Dance

Displaying items by tag: Windy City Playhouse

Invictus Theatre’s smashingly good Chicago production of Susan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog” brings us a dark comedy that is both gripping and layered. This Tony winner for its current Broadway revival incorporates all the qualities of a well-written play, steadily unfolding details of the brothers who share a derelict apartment—the plaster is falling, the sink is broken, the working bathroom is down the hall—with exposition artfully buried in the dialog.

Under the direction of Aaron Reese Boseman, the audience is drawn in the course of the play to learn these two black brothers were separated some 20 years ago from their parents, who named them as a macabre joke, then walked out when Booth was just 11 and Lincoln 16.

The two have made their way in the world by hustling for money. Booth (DeMorris Burrows) shoplifts and Lincoln (Mikha’el Amin) is a master at three-card monty, where he collects winnings from marks. Younger brother Booth longs to capture Lincoln’s mastery in cards, and when we first meet him alone in his apartment, he is practicing and practicing, struggling to gain his older brother’s finesse.

53535406930 a9642aa121 c

When Lincoln arrives, though, we learn he has given up cards, and is now working in an arcade, in white face, dressed as Lincoln: tophat, beard, frock coat and vest. Lincoln comes fresh from his work, where customers pay to shoot blank bullets at him, after which he dutifully dies. How’s that for a premise?

Lincoln gives Booth a hard time. "Bathroom's down the hall," Booth tells Lincoln, who needles his brother. "You're living in the third world, Booth."  When Booth asks Lincoln to teach him how to succeed at three-card monty, Lincoln retorts, "I don't touch the cards," and refuses to teach him. Booth complains, "Here I am trying to make a living, and you're standing in my way." We immediately feel that this argument, and Booth's supplicant role, has played out many times. 

Yet Lincoln also helps Booth, dispensing his earnings, yet Booth takes advantage of him, taking all but $13, then asking for five bucks back. What Booth really seeks is the recreation of the family of his childhood, when the two lived with their parents, as carefree children, with a treehouse, running a lemonade stand, playing practical jokes on their dad, and chowing down on their mother’s home cooking. Booth rearranges the furniture, to simulate the table around which they would gather during their upbringing. But Lincoln refuses this sentiment, putting it all back the way it has been when he arrived. 

Into the mix are added intriguing entries: Booth tells his brother of witnessing his parents preparing to leave, a traumatic experience. He secretly retains a stocking filled with a parting gift, which he believes is money, but it is never opened during the play. Booth has a girlfriend, Grace, whom he plans to marry—yet she never appears, and when he returns from visiting her, Lincoln asks Booth for a blow-by-blow of the tryst. His recount sounds unconvincingly made-up, but the inebriated Lincoln only vaguely challenges Booth on this, then passes out.These components point to yearnings Booth holds, which Lincoln only partially shares. 

Eventually, there is resolution of the action, the relationship, everything, that is both satisfying and disturbing. The actors here put everything on the boards; it's hard to imagine them recovering and doing this again, nightly. In his protrayal of Booth, Burrows is exacting, a range from humorous clowning, to high energy plaintive soliloquoy, while Mikha’el Amin's Lincoln gives a more restrained but emotionally evocative performance. This nuanced portrait of a brotherly relationship rings remarkably true. Anyone with a brother, or who knows brothers, will recognize the mix of adulation and aspiration in the younger sibling, and the kindly nurturance and meanness in the older one.

Driven from its tiny 35-seat quarters by a fire, Invictus has landed in the northside site renowned for its big sets and large enough to accommodate some riveting immersive theater. WIth existing lighting, sound, and set capability, this space allows for production values supporting in equal measure to Invictus' tradition of concentrating on the fullest expression of the script. Scenic design by Kevin Rolfs, props by Barbie Brown, costumes by Marquecia Jordan or on the mark. The touches of music by sound designer Petter Wahlback set mood at keep dramatic points, and lighting by Brandon Wardell and Josiah Croegaert illuminate and transition fully in sync with the action.

“Topdog/Underdog” carries all the ingredients of the formula for a hot production: an eminently incredible play, in its Chicago revival at the capacious and versatile Windy City Playhouse, the new digs for one of Chicago’s top acting troupes, Invictus. Definitely a must-see on all counts, "Topdog/Underdog" runs through March 31 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago.

