Displaying items by tag: Buzz Center Stage

“A blink in time.” is a phrase repeatedly projected throughout Paula Vogel’s play ‘Indecent’ now running at Victory Gardens. The line could have many interpretations but perhaps it means that the nature of theatre is but a blink in time. Plays are ephemeral, especially where fickle Broadway audiences are concerned. “Indecent” was a critical darling in New York last year and marked the first time Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel’s work had appeared on Broadway. Vogel’s ‘How I Learned to Drive’ was awarded the Pulitzer in the late 90s and is now considered a topical modern classic.

“Indecent” tells the true story story of the ill-fated 1923 Broadway premiere of Sholem Asch’s play ‘God of Vengeance’ —the first Broadway play to ever feature a homosexual kiss. As a result, the entire cast was jailed and deported on charges of obscenity. The play is a collaboration between director Rebecca Taichman (who originally conceived the idea) and Paula Vogel (whom she teamed up with to write the script). Unlike a typical Vogel play, “Indecent” features many musical numbers with instruments being played by the cast. Director Gary Griffin has kept much of the original staging for his production at Victory Gardens.

A hallmark of Vogel’s style is her use of structure and narrative. “Indecent” follows a similar pattern. Its genius is its show-within-a-show charm. The forth wall is often broken giving you the true feeling of being in a vaudeville theater. The small troupe of actors skillfully transitions between the various roles. Though all an all a tremendously talented cast, perhaps nobody stands out as much as Kiah Stern. Her character is the spirit of the play, the reason why in spite of the hardship this cast goes on. There’s something luminous in Stern’s performance. Catherine LeFrere consistently delivers the laughs as Halina.

“Indecent” touches on a lot in its short run time. There’s of course the intolerance of homosexuality and the prevailing antisemitism, but also a history of how theatre became a more established art form in the early 20th century. It’s because of plays like “God of Vengeance” and the like that the theatre has become a place where audiences attend in order to be challenged.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of world history knows that things weren’t looking good for European Jews by the mid-1930s. The tragedy of “Indecent” is that we know what happened to our troupe of actors when they were returned to the old country. One of the show’s most powerful moments is when the cast gives the final performance of “God of Vengeance” in the Lodz ghetto.

Vogel is great at non-traditional storytelling. The show is unlike any play or musical recently seen on Broadway. Its subject matter also holds a mirror up to Broadway. It asks who censorship protects and ultimately what we classify as entertainment. Director Gary Griffin’s highly anticipated regional premiere is worth the hype as this show will likely not be produced again to such high standards.

Through November 4th at Victory Gardens Theater. 2433 N Lincoln Ave. 773-871-3000

I was so excited to see this production of " Sweet Charity" partly because I remember Shirley MacLaine’s spectacular dancing in the film version of this very funny Neil Simon hit play. 

The main character Charity Hope Valentine, played with pizzazz by Anne Horak, is a dance hall girl who falls for all the wrong guys. Charity literally falls, as she is actually shoved into the water by one of her money grubbing "boyfriends" as he steals her purse before exiting her life. Anne Horak has all the charm and naivete of the original character and gives the play that breath of fresh air quality that keeps the audience from thinking that Charity is purely a victim of circumstance who is not smart enough to save herself from the predators that she and the other pay to dance women must fight off while dancing. 

Many of the girls are tempted into prostitution though the dance hall to make enough money to survive in the city, but Charity staunchly refuses to give in and keeps looking for her "husband and life in suburbia" by taking a self-improvement class at the YMCA. There she meets a funny, neurotic and at first kindly seeming fellow, played with scene stealing physical comedy by Alex Goodrich. 

Charity also meets and is befriended and told how special she is (but not molested) by an Italian movie star (Adam Jacobs) where she gets to deliver that trademark song from his hotel suite "If My Friends Could see me Now!" 

What is super interesting and modern about Neil Simon's script is that in the end, even the "nice guy" admits to Charity that if given the chance he will turn on her emotionally and ruin her life with his critical and jealous nature regarding her physical beauty and job as a dance hall girl - which could be compared with being a stripper in today's terms. 

