Displaying items by tag: Bryan Wakefield
Didn't Get The Memo? Then Don't Miss This Orwellian Farce by Václav Havel.
Organic Theater has done such a wonderful job in The Memo, it is hard to imagine a more perfect presentation of this play by Czech writer and statesmen, Václav Havel.
The Memo is at turns funny and unsettling. While the original The Memorandum is rooted in the totalitarian Eastern Europe, in Paul Wilson’s fresh translation as The Memo, it reads as a commentary on the increasingly overbearing pressures today to perform in professional settings. That pressure is often ratcheted up to effect performance toward ambitious goals, often harnessing social pressure and WeWork-style perks toward these ends.
Set in a mythical office (the set is all in grays is by Terrence McClellan), The Memo opens with clerks busily waltzing in a stylized manner through the office, processing manila files. This and other transition scenes are choreographed by Erica Bittner, with music by Tony Reimer. Then a derby-wearing executive arrives with a bright red folder.. When he places it in the inbox on the main desk, the movement screeches to a halt, and the action and dialog commence.
Inside that red folder is the titular memo. The Managing Director, Gross (Tricia Rogers) struggles to read what sounds like gibberish (does she have it upside down?). Soon her shark-like Assistant Director, Balas (Joel Moses) arrives, joined at the hip now by that same mysterious derby-topped exec Kubs (Subhash Thakrar). Kubs speaks only through facial expressions – Thakrar is marvelous throughout with his big face an d exaggerated mugging.
Balas explains that this memo is written a new, language – PTYDEPE – scientifically created for precision of expression, as a means to improved efficiency. It is being rolled out in administrative offices everywhere.
And it is here where The Memo strikes a dagger in the heart of the contemporary cultural ethos: those who adopt PTYDEPE will succeed, those who don’t will fall by the wayside - not so different than office apps that come and go. We watch as the Executive Director is coaxed into signing an authorization for this roll out, which then leads to the implementation of a PTYDEPE training department, and an unfolding world where The Office comes pickled in an Orwellian brine of 1984.
For context, Havel was that rare “poet king” who helped lead his people to freedom. Before the Arab Spring there was a failed Prague Spring (1968), an effort to liberate Czechoslovakia from the Communist Block. Dissident Havel ended up in prison. As with China today and the Soviet Union back then, Czechoslovakia’s totalitarian censorship inspired a flourishing expression of dark humored workarounds, lampoons, and with Havel, absurdist plays like The Memorandum– discrete takedowns of the excesses of central control.
While the object of the humor was obvious to audiences - the government censors could not pin down objections in those subtly subversive words on the page, making the power of the works even stronger. Eventually Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution (1989) precipitated the fall of the Soviet Union, and Havel became president of his now independent homeland.
The performances and Havel’s characters are magnetic. The intellectual currency that the Organic Theater’s troupe has brought to The Memo is inestimable, informing inspired performances by supporting actors like Mary Mikva as the Director’s Assistant and Kris Downing as Translation Assistant. (Downing was awesome in Organic's production of The Melancholy Play, too.)
In particular the performance of Nick Bryant as J.V. Brown, the PTYDEPE trainer, is inspired – and a tour de force of acting as he shifts back and forth translating nonsense language to English with the passion of a revival preacher. You will love and surely recognize the many denizens of this office, incluidng Stephanie Sullivan as Kalous; Schanora Wimpie as Masat; Kate Black-Spence as Kunc; and Laura Sturm as Talaura. Don’t miss the chance to see The Memo, running at the Greenhouse Theater through June 16.
Writers Theater Excels in Brian Friel's Funny, Complicated 'Translations'
15 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewBrian Friel’s “Translations,” now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, shows off the renowned Irish playwright’s signature skill in…
Writers Theater Excels in Brian Friel's Funny, Complicated 'Translations'
15 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewBrian Friel’s “Translations,” now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, shows off the renowned Irish playwright’s signature skill in…
Tickets on sale April 11 for A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness
09 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreTickets go on sale Friday, April 11 at 10 a.m. Central time for the world-premiere performances of A Night of Mellon…
TWILIGHT In Concert Comes to Chicago
09 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreGEA Live and Broadway In Chicago in association with Lionsgate, today announced the highly-anticipated 60-city national tour of the first-ever TWILIGHT IN CONCERT ( www.twilightinconcert.com) will visit in…
Layers Unfold in “The Book of Grace” at Steppenwolf
08 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewIn a masterful stroke of programming, Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of "The Book of Grace," Suzan-Lori Parks'…
Theo Ubique and CPA Theatricals to co-produce SENTINELS, a play with music celebrating the contributions of women over the past 80 years, August 1-10
07 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreCPA Theatricals and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre today announced a co-production of the play with music SENTINELS, which imagines a…
KIMBERLY AKIMBO On Sale
07 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce individual tickets for KIMBERLY AKIMBO, winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL and the most…
GDC Spring Program Eloquently Distills the Vagaries and Splendor of Life Through Dance
07 April 2025 in Dance in ReviewDance performances can often be moving events but rarely do they hold the density, breadth and depth of emotions Giordano…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents Lively Production of Sunny Afternoon
06 April 2025 in Theatre in Review“It’s not us… all this mucking about with our sound.” Sunny Afternoon is about many things. This is in…
‘Trial of Themistocles’ Shows Off Best of the Culture of Greece, and Chicago Jurisprudence
05 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewWalking into the Harris Theater for the “Trial of Themistocles,” I was expecting something translated from ancient Greek, togas, masks,…
A Hull Lot of Laughs: Titanique Makes Waves On Stage
02 April 2025 in Theatre in ReviewAll hands on deck Titanic fans! Get ready for a lavishly produced musical that boldly reimagines the Titanic story, navigating…