Published in Theatre in Review

Invictus Theatre Company, the seven-year-old storefront theatre company who this past year was one of the most honored organizations at the Non-Equity Jeff Awards and then lost its venue in a July 2023 fire, has announced a new home and a four-play season for 2024. Invictus will move to the Windy City Playhouse, the former producing company and venue that closed early last year.

Invictus’s first production at the Windy City Playhouse will be Suzan-Lori Parks's 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner "Topdog/Underdog," playing February 13 to March 31. Parks's drama of sibling rivalry will be directed by Aaron Reese Boseman, who led the Invictus productions of "The Mountaintop" and "A Raisin in the Sun." Boseman’s cast for the two-hander will be Mikha’el Amin (Dr. Martin Luther King in Invictus’s "The Mountaintop") and DeMorris Burrows (of Steppenwolf’s "1919").

It will be followed in May by another Pulitzer Prize winner — the first Chicago production of Tracy Letts’s play "August: Osage County" since the 2010 national tour that played the Cadillac Palace Theatre. This monumental drama of family dysfunction in rural Oklahoma had its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007, winning six Jeff Awards, including production of a play. It transferred to Broadway in 2008, where it won five Tony Awards, including Best Play. Invictus Artistic Director Charles Askenaizer, winner of the 2023 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of Invictus’s "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wool?" will direct. "August: Osage County" will play from May 28 to July 14.

In August, Askenaizer will also direct the Chicago premiere of Lee Hall’s adaptation of the Academy-Award-winning "Network." Hall’s adaptation of the screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky premiered in London in 2017 and opened on Broadway in 2018. The story concerns a network television anchorman who is fired for his declining ratings but becomes embraced by the public as a symbol of their collective angst. Chayefsky’s 1976 screenplay was prescient in its foretelling of television’s adoption of reality-based programming and exploitation of grievances. "Network" will run from August 13 to September 29.  

Invictus will continue its tradition of presenting intimate productions of Shakespeare with its season-closing presentation of "Macbeth," the Bard’s tale of the seductive nature of power that combines Scottish history with magical realism. The tragedy’s three witches who warn Macbeth about his future will make their first appearance just before Halloween, with previews beginning on October 29 and playing through December 15.

"Macbeth" will be directed by Sarafina Vecchio, a Chicago-based actor, director, and educator who is an adjunct faculty member of The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Vecchio holds a Post Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare from The University of Warwick (in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company) in Coventry, England and has been a guest instructor to Ontario, Canada's Stratford Festival. Chicago Stage and Screen praised Vecchio’s text coaching for Invictus’s "Julius Caesar" for being “as modern sounding as your favorite political podcast. You have heard these speeches before but never like this. This is a Caesar for everyone.”

Askenaizer says, “We’re looking forward to returning to production with another season of powerful, emotional dramas. We will take full advantage of the flexible space in our new home at Windy City Playhouse to develop creative staging for our shows.”

Invictus Theatre Company has been one of the most notable success stories among Chicago’s storefront theatres in spite of the challenges facing the theater community in recent years. When the pandemic shut down in-person performances just three years after the company’s founding, they responded with a thrillingly intimate Zoom production of ‘NIGHT, MOTHER. They returned from the pandemic by acquiring their own space – the former Jackalope Frontier Theater – which they renamed in honor of the late founding company member Reginald Vaughn. In that space, they continued to build a reputation for intimate and honest interpretations of classics with fidelity to the original texts and close attention to character development. The company’s extraordinarily successful 2021-22 season netted the company five Jeff Awards for its 13 nominations.

The company continued its upward trajectory during its 2022-23 season. That season began with intimate, yet full-scale stagings of the epics "Julius Caesar" and "The Crucible" along with the two-hander "The Mountaintop." Buzz Center Stage’s Wesley David said in reviewing "Julius Caesar," “Invictus Theatre Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in Chicago,” and of "The Mountaintop" said “They constantly exceed their reach. I have to remind myself this is a storefront theatre.” The Chicago Reader said of "The Crucible," "This is a production that grabs an audience in the first seconds, pulls us in, and doesn’t let go until the final lights go out.”

Tickets for Invictus's 2024 season will be available soon at www.invictustheatreco.com

Published in Upcoming Theatre
Saturday, 08 February 2020 17:33

Review: The Boys in the Band at Windy City Playhouse

"Life's a god damned laugh riot," writes Mart Crowley in his 1968 play "The Boys in the Band". Windy City Playhouse revives the iconic play under the direction of Carl Menninger. This is the first revival in Chicago in over twenty years. "The Boys in the Band" just ended a successful Tony Awarded run on Broadway in 2018. The film remake produced by Ryan Murphy is scheduled to premiere on Netflix later this year. 

