Displaying items by tag: Tyler Anthony Smith

I look forward to every Hell and a Handbag production - because I know they’re always a great time. The company’s spot-on takes on adored characters, from those in the Golden Girls to Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, always blend high camp humor with a warm, heartfelt touch. 

In Handbag’s latest offering, the world premiere of The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush, we get a brilliant mash up of beloved characters from the Golden Girls and Scooby Doo. Does it work? It absolutely does. This new comedy, penned by the immensely talented David Cerda, and directed and choreographed with flair by Frankie Leo Bennett is one of the team’s best yet.

The adventure kicks off when Rose spots a leafy, brush-covered monster—dubbed the “haunted bush”—lurking around the complex where she, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia live. "The haunted bush"... you can already imagine the fun to be had with that one. As the monster sightings increase and the girl’s fear escalates, Rose calls in her nephew, Fred, and his Skooby Don't Gang of crime solvers to investigate. And just like that, these two worlds collide in a side-splitting adventure, which only gets wilder when Nancy Drew joins the team. Yes, the famous girl detective, Nancy Drew! As with any Handbag production, the laughs in this comedy-mystery are as outrageous as they are plentiful. Packed with cartoonish chase scenes, snappy one-liners, well-timed slapstick and a hefty dose of innuendo-driven humor, this new production at Chopin Theatre’s mainstage is a hilariously bold comedy with all the right twists and turns.

Tyler Anthony Smith as Fred in The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush 

This cast is packed with all your favorite Handbag stars. The Golden Girls are back! Yay! Ed Jones shines as the naive but loveable Rose Nyland, while Grant Drager is a tour de force as flirty Blanche Devereaux, delivering one witty remark after another. David Cerda reprises his role as Dorothy Zbornak, commanding the stage with every line and Sophia Petrillo is wonderfully portrayed with grit and sass by Ryan Oates. Dorothy’s ex, Stan is riotously played by Scott Sawa, drawing several big laughs while also interacting with the audience throughout the show for Golden Girls trivia, with the winners (everyone who plays) getting to reach in and choose a prize from the mystery bag. I won a Handbag magnet! Woot!

The Skooby gang is also superbly cast, led by Tyler Anthony Smith as Fred. Smith absolutely crushes the role and delivers one funny scene after another from the moment we are greeted by his ass as Rose opens the door to welcome her nephew. Elizabeth Lesinski is delightful as Daffy while Caitlin Jackson is just perfect as Velva, the two heavily crushing on each other throughout the play. The gang is rounded out well with stellar performances from both Ben Meneses as Skooby and Josh Kemper as Skaggy, cracking voice and all. Michael S. Miller is funny in his dual roles as Miles and Rita Claxton and Danne W. Taylor gets some hearty laughs in taking on the role of Nancy Drew, especially in a love scene that no one could have seen coming. But all is possible in the Handbag multi-verse.

Handbag’s talented cast has perfected the art of camp humor, skillfully addressing and laughing at the subjects of sexuality, while also evoking compassion —all within a familiar, friendly, and entertaining environment.

While the cast is exceptional, the creative team also does a tremendous job in putting together a set that brings the audience into the center of the mystery. Marcus Klein (Scenic Design), Liz Cooper (Lighting Design) and Danny Rockett (Sound Design) team up to deliver a visual and audio experience that uniquely pulls in each and every audience member while Sydney Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig design) and Madeline Felauer (Costume Design) seamlessly bring the characters to life.

(left to right) Caitlin Jackson as Velva and Elizabeth Lesinksi as Daffy in The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush

For those Chicagoans lucky enough to have been watching Handbag productions for the last 22 years, going to one of their shows is like being at a party with a bunch of your best old friends. With this show, it’s a place to sing the Golden Girls theme song, laugh at bawdy jokes, and just let your heart breathe free for a while, even though it seems like chaos and unfriendliness are raging all around the globe. 

I highly recommend this final production of Hell in a Handbag’s 22nd season for audiences who want to have a good hard laugh, a nice drink and a solid night of fun, hilarious entertainment.