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is Now Playing
02 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreWelcome back to the Moulin Rouge! Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the Tony Award® winning production, MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is now playing…
Disney's THE LION KING Returns to Chicago
01 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreBy popular demand, Disney’s The Lion King will return to Chicago for the first time since 2023, where the production played a sold-out…
Review: The Listeners at Lyric Opera of Chicago
31 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewTHE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV…
IDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS: Spring Concert 2025 - 'Instinct' at Ann Barzel Theater (April 26-27)
31 March 2025 in Upcoming DanceIDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS Presents Spring Concert 2025 “Instinct” A captivating performance of four distinct works on April 26 & 27…
Dynamic South Chicago Dance Theatre at The Auditorium in one perf only, May 3
26 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreThe Auditorium (Chicago’s Landmark Stage® at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly welcomes back the eclectic energy of hometown favorite South…
Open Space Arts announces staged reading series and a powerful premiere for April through June
26 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreOpen Space Arts (OSA), who recently won some of the top honors in the Joseph Jefferson Awards for 2024 productions,…
Review: 'it's been ten years since everybody died' at Open Space Arts
26 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewI’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar…
Hell in a Handbag Productions' World Premiere of SCARY TOWN By Artistic Director David Cerda Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass April 9 – May 11, 2025 at The Clutch
25 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreHell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of Scary Town, Artistic Director David Cerda's semi-autobiographical…
Definition Theatre Defines the Crisis: 'Splash Hatch on the E Going Down'
24 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewIn Definition Theatre's production of "Splash Hatch on the E Going Down," Kia Corthron's 1997 work feels unnervingly relevant in…
Kokandy Productions Announces Line-Up for CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Returning April 3 – 6, 2025 at The Chopin Theatre
22 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreKokandy Productions is pleased to announce the official selections for the annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, a celebration and showcase of the…
Hive of Hilarity: Copley Theatre’s 'Spelling Bee' is a Buzzing Triumph!
21 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewI’m not holding back—Copley Theatre’s latest offering, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is an absolute winner! I’ve seen…
The Search for Truth Turns to War in Oil Lamp’s Outstanding ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’
21 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewDon’t be deceived by the title. The phrase “lifespan of a fact” sounds about as dry as the Mojave Desert…
Disability-inclusive company brings Frankenstein to Chicago Shakespeare Theater
21 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreA.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome…
Invictus Theatre Presents Enchanting Production of The Winter’s Tale
20 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewWalking into Windy City Playhouse, audiences are immediately transported to somewhere new. Scenic Designer Kevin Rofls fills the space with…
Writers Theatre announces 2025/26 season
19 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreArtistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce Writers Theatre's 2025/26 season. The five-play season is marked by four productions never seen before…
About Face Theatre presents the return of Re/Generation Studio at The Alice at Goodman Theatre March 28-30, 2025
19 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreAbout Face Theatre announces the return of Re/Generation Studio, a weekend of community building, education, and performance to help build the future…
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Broadway's Kelli O'Hara - April 18 & 19, 2025
19 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreFresh off her critically acclaimed and Tony-nominated run in Broadway's Days of Wine and Roses, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Mark Cortale are pleased to present…
Grand Opera that is Truly Grand: La Bohème at the Lyric
19 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewGoing into “La Bohème” with little knowledge of Puccini’s masterpiece, I was just a naive theater-goer seeing it fresh at…
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Returns to Chicago
18 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreCameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce that a revitalized new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, will play…
Latest Articles
-
Writers Theater Excels in Brian Friel's Funny, Complicated 'Translations'
Written by Bill EslerBrian Friel’s “Translations,” now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, shows off the renowned Irish playwright’s signature skill in creating a stage full of memorable characters, 10 in this case, each with depth sufficient to fuel their dramatic paths.… -
Writers Theater Excels in Brian Friel's Funny, Complicated 'Translations'
Written by Bill EslerBrian Friel’s “Translations,” now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, shows off the renowned Irish playwright’s signature skill in creating a stage full of memorable characters, 10 in this case, each with depth sufficient to fuel their dramatic paths.…
-
Theo Ubique and CPA Theatricals to co-produce SENTINELS, a play with music celebrating the contributions of women over the past 80 years, August 1-10
Written by Buzz Center StageCPA Theatricals and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre today announced a co-production of the play with music SENTINELS, which imagines a secret society of women that supports and promotes each other's talents in the same way secret societies have provided powerful networks… -
KIMBERLY AKIMBO On Sale
Written by Buzz Center StageBroadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce individual tickets for KIMBERLY AKIMBO, winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL and the most critically acclaimed musical of its season, will go on sale starting Tuesday, April 8. KIMBERLY AKIMBO will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC…
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.