sarah Ruhl.  “For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday” is a new play making its Midwestern debut at Theater Wit. Ms. Ruhl is one of the country’s foremost playwrights right now. She has another new play, “How to Transcend a Happy Marriage,” currently running at the Lincoln Center in New York. Her work is often produced in Chicago usually directed by her friend Jessica Thebus. This is an especially personal production for Ruhl as it stars her own mother (Kathleen Ruhl) in the title role. 

No, this is not another warmed over incantation of the JM Barrie fairy tale. While somewhat influenced by the source material, “For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday” is a very realistic story of five siblings grappling with the death of their father. What begins in a depressing hospital room, moves to a whiskey-soaked conversation between siblings that eventually turns into a make-believe version of Peter Pan. 

At its core, this is a play about love. There are plenty of plays about dysfunctional families, and this isn’t one of them. What it boils down to are five adult children trying to pinpoint a time when they felt their father’s love. These siblings have differing political beliefs and Ruhl’s apt commentary about our current climate is especially sharp, without being polarizing. There’s a great deal of truth in the courtesy her characters show for one another’s opinions. She also spends a great deal of the play dissecting the role of Catholicism and whether or not there is an afterlife. Despite the volley of bittersweet and at times painful memories of their childhood, these characters love each other and that is felt in the dialogue and performances. 

Kathleen Ruhl is adorable as the oldest sister and former Peter Pan star, Ann. Perhaps it’s her relation to the playwright, or her commitment to character, but Kathleen Ruhl makes the audience question how much of this work is fiction and how much is fact? Eileen Niccolai, a Shattered Globe ensemble member, provides a lot of the humor, but also some of the more heartfelt moments as youngest sister Wendy. All the siblings are named for Peter Pan characters, which underscores Sarah Ruhl’s point that with their parents gone, they are orphans now and need to grow up. 

Like any Sarah Ruhl work, there is a great deal of whimsy. With each new work, Ruhl continues to keep one foot on the ground and one in the clouds. “For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday” is both prolific in its subject matter and also aesthetically striking it its presentation. The reality of the situation and the poignancy of the lines allows the audience to trust their narrator and fly when the time comes. 

Shattered Globe’s “For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday is being performed at Theater Wit at 1229 W Belmont (773.975.8150) and has been extended through May 27th.