The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush is being performed at Chopin Theatre through November 3rd. For tickets and/or more show information, click HERE.

You might think that a rock musical featuring a genderqueer, hard-rockin’ and brokenhearted performer born on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall and the recipient of a sex-change operation gone horribly wrong might not be the show for you. But you would be making a big mistake.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a sometimes raunchy, sometimes heartbreaking rock-and-roll musical now playing with Haven at the Den Theatre in the heart of Wicker Park, is so much more. At its core, Hedwig is an inspirational search for identity, for acceptance, and ultimately, for finding one’s own voice.

And more than that, Hedwig under the skillful direction of JD Caudill, is just plain fun. You cannot leave the theatre without feeling that you have been entertained and uplifted. And in today’s current state of the world, that’s not a small thing.

The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask and book by John Cameron Mitchell, first opened off-Broadway in 1998 and won awards for Best Off-Broadway Musical. While it has been produced throughout the world in hundreds of stage productions, it wasn’t until 2014 when the show first made its Broadway debut starring Neil Patrick Harris and winning a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

The musical tells the story of “internationally ignored song stylist,” Hedwig Schmidt, in the form of a rock gig/stand-up comedy routine backed by the hard-rocking band “The Angry Inch.” Using song and monologue, Hedwig (Tyler Anthony Smith) tells her story which began as Hansel, a “slip of a girlyboy” growing up in East Berlin. Hansel meets Luther, an American GI, who promises to take him to America if he agrees to a sex change. The ensuing bungled operation leaves the newly renamed Hedwig with just “an angry inch.”

Luther abandons Hedwig in a Kansas trailer park, where she turns to music and meets the geeky Tommy Speck, whom she takes under her wing and soon falls for. But Tommy, too, is repelled by her “angry inch,” and after stealing her songs, achieves rock star fame. Hedwig once again is cast aside. She begins stalking Tommy, performing in dive venues next to the stadiums where Tommy is appearing. Throughout the show, Hedwig repeatedly pokes her head out the door where we can hear Tommy Gnosis (who Hedwig named) as he talks about himself, never mentioning or crediting Hedwig.

Hedwig is aided -- and hindered – by her assistant, back-up singer and husband, Yitzhak (Ismael Garcia), a Jewish drag queen from Zagreb. The two have an unhealthy, codependent relationship, and Hedwig verbally abuses Yitzhak throughout the evening, clearly threatened by his natural talent. We learn that Hedwig agreed to marry Yitzhak only on the condition that he never perform as a woman again.

Smith absolutely dazzles as Hedwig in their debut performance with Haven. They strut and swagger across the intimate setting of the Den, singing of their search for “The Origin of Love” and better half. A great deal of the charm of the show is Hedwig’s interaction with the audience, and Smith is quite adept at adlibbing and engaging with the audience, getting upfront and personal (very personal) with those sitting in the cabaret-styled tables. (As an aside, audience members do have the ability to indicate their preference for any audience participation with cleverly placed red, yellow, and green signs.)

It's all in good fun, and the audience loved it, as did the cast! Caudill also includes lots of local references and touches (like the Pepper Palace at the Salt Shed) that added to the performance, keeping it fresh and relatable.

Garcia, also making his Haven debut as the disgruntled and downtrodden Yitzhak, plays his role perfectly. It is clear that he yearns to come out from under Hedwig’s shadow, but he sullenly submits to his back-up role. Finally, in a complete breakdown, as Hedwig tears off her wig and takes off her makeup, Yitzhak must step up to sing the final song.

The show closes as Hedwig finds peace and acceptance within herself, and Yitzhak finds his true voice in a performance that brings down the house.

The two main performers are skillfully back by “The Angry Inch,” a hard-working and hard-rocking group of talented musicians led by musical director and keyboardist, Harper Caruso. Joining her onstage are Nate Hall on guitar, Alek Boggio on bass, and Mia Park on drums. In addition to keeping the beat moving, they also engage with Hedwig and Yitzhak in ongoing banter throughout the show and are very much a part of the overall performance.