Mart Crowley's play was a pivotal moment for LGBT representation when it opened off-Broadway in the late 60s. A play about five gay men throwing a birthday party for their friend struck a chord with both straight and gay audiences. It was a window into the previously taboo urban gay lifestyle complete with frank sexual references and queer vernacular. Crowley's observations about aging and love cover universal ground that many in their 30s and 40s can relate to. 

Windy City Playhouse's production is an immersive experience. A chic set by William Boles serves as both the seating and the performance space. Patrons are invited to the party snacks and are offered drinks throughout the two-hour show. This quirky touch adds to the fun of the first half of the play. The main character Michael (Jackson Evans) is hosting and one by one he receives his guests and bit by bit their life stories are revealed in searingly funny dialogue. The ensemble cast has great chemistry and the party environment is contagious fun. 

As the drinks flow and Michael's straight college roommate arrives, the play takes a decidedly darker tone. Similar to an Albee play, the witty banter ratchets up to cutting insults. The party is in Harold's (Sam Bell Gutwitz) honor but Michael has other ideas and initiates a demoralizing game. The battle for dominance between the two characters is uneasy and authentic. Gurwitz commands the stage in brief but withering lines. Jackson Evans makes Michael a sympathetic character even as he lobs outdated, racially insensitive insults at Bernhard (Denzel Tsopnang).

Despite 50 years of LGBT progress, the themes of aging, substance abuse and self-acceptance explored by Crowley feel as relevant today as ever. The world is much more accepting now than it was in 1968, but it's because of plays like "The Boys in the Band". Some aspects transcend sexual orientation while others are very specific to gay life. The play serves to humanize what people at the time thought of as perversion. "Boys in the Band" helped further a growing movement that would later open the door for more plays, novels and movies to tell LGBT stories in the mainstream. 

At Windy City Playhouse. 3014 W Irving Park Road. 773-327-3778

*Extended through May 17th!

Published in Theatre in Review

When you arrive at Windy City Playhouse South for Every Brilliant Thing, you will be ushered into an elevator and emerge at the third floor loft theater entrance.

There a young woman greets you at a display case. Somehow, she seems to be in character already. In fact you will soon learn that this is not the house staff, but an actor, Rebecca Spence, and she is indeed already performing her role as Narrator. But Spence does much more than play this demanding role, one that stretches the definition of scripted performance.

Watching Spence (and unfamiliar with the play) I left completely convinced she had authored Every Brilliant Thing as a performance piece based on her own life. In fact, Every Brilliant Thing, written in 1984 by British playwright Duncan Macmillan, had a successful Broadway run, and was filmed for HBO.

Every Brilliant Thingba

It tells the story of a young adult (it has been played by men and women) whose mother veered into deep depressive episodes, eventually taking her own life. To contend with this, Narrator – who relates tales from elementary school, high school, college and adulthood – sought to create uplifting lists of “every brilliant thing” (puppies, rainbows, songs by Sarah Vaughan, etc.).

As a schoolgirl Narrator offered her first list of 300 items to boost her mother's spirits. As Narrator ages, the list grows from hundreds to thousands, and includes age-appropriate items. Eventually we realize she is keeping the list as her own coping mechanism to fend off adversity, as when her mother meets her end, or when Narrator's husband leaves her.

In keeping with Windy City Playhouse's immersive theatrics, Every Brilliant Thing has the Narrator involve the audience, choosing for each a “brilliant thing” from a collection in the display case that she deems is suitable to them. Seated in black leather club chairs, the each person is called on to read a word, phrase or long descriptor when Narrator calls out an associated number attached to the object they hold.

Every Brilliant Thinga

But Narrator goes even further – designating audience members to play key roles in the show, sometimes they follow her lead by reciting lines she dictates. Spence showed great insight in her selections of audience performers to play characters that Narrator met along her life’s path: a veterinarian, her father, a high school counselor, a girlfriend, a young man whom she marries and separates from.

That last one, a good looking dark haired man, gamely played through flirtatious library encounters, betrothal, wedding, and separation. The audience performer who played the high school counselor who good naturedly removed his shoe to turn his sock to a hand puppet - which he named "Trouble" to the delight of Spence and the audience.