But Charity, who has searched for love high and low, does not wallow in a depression nor does she attempt to kill herself. Rather, she picks herself up and begins again to live with Hope, which is after all, her middle name!

Bob Fosse's amazing choreography is spectacularly preserved and brought to life by choreographer and director Alex Sanchez and a highly GIFTED ensemble of dancers in all of the numbers especially 'Big Spender" and the jaw dropping "Rich Man’s Frug". The dancers; Terry Hamilton, Joe Bigelow, Elyse Collier, Lexis Danca, Alex Dorf, Alejandro Fonseca, Eben K. Logan, Hanah Rose Nardone, Adam Rogers, Laura Savage, Alex Smith, Kyra Sorce and Jessica Wolfrum - ALL deserve a mention by name. This dance ensemble moving in the demanding, super sexy, exquisitely detailed Fosse style arrogance while holding their long cigarette holders with their upturned noses in the air nearly brought the house down.

The entire cast's costumes were superbly designed with great eye-popping color and rich textures by Mieka van der Ploeg that really captured the mid-late 1960s as it transformed to a fashion with bright, swirling colors from the drainpipe jeans and capri pants that were so popular earlier in the decade.

I highly recommend this funny, engaging and uplifting production which is full of great comedy, song and dance and still memorable classic Broadway hits such as “Hey, Big Spender” delivered with real class throughout. 

“Sweet Charity” is being performed at Marriott Theatre through October 28th. Visit http://www.marriotttheatre.com for more show information and times.

Wow…one more time…WOW! This is one gifted trio and is such a pleasure to watch live. Harold is one of the younger generation Cuban Jazz pianists on the scene. Cuba has had a reputation for delivering some fine Jazz musicians, even though they are less known here in the states. We can thank the Cold War for that. Thankfully that is over. The doors are open again and we need to realize that the best things coming from Cuba are not cigars and rum. Those are nice too, but man…the music is incredible!

Harold is a piano player who has the chops of a Classical player. He also has the rhythmic sense of salsa in his soul. He took this rather student-model looking upright piano and made it dance, baby. A while back I envisioned the piano as a drum set. It is by far, the best harmony instrument out there…but there is a reason why it is often described as a percussion instrument. Rhythm is infectious. It makes you dance, move, scream, etc. The pulse should affect the listeners heart rate. Rhythm controls you. Harold Lopez-Nussa was in command of this, but he did have some serious help.

Younger brother Ruy Adrian was on drums. This young man is one of the finest drummers I think I have ever seen in my life. I am by no means exaggerating. You could isolate the drums and it would be a show. His playing was never overstated either. He played exactly what was needed, which at times was a lot. The music demanded a lot of rhythmic interpretation. Harold’s piano playing already has a ton of rhythmic diversity, the drums added another layer. Watching him play the cajon made my hands hurt. He really put everything into his playing.

Gaston Jova played upright bass. He was described as a “brother from a different mother.” That is a cliché, but I feel that is how the group functions. They are very much a musical family. Gaston is the laid back, jovial kid brother. His playing was very relaxed but very commanding.

Old Town School of Folk Music is such a great resource in the city of Chicago. Not only do they provide education, but entertainment as well. This was in the smaller hall on the east side of Lincoln Ave. This provided a warm, intimate setting. It was general admission and since I was there early…guess who sat in the front row? If you guessed me, put yourself down for a shiny gold star! I was less than 20 feet from someone many consider truly on top of his game. This young man has a serious musical future ahead of him. Take note.

What a fun band! Carl Finch has been leading this band since 1979 and they have achieved a cult status to some people. This is the band that played David Byrne’s wedding. I would describe them as a polka hybrid with a great sense of humor. Having said that, they are no joke...they are a very serious band.

It is time for Oktoberfest so why not celebrate with a polka band, right? Seems appropriate. The band, Brave Combo, hails from Denton, Texas. They are actually not really just a polka band. They blend a lot of genres into a melting pot of entertainment.