I love the intimacy of the Den Theatre. It was the perfect venue for this type of show, but because of its size, I did feel the band sometimes overwhelmed the vocals and it was hard at times to clearly hear the words of the songs.

That aside, the evening was truly enjoyable and entertaining, and I would definitely recommend this production of Hedwig. As billed, it was funny, it was touching, and in the end, it was a wonderful reminder of every person’s need to find their own voice and use it.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch plays at the Den Theatre now through August 4. For ticket information, visit the Haven website.

I’m amazed that it’s been 18 years or so since I first saw a Hell in a Handbag production. Though it seems like yesterday, my first experience with Handbag was taking in their production of The Poseidon Adventure at the cozy and artistic Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park. It was fantastic and it was funny - fantastically funny. The musical’s parody humor, clever innuendos and dry wit reeled me in immediately. I was instantly blown away by Founding Artistic Director and performer David Cerda and the company’s cast of very talented comedic singers and dancers - and I still am. Hell in a Handbag is a dependable theater company that consistently provides hilarious, high-quality productions of camp entertainment (i.e. Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Christmas Dearest, Caged Dames) to the appreciative Chicago community and, like so many others, I find myself always looking forward to their next production. 

Handbag’s current production is yet another gem. Also performed at Chopin Theatre, Poor People! The Parody Musical, was brilliantly written by Tyler Anthony Smith and is wonderfully directed by Stephanie Shaw. Poor People! is a dynamite brand-new production that creator Tyler Anthony Smith describes as being a tribute to the characters in shows like Annie and Les Miserables, “that despite dire circumstances, the characters were still belting their faces off and dancing in the streets. Anybody can be happy and sing but it takes something special to be on your deathbed and still be on key.”

In the gritty, smoke-filled streets of 1979 New York City, the story’s fiery-haired protagonist, Li’l Orphan Arnie (played by Dakota Hughes), is on the run. Escaping the clutches of a lascivious, meth-cooking, authoritarian head of the orphanage, Miss A (Sydney Genco), Arnie’s fate takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a mysterious feline dancer named Whiskers (Matty Bettencourt). Whiskers leads Arnie through a supernatural manhole, hurtling them back in time to 1815 Paris, France.

In this new period of time, Arnie trades one impoverished existence for another. The search for their birth parents takes a backseat as they join forces with a ragtag gang of pickpocketing prostitutes, masterminded by the enigmatic Fagin (David Cerda).

Life takes a darker turn when Mama Moneybags (Brittney Brown), a corrupt Republican hailing from the future, sets her sights on dismantling Fagin’s crew. But fear not! A motley crew of vibrant, down-and-out characters steps up to the challenge. Among them are the consumptive Pantene (portrayed by Caitlin Jackson), the wild and feral Beggar Woman (Elizabeth Lesinski), and Nance, the quintessential hooker with an unexpectedly golden heart (brought to life by Tyler Anthony Smith). 

Besides Annie and Les Miserables, the story also parodies a bevy of characters and songs from other favorite Broadway productions including The Phantom of the Opera (“The Groomer of the Flop’ra”), Oliver, and even a lampooned version of Mary Poppins’ “Feed the Birds (Tuppence A Bag)”.   

(front center) Sydney Genco with (back, l to r) Tyler Anthony Smith,Taylor Dalton, Caitlin Jackson and Patrick O'Keefe in Hell in a Handbag Productions world premiere of POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical.

So, let's get to the talented cast members…

Dakota Hughes plays Li’l Orphan Arnie with a childlike charm and sass. Not just gifted with comedic talent, Hughes has a tremendous vocal range and gets to show it off throughout the play. Caitlyn Jackson, who plays Pantene and Sydney Genco as Miss A have been longtime favorites of mine in the Hell and a Handbag Productions troupe throughout the years and were both very funny and also had great song and dance numbers, which I have come to expect and enjoy! Along with Genco and Jackson, Brittany Brown also gets to impress the audience with her sensational singing voice. Another favorite Handbag veteran of mine is Elizabeth Lesinski and she absolutely crushes in her role as the Beggar Woman, drawing laughs with just about each delivered line. She also shows us that she can manage a herd or ravenous squirrels while holding a tune. 