Despite the dynamically constructed script, Every Brilliant Thing manages to have a dramatic arc, and a poignant storyline with touching moments, and a bottom line. "It occurred to me how much the list changed how I see the world along the way," says the Narrator.

With director Jessica Fisch, and the properties designer Eric Backus, Spence must be given great credit for managing the audience member performances. Given the ups and downs of attendance, it's hard to predict exactly what your experience of Every Brilliant Thing will be like - but with Spence in this role, I bet it will be good. Every Brilliant Thing runs through December 15 at Windy City Playhouse South in the Automobile Row District, 2229 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Published in Theatre in Review

The Recommendation, which opened July 11 at Windy City Playhouse, tells a compelling story of two lifelong buddies who clash violently when their adult lives and values go in different directions than during their student days. Yet they remain friends. The play, which premiered in New York in 2013, is by Jonathan Caren who adapted it with Windy City artistic director Amy Rubenstein for this “immersive” production, examines the advantages conferred on individuals by the circumstances of their birth.

“Circumstances of birth might give some people an advantage over others, and it's not something we talk about on a daily basis,” says Caren. “But it does affect the stories that get told; and it affects the people that do get certain opportunities. This play focuses a lot on intersection people from different backgrounds.”

A series of scenes contrasts the privileged life of Aaron Feldman (Julian Hester) with that of Iskinder Iodouku (Michael Aaron Pogue), who met as freshman at Brown University. Aaron is a familiar type who skates through life on good looks, natural bonhomie, and easily forming and tapping his network of connections – including those of his Dad, a lawyer in Los Angeles. The story is told from the point of view of Iskinder, a pre-law student whose father is from Ethiopia, and whose mother is American. He narrates scenes, and speaks directly to the audience at times – when not playing against the other characters.

Iskinder is a realist, and sees through Aaron, but loves him anyway – and it seems likely he has tapped Aaron’s Dad’s connections to assure his entry into UCLA law school. After college, Aaron enters the Hollywood movie business, a tough grind where connections get introductions, but talent is needed to succeed. He is at the bottom, acting as an assistant to a movie producer – which means house sitting, getting coffee, and being a go-fer. Iskinder pursues his legal education and career, deciding against becoming a court-appointed attorney for a more lucrative post with stature at a high powered law firm.

The plot thickens dramatically when Iskinder takes on a pro-bono case to get early release for a young African-American man, Dwight Barnes (Brian Keys), whose sentencing was excessive. It turns out that Aaron met Dwight when he was briefly jailed for driving on an expired license. Dwight protected him from other inmates, but Aaron also confided something to him: that he may heave hit someone with a car as a teenager, and he left the scene of the accident. He was never caught.

Michael Aaron Pogue in The Recommendation at Windy City Playhouse Flagship Photo Credit Michael Brosilow 3

Isikinder Iodouku (Michael Aaron Pogue) leads the audience into the next scene, in the dorm room at Brown University. 

The conflict for the college buddies comes as Iskinder works to win Dwight’s release – against Aaron’s protests, who wants him to remain jailed – to keep him quiet. But Aaron has never revealed his motive to Iskinder, who goes further, and helps Dwight secure a job. Along the way, Iskinder’s law firm lets him go, specifically claiming his pro bono work was based on his personal relationship to Dwight – a violation of the law firm’s policy. But we also suspect that Aaron may have used his connections to make this happen.

The Recommendation as presented at Windy City Playhouse also makes a compelling case for experiential theatre. The format eschews the traditional actors-on a stage performance. Instead the audience walks through a series of sets. In The Recommendation, we began with a scene in the lobby, from which a double door opens onto the dorm room of Aaron.

Next we are lead into the dorm room itself. And from there, we visit several other scenes from the story, and at various points the audience is offered drinks (alcohol optional); saki at a sushi restaurant; Jello shots in the dorm room; a cocktail at the lobby scene; and finally water in a health club sauna scene. We also visit a pool at a Hollywood home and a jail cell.

During these multi-dimensional experiences, the three actors are up close and we see precisely how exceptionally good their performances are. We also experience the delivery of exposition in a physical way – and much more naturally than when only spoken - including a flashback scene to Aaron growing up and talking to friends on the phone as his parents (unseen) leave the house.