Carl Finch leads the band, but they don’t really have a front person, per se. Rather, it is truly a group effort. Finch plays keys, accordion and guitar as well as handling a chunk of the vocals. He also wore a rather festive red hat and looked like he was the time of his life on stage.

Bubba Hernandez is the bass player. He is a long-time member but has actually been in and out of the band. He is one half of a very strong rhythm section. He also handles vocals in both English and Spanish. The other half of the rhythm section is drummer Alan Emert Mansfield. Very solid and dynamic is how I would describe his playing. Finch couldn’t ask for better support.

Jeffrey Barnes was on sax, clarinet and flute and helped out with some vocals too. I heard some vintage licks of all types from Barnes. I think his strongest voice was the clarinet, followed by the tenor. Funny how I always thought clarinets were always these squeaky instruments of torture. They just need to be played in the right hands.

Danny O’Brien on all things brass related rounds out the lineup. He looked the part of an Oktoberfest celebrant. He also played some nice horn licks. He also had a great hat.

Beer mug holding contests were also part of the show, Bubba clearly the winner (Finch cheated a bit). Great show, but the crowd was small and the sound also could have been better. The vocals were buried in typical Chicago Metal Club fashion. Here’s a clue for soundmen in Chicago…let’s hear the vocals! Ugh…this seems to go way back in history of clubs here. When you are not mixing a Metal band, and the singer isn’t screaming…turn him or her up! Part of the reason they are screaming is the fact that you have the drums and bass too loud!

Rant over. It was great show that should have had been better advertised. This is a band that has a strong cult following and should have packed the room. So, keep an eye on the local music calendar and go see Brave Combo. And don’t forget to support live music whenever you can.

Catchy songs, hilarious characters and a man-eating plant. Little Shop of Horrors now playing at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook has it all. With music by Alan Menken that fall in the style of 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and Motown, we get a soundtrack that helps deliver this humorous story, perfectly enhancing writer Howard Ahsman’s vision into what became a stage and film sensation in the 1980s. Songs like "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour" are as kitschy as they come as are the characters in this far-fetched, but seriously funny story.

We find ourselves in a local plant and flower shop – “Mushnik’s”. Business is bad and owner Mr. Mushnik is not sure how he can hold on for very much longer. His two employees, Seymour and Audrey, stand around all day with nothing to do since there is – nothing to do. But Seymour has a secret. He has been experimenting in the shop’s basement on a plant that resembles a Venus Fly Trap. But it is no ordinary fly-eating plant, it is much larger and quite unusual looking. He finally brings the plant upstairs and suggests it be placed in the store window to possibly attract passersby’s. Mushnik scoffs at the notion but figures he has nothing to lose – and wouldn’t you know it, a man enters the store within minutes to purchase a hundred dollars’ worth of roses. The plant becomes a sensation as it gets larger and larger by the day, business is off the charts and everything seems rosy for the once struggling shop. But what makes the plant grow so quickly? We soon find out and a whole world of absurdity and suspense is opened. Twists and turns ahead, folks.

At the same time, Audrey seems to show up to work each day with a new injury. It is suspected that her boyfriend, a sadistic dentist, is to blame – and Seymour won’t have that. He has a crush on Audrey and has in fact named the plant Audrey Two. As the story progresses, it becomes crazier and crazier – silly but engaging. A trio of talented singers (Melanie Brezill, Candace C. Edwards and Melanie Loren) help narrate the story, also switching back and forth between roles.

Will Lidke is terrific as Seymour and is as nerdy as one could get in the role while Kelly Felthous as Audrey nails the squeaky-voiced, ditzy blonde stereotype, ala many a Marylin Monroe role. Both deliver great comedic moments and are truly fun to watch. Ron E. Rains is well cast as Mushnik and has plenty of key moments, as well. But it is Chicago acting veteran Steven Stafford who steals many of the scenes as the abusive dentist (also playing many other roles), displaying epic comedic line delivery and perfectly timed physical humor. The voice of the plant (yes, it talks – and sings) is beautifully done by Lorenzo Rush Jr. while Matthew Sitz takes on the tough task of bringing the plant to life.