Warm, commanding, and consistently hilarious, David Cerda shines in his role as Fagin. Cerda’s presence exudes both comedy and a nurturing energy that envelops the entire cast. Audiences eagerly anticipate his every entrance. Meanwhile, Tyler Anthony Smith remains a beloved fixture from previous Handbag productions - and absolutely steals the show! Smith brilliantly adapted many numbers from well-known Broadway shows into rousing, funny, bawdy and touching ensemble performances that keep the entire audience laughing and cheering right up until the end of this wonderful full-length production.

To complete the ensemble, Matty Bettencourt sizzles as Fosse Kitty, and special recognition is also due for the outstanding performances of Taylor Dalton as Epipen, Shane Roberie as The Groomer, Patrick O’Keefe as Twinky, and Tommy Thurston as Pretty Rich Boy. There is so much to love about this gifted ensemble. Truly, every cast member delivers an exceptional and delightful experience for the audience. 

Poor People! is a fun show filled with one hilarious moment after the next that does not mind pushing the envelope as far as it can. Yet, no matter how ribald or risque the show may be, a Hell in a Handbag production always includes a heartwarming message to the audience of support and acceptance to all people, regardless of their gender, race or age - and this show is no exception. Tyler Anthony Smith delivers the timeless message of wisdom in the uproariously funny and endearingly adapted finale, “We’re All Gonna Die Soon!” Embrace the present moment! We’re all here now, but who knows what tomorrow holds. So, let’s have fun and enjoy life! 

Poor People! The Parody Musical with musical direction by Andrew Milliken and choreography by Christopher Kelley is being performed at The Chopin Studio Theatre (1543 W. Division St.) through June 16th. For tickets and/or more show information visit https://www.handbagproductions.org/.   

Highly recommended.

*Extended through June 23rd!

Nobody does camp like Hell in a Handbag Productions. Ensemble-developed, oddball parodies of queer iconoclasts are what they do best. For their 21^st season, longtime collaborators Tyler Anthony Smith and director Stephanie Shaw meld Barbra Streisand’s enduring legacy with Mary Shelly’s classic horror story. A cast of loveable weirdos round out the world premiere of this clever Halloween special.

Hell in a Handbag ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith has been creating one-man shows throughout Chicago’s fringe scene for years. He’s also been a regular feature at Hell in a Handbag over the years. Tyler reunites with director Stephanie Shaw for a story that only his irreverent mind could come up with.

‘Frankenstreisand’ is the story of Dr. Barbra Frankenstreisand’s return to the stage after a 27-year performance hiatus. Only this time, she has her eyes set on a prize higher than an Oscar, a Grammy or even a Tony. Loosely based on the very real 1990s rumor that Barbra tried to have her dog cloned, Frankenstreisand intends to clone her beloved, but dead dog, Samantha. With the help of her assistants Hunchback (Dakota Hughes) and Frau (Brian Shaw), Frankenstreisand returns to the stage for the ultimate performance. Both Hughes and Shaw bring a great deal of physical humor to their quirky roles in Smith’s bizarre little script.

This festive Halloween show is a love letter to ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. The 85-minute musical features your favorite Babs songs, each with reconfigured lyrics for context (and likely to avoid copyright infringement). Streisand fans will cackle hearing these hilariously twisted versions of their favorite showtunes. With every number, deranged Frankenstreisand inches closer to giving her cloned pup the spark of life.

Smith knows his Barbra trivia right down to the costumes and together with designer Beth Laske-Miller they’ve recreated some of her signature looks. Wigs by Keith Ryan lend an extra layer of humor to Smith’s cartoon villain version of Barbra.

This play heavily relies on the audience’s knowledge of Streisand lore. Even the biggest fan might find themselves Googling certain facts as they’re leaving the theater, such as does she really have a shopping mall under her house? It’s no secret Barbra Streisand is kooky and perceived as demanding, and this makes her all the riper for satire.

Smith takes his historian-level interest in Barbra and does his own thing. Mixing in some of her signature qualities: the Brooklyn accent, the long fingernails and of course, the schnoz, he also blends in his own Tim Curry-flavored affects that lean into the more overtly sexual. This is a Barbra who doesn’t take herself as seriously.

