Displaying items by tag: Theatre Wit

I have seen “Blues for an Alabama Sky” several times, all very good productions. However, the production by Remy Bumppo in the intimate space of Theater Wit was sublime. 

As soon as you walk into the theater, you are transported to an apartment building on iconic Lenox Avenue in the heart of Harlem in the 1930’s. The production design is truly remarkable. Lauren Nichols’ depiction of a Harlem tenement complete with fire escape and two apartments on each floor, encapsulates the essence of tight-knit living in New York City. The meticulous attention to interior details provides valuable insight into the lives of its occupants.

This setting is beautifully enhanced by Becca Jeffords’ carefully crafted mood lighting and Ricky Harris’ evocative 1930’s musicscape. Set against the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance and the opening salvo of the Great Depression, Pearl Cleage’s poignant play masterfully weaves together themes of love, loss, ambition and social change. Each character is searching for their identities and places in the world. They all experience love whether romantic, platonic or familial and the sacrifices made for love. They experience loss but are never defeated.

More than anything, they dream. They dream big dreams and they have the tenacity to bring them to fruition. Cleage created multi-dimensional characters, put them in proximity, sat back and
let them live. The characters are truly the heartbeat of this production.

Tiffany Renee Johnson, evoking a young Diana Ross, fully embodies the role of Angel. She exudes a magnetic charm, begging everyone to love her but unable to reciprocate the love she so desperately needs and wants. Pearl Cleage, we extend our gratitude for crafting the character of Guy Jacobs. Breon Arzell brings this role to life with grace and authenticity, resisting making him a stereotype.

Delia Patterson who works tirelessly to introduce family planning to Harlem is played by the talented Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele. Aderele’s vocal nuances and gestures transport us seamlessly to a time when women were just learning about agency over their bodies. Edgar Sanchez last seen by me in Goodman’s production of “Toni Stone” disappears into the conflicted persona of Dr. Sam Thomas, showcasing a depth I had previously overlooked. He proves himself capable of portraying a mature, distinguished man with flair.

Ajax Dontavius, last seen in American Blues production of “Fences” as Cory, transforms himself to become Leland Cunningham, the broken, dogmatic paramour of Angel. Dontavius lays bare every facet of this intricate character, leaving the audience captivated.

In Director Mikael Burke’s steady and capable hand, not only do these characters live, they soar. We are introduced to five very different, complex people as well as a host of era specific luminaries such as Langston Hughes, Margaret Sanger and Adam Clayton Powell, they are all real people. Cleage’s dialogue is authentic and resonant, tackling issues of race, gender, and sexuality with sensitivity and intelligence. The plays intersectionality of identity is particularly relevant.

Remy Bumppo’s “Blues for An Alabama Sky” is a triumph. It is a powerful commentary on the human condition. It invites introspection and reflection on our own dreams, aspirations and sacrifices we make to achieve them. It challenges us to confront the complexities of love, friendship, family and societal expectations. This play is a must see for anyone who craves entertaining and thought-provoking theatre.

Also notable, there is a Pearl Cleage festival in Chicago. Most of the events are free. You can get details at https://www.goodmantheatre.org/event/pearl-cleage-fest/

"Blues for an Alabama Sky" runs through October 15 at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago.

How odd that a play about nihilism could be so uplifting. ‘Be Here Now’ at Shattered Globe is just that. Shattered Globe ensemble member Sandy Shinner directs a new play by Deborah Zoe Laufer. A small, mostly ensemble cast opens the season with a relevant play about the state of happiness in the modern world.

Bari (Rebecca Jordan) is a former professor of nihilism who finds herself far from New York City working in a fulfillment center upstate. Her coworkers Patty (Deanna Reed-Fosters) and Luanne (Demetra Dee) are her coworkers who find themselves constantly at odds with Bari’s negative attitude. When Bari starts having severe headaches that bring about visions of optimism, her coworkers get worried. In an attempt to bring Bari joy, they set her up with local oddball Mike (Joe Wiens). As Bari and Mike get closer, she must decide if the potentially lethal vision-producing headaches are something she even wants to cure.