This recap of the story is more explicit than the play itself; I have connected a few dots to give it a reasonable sequence. But if you pay attention you will see, hear and experience all of this – a cross between a play and a live podcast, perhaps. In one particularly powerful scene, Iskinder is counseling Dwight as he prepares to seek his release. The strength of that scene is along the lines of the best of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The other aspect of experiential plays is the business model – which makes it an attractive theatrical experience even for those who may not love ne theater fans. Only about three dozen seats are available for the show, since the audience must sit within the various scenes – all built into rooms within the theater building. With cocktails (non-alcoholic drinks are offered, as well as drink free tickets) run from Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.and Sundays at 2 p.m.and 6 p.m.Tickets ($80-$100) are now on sale through October 6th. The Recommendation at Windy City Playhouse is highly recommended.

*Extended through October 20th!

Published in Theatre in Review

What was meant to be a run somewhere in the neighborhood of four to eight weeks, became a resident show for Windy City Playhouse, so popular in fact, a new home was created nearly a year later to hold the run indefinitely. The new venue, Windy City Playhouse South (2229 S. Michigan) is now the home for ‘Southern Gothic’ the smash hit play that shows no signs of slowing down. The immersive theater experience co-created by Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein is truly unique and it’s not at all beyond the possibility that this show could become Chicago’s next Million Dollar Quartet, as far as a show that went on an open run for several years.

The show centers around a house party containing four couples in Ashford Georgia on June 30th, 1961. Ellie and Beau Couttier (Sarah Grant and Michael McKeogh) are hosting Suzanne Wellington’s 40th birthday party and it doesn’t start off very well after the caterer doesn’t show up, and the Couttier’s are forced to throw together appetizers and desserts. Scrambling through their refrigerator and cabinets, the two throw together frosting on graham crackers, Cheez-it on crackers and other fun creations. As guests arrive, the party starts off on a light note but quickly goes off the rails as secrets come out and Tucker Alsworth (Ben Page) shows up with Cassie Smith (Arielle Leverett), a woman of color – in 1961 Georgia, where, for many, it was acceptable to enjoy Harry Belafonte on the radio but not socially acceptable to have him over for dinner. As the play progresses, multiple story lines take shape - each fascinating in their own right, with everything eventually coming together quite nicely.

So…the dialogue is riveting and the performances outstanding. Sounds like a solid production, but why all the fuss?

Because, you – the audience, are invited to the party – like, really. And, if you’re like me – someone who enjoys going out but prefers to avoid mundane small talk with acquaintances or strangers, this party is for you.

Audience members can gather in the front yard area of the mid-century modern home or choose to travel from room to room in its interior. There’s not a bad seat in the house (literally). The story moves from room to room (even the bathroom) and you, as the “invited guest” can choose to follow whichever story line you like. There are benches along the walls of the home if you prefer to sit for a bit, but chances are you’ll be moving back and forth a fair amount of the time to collect as much action as possible. And don’t be shy. Feel free to grab any of the snacks that the Couttier’s provide for the guests. Tom Collins are also served (non-alcoholic version available upon prior request). It’s a party! And all you have to do is sit back (and/or walk around) and soak in a hilarious party gone wrong.

Of course, the audience (limited to 30 guests for obvious space reasons) is asked to do their best to stay along the walls and not interact with the actors, who by the way are spectacular at focusing on each other despite the distraction of a moving crowd. Yes, each finely-tuned actor is dialed into their character and the others as though the audience did not exist.

Superbly directed by David H. Bell and wonderfully written by Leslie Liataud, the play includes a great amount of humor, comes with a handful of intriguing story lines, includes eight stand out performances and a set that will certainly make many reminisce about their childhood home (depending on how old one is) or maybe their grandparents house thanks to the fine attention to detail by the talented Windy City Playhouse design team.

Victor Holstein as Charles Lyon, Erin Barlow as Lauren Lyon, Paul Fage as Jackson Wellington and Amy Malcom as birthday girl, Suzanne Wellington round out a splendid cast, that, along with the other actors already mentioned, create a most memorable night for audience members in this very special production.

Do not be deterred by the $90-$100 ticket prices – steep at first glance – but it’s really not. This brilliantly put together show is well worth the cost of admission as it is something you cannot experience anywhere else. In fact, you might even opt to see the play more than once just so you can follow a different story line or see it from a different perspective. There’s a reason this play is a hit and is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Highest recommendation.

‘Southern Gothic’ is being performed at Windy City Playhouse South indefinitely. For tickets and/or more show information, visit windycityplayhouse.com.

*Extended through October 27th

Published in Theatre in Review

Backstage comedies and dramas are a beloved genre – David Mamet’s Main Street, Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser, Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, Mel Brooks The Producers– known for sending up actors, directors, and show business.