A musical about Frankenstein and Barbra Streisand may seem like two ideas thrown into a blender with some bong water, but Tyler Anthony Smith has created a hilarious monster with ‘Frankenstreisand.’ It’s both a tribute to the great diva, and an homage to B horror movies of the 1950s.

Through October 31 at Hell in a Handbag Productions. 4702 N Ravenswood. For tickets and or more inforation, click here. 

I was really impressed by the new Shakespearean send-up Out, Darn Spot! starring Tyler Anthony Smith as Lady Marcia Macbeth. Smith is a very talented actor and writer to have pulled off what is essentially a one-man show that never fails to elicit all kinds of emotions, from the deepest, darkest depression to high campy humor throughout. The play is in essence an episode of Macbeth’s late 1960s lifestyle show but done in Handbag style. Also featured within the production are a handful of hilarious throwback commercials that perfectly poke fun of the era.

David Cerda, Hell in a Handbag Artistic Director, makes a delightful appearance as writer Jacquline Susan and is as funny as ever. Caitlin Jackson also puts in some great scenes as kidnapped singer, Leslie Gore. Jackson has such an amazing singing voice, 

I still recall her portrayal of Bette Midler and I was hoping that she would be allowed to sing a portion of one of Leslie Gore's songs like "These Boots Are Made for Walking" or "You Don't Own Me" but perhaps the licensing of those songs was prohibited. 

Stephanie Shaw who directed, shot and edited this video performance did an amazing job capturing Tyler Smith's many moods and looks. Shaw also nails the colorful and psychedelic special effects common to TV and video of that period for all the supporting characters and interior scenes. In one particularly disturbing and haunting section Smith appears to be in a film similar to "The Shining" at the top of a very scary staircase which evolves into a "broken mirror" image of Smith, sans his beautiful period wig, in which he appears to deconstruct his entire character in order to show how deep the layers of depression, pathos and repression of 

sexuality affected housewives back in the 60's.  

This is a particularly timely piece right now as so many of us are trapped at home alone for extended periods of time, like the housewives of the 1960’s. Tyler Anthony Smith conveys with a single piercing  look directly into the camera - just how very lonely and distressing this situation is,  especially when your spouse is not providing you with the sexual or even platonic affection that every human being needs to survive this kind of home lockdown.

Although I sincerely miss the wonderful live shows from Hell in A Handbag, that I've enjoyed for so many years, I am pleased to see this great quality of absurdist, even avant-garde, theater created in a video format for audiences to discover and watch time and time again. The show has so many twists and turns and the monologues are so richly written, I would need to watch it again to absorb it all. 

Although the dark comedy and multilayered Out, Darn Spot! might be a slight break from the pure camp stage comedy that one usually sees from HIAH, it is a successful and important production that could be used as Tyler Anthony Smith's calling card for years to come. 

Out, Darn Spot! will stream through March 21, 2021 (Thursdays, Fridays & Saturday at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm) via Vimeo. Tickets ($17) are currently available at handbagproductions.org or directly through Eventbrite.

In 1956 a psychological horror-thriller film hit the big screens across America that undoubtedly shocked audiences nationwide. The film, The Bad Seed, was based on William March’s 1954 novel of the same name and also hit the stage that same year. In a time when UFOs and alien invasions caused country-wide panic, now comes a film where a sociopathic eight-year-old girl, Rhoda, murders when she doesn’t get what she wants when she wants it. Her mother, growingly suspicious of her daughter’s wicked deeds, is caught at a crossroads not knowing what to do since she also loves her more than anything in the world. The film goes on to debate whether criminal behavior is caused by one’s environment or perhaps is inherited. Sometimes a person is just a bad seed, right?