Rebecca Jordan is perfect in this role. Bari is a tough character to love even if you agree with half of her stream of negativity. Jordan cashes in on the dark comedy of Laufer’s script. When Patty and Luanne wax on about their own personal happiness, Bari pokes apt holes in their personal philosophies. Jordan’s performance elevates the petulance of the dialogue to something both humorous and academic. She tactfully drops her lines into the scenes so swiftly that you want to rewind so you can quote it. Deanna Reed-Foster also brings a great deal of humor to the philosophical discussions.

There’s a fine line between optimism and nihilism. In fact, the two may bleed into each other in Laufer’s interpretation. If the future of the world is as bleak as it seems, then why not enjoy the ephemeral beauty around us? In the end, it’s unclear if Bari really changes from nihilist to optimist, but is anyone capable of being just one thing? Life is a grey area and it’s probably better to be happy. Even if that takes work.

‘Be Here Now’ says a lot about the emphasis America puts on the idea of happiness. Laufer asks whether happiness is a choice and what difference does it make it we have it or not? Shattered Globe premieres this work to Chicago in a beautiful production designed by Angela Webber Miller. Sandy Shinner continues her tradition of directing new works that slyly make you question your very existence while also tickling your funny bone.

Through October 19th at Shattered Globe Theatre. Theatre Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

Literary adaptation for the stage can be tricky. Even trickier is bringing the complex work of Dostoyevsky from the page to the stage. Shattered Globe opens its season with Chris Hannan’s 2013 version of ‘Crime and Punishment’. Under the direction of Louis Contey, this unique production is fresh and exciting.

As anyone who has read the lengthy novel by Fyoder Dostoyevsky can attest, this is not an easy work to muddle through. While not the most accessible novel, those who take on the challenge will surely be rewarded by richly drawn, and somewhat disturbing scenes that linger in the memory. Hannan’s script gets right to the point. Instead of long passages of internal monologue, his Raskolnikov (Drew Schad) has fever dream conversations with the people in his life. This device ensures a much more engaging presentation, though Schad is entirely capable of carrying the monologs on his own.

Between Hannan’s script and Contey’s vision, there’s a very artful quality to this production. Unlike the novel, the plot of this play is easy to follow. The ethical debates Raskolnikov has in his head are shortened and the scene work is very strong. The murdered pawnbroker is played by Daria Harper. In her scenes with Schad, she’s nearly diabolically evil. She represents the greedy reality of the world in which Raskolnikov lives. Conversely, Harper is perfectly double cast as doting mother Pulkheria Alexandrovna. Christina Gorman plays his sister Dunya with the same grace and elegance she consistently delivers in Shattered Globe productions. Rebecca Jordan brings to life one of the novel’s most unpleasant characters, the wife of a drunkard who’s killed by an unconcerned buggy driver. Watching her unravel throughout the play is unsettling and heartbreaking.

With a peak interest in true crime shows and podcasts, ‘Crime and Punishment’ is very timely. It asks its audience whether religious morality or utility should be the guiding compass in life. Hannan, like Dostoyevsky, seems to believe that an action should be judged by its usefulness rather than its means. What we have here is a play that works to convince its audience that we should be sympathetic to a cold-blooded murderer. And it works. By the end of the play you’re on the murderer’s side. Perhaps the next time you turn on 48 Hours, put yourself in the killer’s shoes rather than the victims. Would you see it differently? Does anyone have a right to murder?

Shattered Globe dispenses with all the clichés of literary adaption and serves up an emotionally powerful interpretation of ‘Crime & Punishment’. Great performances and non-traditional storytelling make this a definitive adaption. Those who were not fans of the novel in school may find that there’s more to this story for our times than we’d like to admit.

Through October 20 at Shattered Globe Theatre. Theatre Wit, 1229 W Belmont Ave, 773-975-8150

Grand Hotel at Theater Wit is a revelation! It shows how much punch you can pack in a storefront stage production with the right mix of great singing talent and artful production.