Michael Frayn’s Noises Off – the phrase is basically British for “Quiet on the Set” - is widely regarded as among the best of these. And in its current production at Windy City Playhouse Frayn’s script is given its due. From the opening scene, we see we are witnessing a masterwork of comedy, operating on multiple levels – parody, farce, and pure physical hijinks. (Among Frayn’s works are Copenhagen, After Life, The Two of Us and Clouds.) Director Scott Weinstein and this very high-energy, hard-working cast had the audience roiling with laughter.

And it’s no wonder. It tells of a British troupe that has taken a farce, “Nothing On,” on a long road show with limited time for rehearsal. The cast members are already exhausted before opening night, with little time to learn lines, blocking, or plumb into character motivation. These players are a mixed bag of talent, either past their prime or unlikely to reach it. One example: the towering senior Shakespearean actor, Seldson Mowbray (played wonderfully by Will Casey), an inveterate drunk, and impossibly hard of hearing.

Part of the magic of Frayn’s work is that each actor must play two characters - their role in Noises Off, and their secondary role in the farce, Nothing On. And another part of the magic is that they as they squabble, feud, or fall in and out of love, everything is expressed indirectly, within the language of the plays they are performing.

It gets uproarious when the play is live upfront, and the audience is taken backstage to see the battling conducted “noises off,” through pantomime fighting and fisticuffs. Here Frayn challenges the actors to split-second timing in bumping and crashing into each other, handing off props, etc., and they acquit themselves well (Max Fabian s Fight Choreographer). Two other productions I have seen used a turntable set, rotating to perform the second act. Windy City Players has the audience move to the rear of the house, creating an immersive experience that is even more convincing.

As the show opens we meet the actress Dotty Otley (a delicious performance by Amy J. Carle), who, in “Nothing On,” plays a housekeeper, Mrs. Clackett. Otley struggles to remember her lines, her blocking, and what to do with three props she handles: a plate of sardines, a newspaper, and a telephone receiver – always taking the wrong one off stage at the end of the scene. Otley is oozing self-pity, and the other performers crowd around her in sympathy.

Soon enough, from on high over a speaker, we get the sardonic voice of director Lloyd Dallas, world weary and certainly tired of this group. As the rest of the actors appear on stage, Dallas discovers they do not quite realize it is not a technical or even dress rehearsal, but the final rehearsal before opening night. And they do not nearly have their lines down.

“I’m starting to know what God felt like when he sat out there in the darkness creating the world,” says Lloyd as the dress rehearsal implodes. “What did he feel like, Lloyd,” an actor asks. “Very pleased he’d taken his Valium.”

Frayn also seems to be working a bit of an author’s enmity toward actors – largely bringing us venal people who are filled with inchoate emotion, but have no lines of their own to express themselves. When they are “Noises Off,” they don’t even have the lines. To press it even further Frayn shows us how ineptly the actors contend with the rising chaos on stage, adlibbing pathetically – at one point following a missed entrance by her Frederick Fellows (Scott Duff), his wife finds Belinda Blair (Amy Rubenstein is very funny) using a mop as his stand-in.

There is so much excellence in this show, including a pretty successful adoption of British accents (Kathy Logelin is dialect coach), but I particularly enjoyed Ryan McBride as matinee idol Garry Lejeune (and Roger Tramplemaine in Nothing On) – a character who emotes, but doesn’t seem to have any nouns at his disposal. Also charming was his floozy paramour, Brooke Ashton (Rochelle Therrien) playing an impossibly bad actress who is unable to deviate from her memorized positioning and blocking – even if it means she faces away from Lejeune when speaking to him.

Noise Off comes highly recommended. It runs through March 31 at the Windy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road in Chicago. #noisesoffchi

*Extended through ay 12th

Published in Theatre in Review

Gone are the days of traditional theatre when actors and audience members were politely separated by at least an imaginary buffer zone. Enter Southern Gothic, written by Leslie Liautaud, created by Carl Menninger and Amy Rubenstein, and directed by David H. Bell, with its concept of “immersive theatre” where the audience members (only 25 are allowed per each show) are given an opportunity to be a “fly on the wall” at a birthday cocktail party in Ashland, Georgia in the summer of 1961.