As serious and as creepy as the film is, it is the perfect material for the Hell in A Handbag theatre company to parody. Adding their own twists and turns and injecting their own unique blend of humor, the masters of camp have now given Chicago its newest comedy hit, The Drag Seed, by David Cerda. You may have guessed by the title that a drag theme is added to the story, this time the villain is not eight-year-old Rhoda but eleven-year-old Carson (Kristopher Bottral), a spoiled drag queen whose temper is turned on with a flick of the switch the moment he (in this case, “they/them,” as demanded by the child) doesn’t get what they want. The plot thickens as a trail of mysterious deaths occur throughout and Carson always seems to be found nearby.

It’s just a not-so-everyday life in the affluent suburbs where Miss Charles (David Cerda) is a live-in landlord. Miss Charles has taken a liking to tenants Miss Lingus (Ed Jones) and her dear Carson. Lee (Kelly Anchors) serves Miss Charles as the estate’s very quirky handyman and loves nothing more than teasing young Carson, who attends The Josephine Baker Rainbow Academy for Gifted Students led by Miss Ficus (also played by Anchors). It’s when fellow student Summer Breeze (Tyler Anthony Smith) wins a competition over Carson and is found dead shortly thereafter that the intrigue begins.

Carson’s mother Miss Lingus (“just call me Connie”) is at first ignorant to the clues being laid out in front of her, but slowly pieces them together and becomes conflicted since she loves her son more than a "fuck ton of kisses". Carson’s as a matter of fact behavior surrounding every death is not just a big clue, it’s downright creepy.

Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass, The Drag Seed, is a hilarious ride that’ll keep audience members on the edge of their seats. Ed Jones is like fine wine and just keeps getting more delicious with each show. I’ve probably said that this the last time around, but it’s true once again - Jones’ performance as Miss Lingus may be one of his best yet. His knack for executing the perfect facial expression at just the right moment coupled with capturing just the right tone in his line delivery makes him a comedic force. Excellent performances flood the stage in this production with Kristopher Bottral’s all-out hilarious and highly energetic “Carson” while David Cerda is comedic perfection as Miss Charles. Kelly Anchors doubling up for the roles of Miss Ficus and Lee is yet another highlight in this show, particularly the brilliance she infuses in her role as Lee, creating yet another sidesplittingly funny character that we won’t forget anytime soon. Handbag fave Elizabeth Lesinski returns, this time as Wendy Breeze, Summer’s drunk and distraught mother, and makes the most of her role with a flawlessly camped performance of Eileen Heckhart’s character in the 1956 film version. I know – high praise all around. Yes, but well-deserved. Sydney Genco and Tyler Anthony Smith also rock their roles, making this a truly well-round effort.

Handbag stalwarts will undoubtedly be very pleased with Cerda’s newest production and newbies that attend will be sure to get hooked on Handbag’s camp theatre.

The Drag Seed is perfect mid-summer fun and is an easy show to recommend. If you get the chance be sure to check out the The Bad Seed prior to seeing this production, if for anything just to appreciate Cerda’s brilliance that much more and the character nuances that these talented actors have so brilliantly executed into their roles. If you’re unable to catch the film first, don’t worry, you’ll still have a blast.

The Drag Seed is being performed at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville through August 24th. For more show information visit www.handbagproductions.org

Everybody dies. In fact, Somebody will die very soon. That is not only reality, but also the premise of Everybody, a contemporary take on the Medieval morality play, Everyman. Each night, Somebody will be chosen randomly from the cast to go on the final journey. According to the press materials, this means there are 120 permutations of the cast list, chosen by lottery from a group of actors of different genders, ages and races. For this to happen, the actors playing Somebody have learned all of the lines. In Everyman, first published in 1508, a man is called to account for his life by Death, on orders from God, though he is allowed to bring a companion on the journey to his reckoning. Everyman asks a number of allegorical characters to accompany him, but they all balk, except Good Deeds, which is the only thing that goes with him to the grave. But this is not that play, as the extremely officious and informative Usher tells us. Brown Paper Box Co.’s regional premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Everybody is an engaging, often clever, reflection on what it means to live, and a reminder that Death will come for us all and now is a good time to think about how we are living our lives.