Kokandy Productions has brought to life the 1989 Broadway musical extravaganza, which traces its roots back through the 1932 MGM feature film (starring Joan Crawford and Lionel Barrymore) to a 1929 German novel.

Grand Hotel is very reminiscent of Cabaret - but that 1966 blockbuster, currently in yet another revival, remains the standard for decadent pre-war Berlin shows. Grand Hotel tracks the passage of some larger-than-life guests during a single weekend in an elegant hotel in 1928 Berlin: a fading Russian prima ballerina; a fatally ill Jewish bookkeeper spending his final days living in luxury; a handsome and conniving, down-on-his-heels, Baron; a corporate executive who turns crooked under business pressures; and an actress (and typist) aiming at Hollywood while resisting the casting couch.

These characters and the Joan Crawford background could easily lead to a high camp meltdown. But director John D. Glover keeps it serious, allowing us to appreciate the artistry of the players. This is no Cabaret, in the sense that there aren't really memorable songs, but we do havve memorable performances. 

The singing is truly spectacular, with amazing voices bubbling up through the versatile chorus members, and real standouts include the wonderful baritone Erik Dohner as the Baron; the rich mezzo soprano Liz Norton as Raefella, the manager of the Russian ballerina; and Jonathan Schwart as bookkeeper Otto Kringelein.

I also loved Jenny McPherson (she plays Tootsie, Sandor, and a telephone operator). "I would like to occupy the royal suite, rather than mop the floors/with the whores," she sings. Pavi Proczko brings real menace to his role as Chauffer; and Jeff Pierpoint and Nick Arceo stand out among the chorus. 

Like Cabaret, the original Broadway production of Grand Hotel garnered lots of Tony Awards including best direction and choreography for Tommy Tune. Broadway was hoping it would repeat Cabaret's tradition, but the material is not at that level.  

Glover and music director Aaron Benham have uncovered magnificent talent in these Chicagoland performers, including Michelle Jasso as fading ballerina Elizaveta Grushinskaya. 

Glover says his vision was "to create a ‘vanished luxury’ and the fever dreams of a world on the brink of depression and war," and indeed this production does that very well. The characters may largely be caricatures, but it’s a great excuse for a musical. Don’t expect any post-show discussions, but do expect to rise and applaud! Grand Hotel runs through May 27 at Theatre Wit in Chicago.

“This world will remember me,” Bonnie and Clyde sing to each other in Kokandy Productions’ presentation of “Bonnie & Clyde” – a musical. Directed by Spencer Neiman, this odd-ball musical makes its area premiere after an unsuccessful Broadway run in 2011. This production also marks the fifth anniversary of Kokandy Productions, now a regular staple of Chicago’s storefront theater scene.

“Bonnie & Clyde” was developed in 2009 by La Jolla Playhouse in California, a frequent incubator for new Broadway work. The show opened officially on Broadway in 2011, but closed after 36 performances. Critics were not especially kind.

Even though it’s not a direct adaptation, it’s nearly impossible not to compare this musical to Arthur Penn’s stylish 1967 film. It’s an American film classic with iconic performances by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. It’s widely considered a turning point in American cinema. The film was focused less on historical accuracy and more on drawing comparisons between the young outlaws and the political awakening of the late 60s. The musical tends to tread on the same territory as Penn’s film but in a less dynamic way.

The issue is camp. Penn’s film is mostly devoid of camp even some fifty years later. “Bonnie & Clyde” the musical feels like two hours of pure kitsch. There’s no discernable reason this story needed to be told to music and unfortunately the empty songs prove that. Neiman’s cast seems to forget that these characters were indeed real people and not cartoon characters to be parodied. The nature of the material isn’t especially satirical, but this cast has decided it is.

Missy Wise as Blanche Barrow pretty much steals the show with her number ‘You’re Goin’ Back to Jail’, but the whole thing feels a bit Disney-fied, considering that the real Blanche Barrow served time for armed robbery.