A light, though twisted, story with a slew of laughs and one likeable song after another is the prefect way to kick off the Fall season. Together with brilliant direction and choreography by Scott Calcagno and musical direction by Roberta Duchak, the musical’s superb performances and an amazing set design do this funny classic the way it should be done.

Highly recommended.

Little Shop of Horrors is being performed at Drury Lane Theatre through October 28th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.drurylanetheatre.com.

Mozart’s Requiem

Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra

Jane Glover, conductor

William Jon Gray, chorus director

Saturday, September 15, 2018, 7:30 PM at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Chicago, and Sunday, September 16, 3:00 PM at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Photo by Elliot Mandel

A Regal Beginning and a Divine Ending

By the OperaSwains

A capacity audience warmly welcomed the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra and A-List cast of soloists on the opening night of its 2018-19 season at the Harris Theater, led by Maestra Jane Glover, in an impeccably well-crafted performance of one of classical music’s crown jewels, Mozart’s glorious Requiem Mass in D minor, K 626.

The program began with three anthems by George Frederic Handel written in 1727, more than a dozen years before composing his great “Messiah”, as Handel was becoming established as the preeminent British composer of his time, for the Coronation of the Hanoverian King George II and Queen Caroline.

In a brief, inspiring podium speech, Ms. Glover sparked a human touch to the evening by inviting us to imagine ourselves in Westminster Abbey for that regal occasion among the soaring arches and stately long nave which has been the scene of countless Crown events, setting the scene for us to be part of something important.  As the music began quietly and swelled, she had us.

The pageantry of “Zadok the King” was followed by the more intimate “My Heat is Inditing” (from Middle English - not a typo), with “The King Shall Rejoice” concluding the set.

The talented ensemble played cleanly and with spirit; their understanding and love of the baroque style apparent throughout.  The chorus, ably prepared by William Jon Gray, sang with musical clarity, if not clarity of diction.  The stellar tenor section was especially impressive in astonishingly accurate coloratura passages – Bravi, gentlemen!  The sopranos were silvery, at times ethereal, while the altos provided soothing warmth.  However, we wished for substantially more weight from the basses, often swamped by the low strings.  Less emphasis on the modern obsession with “blending” and greater emphasis on pure vowels would not only improve diction, but also give the chorus a fuller, more complete adult sound.

Following intermission, the chorus and a full Mozart orchestra returned for the Requiem with soprano Amanda Majeski, mezzo soprano Daniela Mack, tenor Joan Hacker and Bass-Baritone Eric Owens.  A few more choristers would have been welcome, because at times they were overwhelmed by the orchestra.

If the term OMG! wasn’t already a part of our current lexicon, it would be necessary to invent it for Mr. Owens’ performance. OMG!! He possesses the gravitas and commitment of a truly great singer. Listening to Mr. Owens is like hearing the voice of humanity, or perhaps, tasting a 50 year old Scotch. The wondrous, trumpet-like sound of his “Tuba mirum spargens sonum” spreading through the hall was one of those rare heart-stopping moments in a live performance that will not be forgotten. To ice the cake, Mr. Owens is capable of a delicately tender pianissimo usually unavailable to other voices of his dramatic weight. We can’t wait for “Siegfried” at the Lyric!

Tenor Jonas Hacker’s burnished, clarion tenor brought much more to the role than what is generally expected from a “Mozart tenor”.  It may be that standing next to Mr. Owens, he was inspired to greater heights, as his engaged and direct singing just became better and better throughout his performance. We hope to hear much more from him in the future.

No such luck on the other side of the stage; Ms. Mack’s rich, clear voice met the demands of the alto role, but the part doesn’t give an opportunity for the singer to make much of a mark.  However, she did look fabulous in her red and gold brocade strapless gown, and one could easily imagine her as a spunky Rosina or a smokin’ hot Carmen.