Despite the Usher’s assurance that we are not watching Everyman, Jacobs-Jenkin’s play adheres pretty closely to the source material in structure, except that Good Deeds are nowhere to be found (though Evil is there to the end), which makes the moral a bit less comforting. The reason may lie in the Buddhist origins of the source material, which this reviewer was unaware of until the Usher mentioned it. The play begins, as the original, with “God’s” frustration at the disintegration of humanity. The quotations are added by the actors every time God is mentioned. Death in turn is frustrated at having to figure out what exactly God wants, though he does figure it out, explaining to Somebody that God demands that they go with him, never to return, and prepare an accounting of their life’s work. Somebody is rightfully flustered by this assignment, as so much of their life has slipped from memory and God and Death have not prepared them for this moment. All of this happens before the plot actually gets set in motion with the selection of roles via lottery. The actor chosen to portray Everybody must take the ominous journey to the grave and God’s reckoning, and, as one would expect, it is a grueling and painful journey. But, for the evening, it is somebody else’s journey, so the audience can just sit back and enjoy.

Erin Shea Brady does not shirk from the meta-theatricality of the script. We are in a theater, as we are often reminded, and roles can be cast randomly. This conceit requires absolute commitment from the cast, and they throw themselves into their shifting parts wholeheartedly. The set by Evan Frank offers hardly any place to hide at the outset, and even less at the end. Samantha Corn’s costumes reinforce the allegorical nature of the characters and allow the actors to slip into their different parts. Intimacy Designer Charlie Baker deserves mention for easing the actors into an uncomfortably vulnerable encounter with Love. Sound designer Blake Cordell reinforces the otherworldly proceedings and choreographer Mollyanne Nunn contributes a real danse macabre. Ultimately, because the setting is minimal, it’s all on the performers.

Chelsea David, as guide, catalyst and comforter (Usher/God/Understanding) does a remarkable job ushering both audience and actors, delivering God’s insecure fury at the mess of humanity, and finally as a compassionate Understanding releasing Everybody to their death. David nearly conquers the streams of words she is tasked with through sheer force of will; this is to say that in lesser hands, there may have been a lot more looking at watches in the opening. She also makes it all look effortless. Kenny the Bearded is perfect as the sometimes petulant, always bombastic, and strangely sympathetic Death. Nora Fox plays Time with the certainty of youth, and just the right amount of youthful ‘tude. As neglected Love, Tyler Anthony Smith balances wounded ego, cruelty and ultimately touching loyalty as he demands abnegation from Everybody in return for his presence. The rest of the cast will presumably take turns at the other roles in the play. On the night being reported here, Alys Dickerson made the journey from terrified disbelief to calm resignation feel as wrenching as Everybody’s slow realization of the hopelessness of her situation would. Donovan Session was hilariously fickle as Friendship in this age can be, running through reasons why Everybody might feel depressed, commenting on their many passing connections (how many times they must have liked each other on Facebook), and swearing to stay with her to Hell and back, back being the operative word. Cousin (Hal Cosentino) and Kinship (Francesca Sobrer) offered enough comfort to make their rejections all the more painful. As Stuff, Alex Madda relished her role in ruining another human. The actors returned at the end to play Understanding’s team of Strength, the Five Senses, Beauty and Everybody’s Mind. No need to mention that these attributes fade as Everybody enters the grave.

There are a lot of pointed observations in Everybody about the way humans find to avoid real connections and dodge responsibility for others and the world, but despite all of the cleverness, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins does not seem to have a firm handle on the point of the journey. Unless that is the point. Despite the shortcomings of the destination, Everybody’s journey does remind us to perhaps be a bit more conscious of our lives and the people that pass through them. Director Erin Shea Brady and her game team of actors and designers, led by the indefatigable Chelsea David, have created an immersive and thought-provoking Everyman for the internet age. Though the play sometimes wanders into the philosophical weeds, the sincerity of the company in trying to untangle the mysteries and meanings of this existential journey, and Everybody’s dawning consciousness, is worth at least one visit.

Everybody, presented by Brown Paper Box Co., runs through August 12 at the Buena at Pride Arts Center, 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago. For tickets and information visit www.BrownPaperBox.org and https://dime.io/events/EVERYBODY.