The two leads Desiree Gonzales and Max Detogne are both incredible performers. Detogne’s voice is perfectly suited for the country-tinged folk rock of Frank Wildhorn’s music. Gonzalas also has a strong voice and makes some genuine choices for Bonnie Parker, adding a real dimension to her that isn’t otherwise in the script. The generic “I-wish” song feels sincere with Gonzalas singing. You will remember her, just like Clara Bow. Detogne also makes it his own. There’s a chemistry between the two that really translates.

If you were just dying to see “Bonnie & Clyde” during its Broadway run in 2011, Kokandy offers up a serviceable production. If you were hoping to gain more knowledge about the infamous star-crossed outlaws, you may be impressed at what playwright Ivan Menchel spins into his version of “Bonnie & Clyde.”

Through October 15 at Kokandy Productions. Theatre Wit 1229 West Belmont Ave.

"Atlantic City is like a real life, 3D Bruce Springsteen song, and not one of the good ones. Something off Nebraska," controversial monologist Mike Daisey waxes in his new show "The Trump Card." Daisey, a master storyteller, made a splash in 2010 when his Apple expose "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" aired on This American Life. It remains the most downloaded episode in the show's history. It was retracted two months later when NPR discovered that some of the details had been fabricated. For some performers, this sort of public shame would be crippling. Daisey apologized and has moved on. 

As with his other works, "The Trump Card" positions Daisey at a long table against a black drop, on an otherwise empty stage. He occasionally reads his near two-and-a-half hour rant about Donald Trump, punctuating by wiping the sweat from his brow. Daisey fluctuates between an oral history of Trump, and his own commentary on the Republican nominee's troubled campaign. The genius of his monologue is how quickly he's able to include new and awful facts that seem to be bleeding out of the campaign everyday. While Daisey's contempt of Donald Trump is palpable, he doesn't shy away from skewering his smug liberal audience. He shifts in and out of the narrative, finding pit-stops and inventive metaphors along the way. 

Daisey holds his satire of the GOP candidate to a more intellectual standard than Alec Baldwin on SNL. Rather than bemoan what we've come to accept as normal, Daisey makes a case for the average Trump supporter. He even lectures the "American theater-going audience" for their elitism. He paints a somewhat bleak picture of the electorate, but that doesn't stop the laugh-a-minute jokes of this not-to-be-missed performance. "The Trump Card" is an illuminating and frightening look at how even if Trump loses, the conditions that made his candidacy possible will remain. Actors Elizabeth Ledo, Joe Foust and Steven Strafford will host a special Election Night performance here in Chicago where they will be performing parts of Daisey's monologues. 

Election Night encore November 8th at Theater Wit. 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150. 

Right out of the gate CHOPS is a winner – in performances, production and script. Playwright Michael Rychlewski captures that ineffable quintessence of Chicago-ese as his three remnants of the 1950s and ‘60s glory days of Rush Street wash ashore at Vince’s bar.

Let’s hear it for the casting, too – director Richard Shavzin has corralled an exceptionally well-matched brace of players here, strong character actors from our city’s bountiful supply. As Walt (Randy Steinmeyer) launches full throttle into his opening monologue, the audience knows it is in on something big tonight.

On Walt's arm is a dame, Kaki (Clare Cooney), claiming to be older than she is, and unnaturally well schooled in the music and dance from the waning days of 1950s and 1960s big band jazz. Tending bar, the world-weary Vince (Larry Neumann Jr.) is a perfect counterpoint to Walt’s bravado, as he eyes with suspicion this young lady’s game.

The story line is straightforward. Three late middle aged men – the third, Philly (Danny Sullivan) makes a backdoor entrance along the way – are competing for the attention of the comely young lass. They dance, talk big, and tell tales of their past. Chicagoans of a certain age will glow at references to now-vanished Rush St. locales like Mr. Kelley’s and the Gaslight Club.