There’s really no stage, the entire set is a replica of a southern mid-century house; it is meticulously designed by Scott Davis and complete with the kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom and a back porch. Every fabulously authentic detail of the house, including the furniture, dishes, the actors’ costumes, as well as the food and drinks, are spot on. And if going back in time sounds exciting, then being able to snoop around the house, open the kitchen cupboards and the fridge, and eavesdrop on intimate conversations is a dream come true!

And speaking of dream come true: just because the audience is “invisible”, doesn’t mean that they can’t sample that delightful mid-century American cocktail party fare: the spam-topped crackers, bright red jello dessert and the retro cocktails occasionally being passed around. All that is sure to put one in the mood for the unfolding drama; and there’s plenty of drama.

Four couples get together at Ellie and Beau Coutier’s house to celebrate Suzanne Wellington’s 40th birthday. Alcohol flows freely and guests are mostly enjoying themselves, when the good times turn sour once drunken guests start spilling their dirty secrets.

The hostess (beautifully played by Sarah Grant) is having an affair with one of the guests, Charles Lyon, a charming politician (Brian McCaskill), whose wife Lauren, a very wealthy woman with her own secret [or two] is pre-occupied with her problems. The birthday girl (a superbly colorful and lively Brianna Borger), whose reputation for being obnoxious precedes her… well, she is just very hungry because the party caterer was being held up and she’s reduced to dining on saltine crackers. It’s a very intimate play, made more so by being so physically close to the actors. There’re several plots going on, and as events intensify, it is virtually impossible to follow through on every one of them, which makes the entire experience sort of customizable. But as the sounds of crickets are heard outside the windows, cool 60’s vibes palpable throughout – it’s a good feeling to jump back to the simpler times. Just be sure not to bump into actors as you try to take it all in.

Opened in 2015, Windy City Playhouse prides itself on providing non-traditional high quality theater experience starting with a welcoming full-service bar in a luxurious lounge. Theatergoers are encouraged to stay after the show and mingle with the actors.

Southern Gothic is being performed as an open-ended run at Windy City Playhouse. For more show information visit http://windycityplayhouse.com.

*Now extended through July 29th

Published in Theatre in Review
Friday, 29 September 2017 12:16

Review: Becky Shaw at Windy City Playhouse

“Sometimes lying is the most humane thing you can do,” declares Gina Gionfriddo’s character Suzanna Slater in her play ‘Becky Shaw.’ Gionfriddo’s script was shortlisted for the 2009 Pulitzer and enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run in 2008. ‘Becky Shaw’ makes its Chicago premiere at Windy City Playhouse in Irving Park.

Scott Weinstein directs this sleek production at the even sleeker Windy City Playhouse space. With only 25 seats, the performance space asks its audience to swivel in remarkably comfortable club chairs between scenes as there are three stages in the theater. Something about the orientation of the theater makes this telling more active than a typical play. A really unique experience that may be as memorable as the play itself.

‘Becky Shaw’ is a story about two non-biological siblings Suzanna (Amy Rubenstein) and Max (Michael Doonan) caught in a ‘Cruel Intentions’ style love affair until Suzanna marries someone else. They come from a splintery family and are brutal with one another, but not brutally honest. When Suzanna and her husband attempt to set up cold and cruel Max with delicate Becky Shaw, the play takes a dark direction.

This play is nothing if not well acted. The titular role, drawn as an allusion to the Victorian novel ‘Vanity Fair’ by Thackery, is played by Carley Cornelius. Her version of a clever woman trying to claw her way out of circumstances is haunting and weird. At no point do you ever feel that you’ve got her figured out. At times she’s vulnerable and soft but then turns deliberate and forceful. Cornelius brings a very relatable quality to this mysterious character. Gionfriddo has created such a fascinating character in Becky Shaw, that it’s almost disappointing that there’s not more of her here.

Gionfriddo’s play is funny and provocative. There are quote-worthy snippets of dialogue that, offer glimmers into the playwright’s opinions. She seems very concerned with equality of sexes. Several times the script calls a relationship a meeting of equals. Some may remember Gionfriddo’s play ‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ which premiered at the Goodman in 2015. While nowhere near as good, ‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ continued the playwright’s probe into the complexities of long term romantic love between men and women.