Then the big talk turns competitive, and a storytelling contest ensues – shades of August Wilson here. A contrivance? Perhaps, but it arrives naturally and these guys are so compelling, the audience doesn’t begrudge a minute of it.

This scene also paints an even richer portrait of Chicago’s bygone era, captured in the color of its speech. While David Mamet has abstracted this linguistic naturalism into a generalized form, Rychlewski gives it the specificity of its locale – all the more enjoyable. Chops is a must-see just for this scene.

As the story continues, the plotting became harder to follow. But given the caliber of the performances, it seems that the director and author may need to coax a bit more from this section to get across the nature of the con that is being set up. Past that scene, the power struggle among the characters continues to a satisfying dramatic conclusion.  

There is one point in CHOPS that gave me pause: the character Kaki takes restroom breaks for the convenience of the dramatic trajectory, but at some point these become too many, and one runs unnaturally long (is she doing cocaine in there?).

The set is very good; Grant Sabin has done an impressive job with set design while Chris Neville handled the props. As CHOPS reveals itself to be a cut above the ordinary, I felt myself wishing even more resources were given so that Sabin and Neville could take their artistry further.  

In addition to the choreography and music that spice this play, there is also a compelling story behind its authorship, a first work, 25 years in the making by Rychlewski, a Schurz High School English teacher. He brought a 120- page script to director Shavzin, who cut it back to 74 pages – another factor in its excellence.

Dashnight Productions’ CHOPS runs through August 14 at Theatre Wit. May that run be extended.  

Police brutality is nothing new. Having it broadcast on national news sources, however, is. The deep South in the 1960's wasn't a fun place to be if you were anything but a Christian Caucasian. Shattered Globe Theatre concludes its twenty-fifth season with Matt Pelfrey's adaptation of John Ball's best-selling novel "In the Heat of the Night." The film adaptation starring Sidney Poitier went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. 

Pelfrey's script keeps with the original time and setting, but adapts with a degree of hindsight. He's also good at keeping the pot boiling until the final conclusion, even if the dots don't exactly connect in the end. With the success of TV series like "Making a Murderer" and the podcast "Serial" - audiences can't get enough crime thrillers. What these all seem to have in common are police inadequacy. A disappointing trend among rural police forces. "In the Heat of the Night" tells the story of a small town reeling after a local real estate tycoon is murdered. The prejudiced, and largely incompetent law enforcement can't seem to find a suspect. After they accidentally profile an African American from out of town, they get help from an unlikely source. 

Louis Contey directs a large, and talented ensemble cast. Unfortunately the script is a bit clunky in parts. Too many entrances, exits and costume changes make for a puzzling caper. There's fun in the noir-esque stylings of Contey's vision, but it conflicts with the bigger themes this source material addressed. Character development suffers and the message of Ball's original novel gets a little muddled in empty one-liners and racial slurs. There's a major opportunity here to make biased police officers more three dimensional and Drew Schad as Sam Wood does his best to navigate the dialogue. Joseph Wiens' performance as Chief Gillespie is intense, but at times cartoonish. Christina Gorman as the victim's daughter is a high point, however brief. 

"In the Heat of the Night" is a sultry, and somewhat topical thriller. Its brevity and mathematical approach make for a satisfying murder mystery. What it occasionally lacks in substance it makes up for in exciting stage combat. An atmospheric who-dunnit, akin to "Twin Peaks." 

Through June 5th at Theatre Wit. 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150.

Use the bathroom before you take your seat at Theater Wit for Joe Mantello’s stage adaptation of David Sedaris’ now-classic holiday essay, Santaland Diaries. Trust me. The show runs one hour 20 minutes without an intermission.

But more to the point, you will laugh your jingle bells off!

Mitchell Fain tears down the fourth wall as “Crumpet,” a dishy, disgruntled, forty-four-year-old elf at Macy’s department store. Dressed in stripy tights and crushed velvet, he deftly channels Sedaris’ wry, acerbic wit and gives us an all-access pass into the underbelly of the North Pole.

Directed by Jeremy Wechsler and performed in the intimate theatre space of Theatre Wit, Fain stars as Crumpet and flawlessly delivers a seventy-five minute monologue that is dark, witty and often will have audience members doubling-over with laughter. Fain's performance is deliciously wicked whether spouting off hysterical dialogue or improvising with the audience in his own, unique and devilish way. Fain is able to get his point across with the tiniest gesture or most subtle facial expression.   

Now returning for over five years straight, Santaland Diaries has become a true Chicago holiday tradition. However, due to its mature content, the show is not recommended for kids, though it will be sure to please the adult crowd.

If you’ve ever wondered what your mall Santa and his elves are really thinking, see Santaland Diaries at Theater Wit until December 30, 2015. A must see, you can order tickets online at https://www.theaterwit.org/plays/santaland/. 

If you are Jewish, you will especially appreciate and love this play which is full of biting humor and keen observations about how modern day Jews define themselves philosophically and how that vision of themselves plays out in their family relationships.

“Bad Jews” is set in a beautiful New York pied de Terre or studio apartment on the Upper West Side of New York bought by the parents of brothers Liam and Josh and they are being visited by relatives following the death of their beloved grandfather

Their first cousin Diane Feygenbaum is a rabbinical student with an Israeli boyfriend who insists on being called by her Hebrew name Daphna a has to share the studio with them for a few nights and is outraged by the fact that spoiled cousin Liam has actually missed his grandfather’s funeral because he lost his cell phone while skiing in Aspen.

During the course of the play we find out that Daphna is very intent on inheriting the gold Chai (Hebrew for the number 18, and symbol of Life) medallion necklace worn by her grandfather during the holocaust. In fact, he had to hide it under his tongue for two years in the Holocaust death camp he was kept in while the rest of his family members were killed. It turns out Liam has a plan to give the medallion to his “shiksa” girlfriend instead of an engagement ring just as his grandfather gave it to their grandmother 50 years prior.

A ferocious verbal fight breaks out and the true feelings of each cousin for the other and their Jewish values, or lack thereof, pour out with the fury and passion that sometimes occurs particularly after the death of a loved one.

Liam, played by Ian Paul Custer and Daphna played by Laura Lapidus are both hysterically on point in their portrayals. The fantastic monologues for these two characters, written to perfection by Harmon and well directed by Jeremy Wechsler are cutting but truthful, funny yet excruciatingly honest.

Non-Jews will find this play funny and full of Jewish stereotypes handled with great political correctness. Jews will see themselves in all their self hating and neurotic glory, with intelligence bursting at the seams.

I think Daphna could have been played with a little bit more compassion and a little less self righteous bitterness. At one point she mentions poignantly her education about the holocaust and her grandfather’s “tattoo’” or concentration camp number burned into his arm.  We realize as an audience just how deeply touched  and perhaps scarred emotionally a sensitive child is by being thoroughly  exposed to the horrors of the holocaust at the tender age of 13 , as every Jewish child who studies for a bat mitzvah is required to do.

There are a lot of self-hating Jews out there. I was one of them for a while, in part because of the patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes towards women in the Old Testament that Liam brings up during the play to combat Daphna’s self righteous religious rants. Ironically, it took the realization that Jesus or “Yeshuah” (Jesus’ Hebrew name) was the greatest Rabbi, indeed the greatest Jew who ever walked the earth that made me the proud, comfortable, self loving Jew I am today.

The title by Harmon, “Bad Jews” is both eye catching and absolutely perfect because by the end of the play it is clear there are no bad Jews, only good Jews who are internally judging themselves or being judged by others too harshly.

Skillfully directed by Jeremy Wechsler, I highly recommend this thought provoking and hysterical piece of theater for its brilliant writing and two fantastic performances created lovingly and delivered with mind blowing rapid fire delivery by Lapidus and Custer.

“Bad Jews” is being performed at Theatre Wit through June 7^th. I highly recommend this play. For tickets and other info visit www.theatrewit.org.