The scene jumping quality of the script lends itself well to the multi-staged set-up of Windy City Playhouse. It helps establish the passage of time between scenes and gets you close enough to the actors to feel directly involved. The female ensemble is works really well together in this production. Chicago stage veteran Suzanne Petri gives a standout performance as the mother of Max and Suzanna, and walks away with some of the most insightful lines of the evening. ‘Becky Shaw’ is a play about what happens when you bring a new person into your life, whether you want it or not. (John Accrocco)

Through November 12 at Windy City Playhouse 3014 W Irving Park. 773-891-8985

 

Published in Theatre in Review

From the minute I stepped into Windy City Playhouse’s colorful, elegant the stage area designed by Courtney O’Neill with fantastic lights and sounds by Thomas Dixon, I knew I was in for a treat. 

King Liz is named for the beautiful, sexy and high-powered sports agent Liz Rico played superbly with real gusto and stage presence galore by Lanise Antoine Shelley. 

Liz Rico is a woman who grew up in the projects, overcame great poverty and rose to the top of a male dominated industry. Rico, one of the best sports agents in the business, is about to be promoted to the head of her firm by her retiring boss Mr. Candy (Frank Nall).

Mr. Candy's last offer to her to make her his new head of firm is based on her ability to sign a new and talented high school basketball player Freddie Luna (Eric Gerard). Luna is a true talent likened to Kobe Bryant but comes with a history of violence and temper tantrums as he too has been brought up in the projects and was doing his best to survive as he knew how. 

Eric Gerard is also great in his role, showing how deeply he feels about needing to escape his checkered past and the projects by riding his basketball gifts into the big time. Gerard also plays the role well in that the audience sees and feels great compassion for him as he uses his limited social skills to try and fit into the fast-paced media swirl he is placed in, sometimes causing his own downfall, his sometimes feral temper getting the best of him. Though Luna can often be charming and polite, prying journalists after the next big sports story target his unbridled emotions and get the best of him when digging into his past that he so desperately wants to put behind him.

Gabby (Jackie Alamillo) is Liz Rico’s assistant and though grateful for her highly valued mentorship has been made to "eat crow" so many times, every day at work, by Liz. Gabby is also eager for Liz to get the promotion, if only because she will then fill Rico’s job. Alamillo is perfect as the once meek but now hardened assistant who has given up everything including her own sense of self-worth at times in order to succeed in this male dominated field. 

In the meantime, Knick’s Coach Jones does his best with Luna hoping this new prodigy will cement his long time career. Coach Jones, played with great compassion of soul and accuracy by Phillip Edward Van Lear, really drives the play’s message home and is totally believable in the role of a big league coach who also has been beaten down somewhat by an industry which cares more about profit margins than human lives and protecting the players who make the game possible.  

We learn along the way that "King Liz" had a sexual relationship with the coach in the past when over dinner he states he “would like to make love to her again”, that “she needs affection” and "was making animal sounds" the last time they were together but Liz will only accept his offer if he realizes she wants no commitment involved or even romance. 

Liz, over the course of the show, begins to realize that she has isolated herself from the world of love and relationships for so long that even though she is rich and on all the most important people lists like Forbes Fortune 500, she has also given up her chances to have children and a husband among other things and is faced with the biggest decision of her life to try and salvage her soul and dignity as a human being.

The play is delivered fast and furiously with many exciting twists and turns and light and scene design changes. It reminded me of the film “Draft Day” starring Kevin Costner that shows just how much constant pressure and money is riding on these agents and their young, often inexperienced and naive clients – the promises made and the slugfests that occur between agencies and teams to sign elite talent. We learn how much athlete image control weighs into a successful sports career for those that have a hard time staying out of trouble.

King Liz is also the story of two completely different paths taken from two people, both African Americans, who grew up in the same projects. Ambitious, disciplined and determined, Liz carved a trail for herself to succeed in the business world by obtaining a Yale education and learning the social graces and toughness that positions herself to rise up the corporate ladder. She’s hard-nosed and no-nonsense and does not make excuses. At the same time, Luna, though mega-talented, struggles to mature or find a sense of responsibility. He blows up with little provocation and misses key business appointments to go shopping with his friends. We want so desperately to shake him and say, “Wake up! You have been given a golden opportunity to shine and become an example to others.”

Lanise Antoine Shelly is a powerhouse as Liz Rico and is surrounded by an impressive cast in this fast-paced, knockout punch production. I highly recommend Fernanda Coppel’s King Liz, directed with real style and exciting action and catharsis by Chuck Smith.

King Liz is being performed at Windy City Playhouse. For tickets visit www.WindyCityPlayhouse.com.

 

Published in Theatre in Review
Page 1 of 2

 

 

         17 Years and counting!

Register

 

     

Latest Articles

Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.