Beautiful voices, as the great vocal coach Peyton Hibbitt used to say, are a dime a dozen, but an artist is someone who engages the audience and communicates something.  Anything.  At the very least, the intent of the composer and the librettist.  Ms. Majeski brought nothing but her beautiful instrument to the soprano soli. 

Ms. Glover has a great command of the dynamic possibilities of an orchestra, exquisitely rendered by the gifted musicians.  The performance was enthusiastically received, albeit with the perfunctory, up-trickling, standing ovation (Ladies and gentlemen, if you can’t help yourself from instantly jumping to your feet when the piece ends, don’t bother standing until you are ready to leave…).  Nevertheless, we all were grateful for an excellent performance by this gem of the Chicago musical scene.  Get your tickets now for the remaining performances of the season, which includes Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Coffee Cantata, among many other treasures.

For tickets call (312) 551-1414

www.Baroque.org  

Has there ever been a more capable playwright to handle bestiality than Edward Albee? ‘The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?’ is probably Albee’s last great play after a decade-spanning career that garnered handfuls of Tonys and Pulitzers. ‘The Goat’ was shortlisted for the 2003 Pulitzer and the original Broadway production even included Sally Field. While the plot may be discouraging to some theater-goers, only Albee could heighten such an absurd subject matter to dark comedy and intellectual discourse.

Interrobang Theatre Project kicks off their ninth season; “identity/crisis” with ‘The Goat’. Under James Yost’s direction, this intimate production is sleek and faithful to Albee’s script. It’s notably challenging to bring anything truly original to an Albee play as he was known to be very strict regarding artistic interpretation. With a solid play like ‘The Goat’ there’s no need to reinvent the wheel, only to stage the best production of it you can.

Yost has assembled a great cast to tell this prickly tale. Tom Jansson plays Martin, the main character around which the play takes place. Martin and his wife Stevie (Elana Elyce) enjoy an idyllic upper middle-class lifestyle, a happy marriage and a lovely home. They’re open-minded about their son’s sexual orientation and even joke about how perfect their life together is. It’s when Martin confesses he’s having an affair that the play takes a turn. Martin jokes that his mistress is a goat, but we quickly learn it’s no joke at all.

This is not easy dialogue to make convincing. Albee even somewhat references that through Stevie. Knowing is one thing, believing is another. Elana Elyce delivers a powerhouse performance as the wife of a man copulating with a farm animal. Her final monolog grounds the absurdity of the plot in a devastating reality. Though, it’s the character of Martin that the play’s authenticity relies. Tom Jansson never loses the audience. His love for the goat he’s named Sylvia is abhorrent, but like Nabokov’s Humbert Humbert, we’re inclined to root for him in some way. Jansson’s performance is one an audience can trust and laugh with, even when they shouldn’t.

The synopsis of ‘The Goat’ may seem like some sort of circus attraction to be seen only for shock value. Albee’s genius is that he’s able to touch on several kinks and sexual proclivities and put up for debate why one is acceptable and the other is not. What is the difference between love and lust? Do we have a choice about what turns us on, or is it nature rather than nurture? Even in a post legal gay marriage American, some religious fundamentalists still liken homosexuality to bestiality or pedophilia. Perhaps there are some taboos that are just too far for acceptance. Albee’s ambition was to get us to examine ourselves and to start a dialogue. This play will surely do that.

Through October 6th at Ridendell Theatre. 5779 N Ridge Ave. 312-219-4140

There’s something so effortlessly optimistic in the way the old meets the new in the charmingly vintage Chopin Theater. And it’s just the perfect fit for The House Theatre of Chicago that calls Chopin Theatre home. The House Theatre’s 17th season opens with a brand-new work written by guest artist Bennett Fisher and directed by Monty Cole, Borealis.

The main character of the play, a spunky thirteen-year-old girl named Cosbi (played by Tia Pinson) lives in an old rickety house with her brother Absalom, who works for an oil-mining corporation. Absalom’s part is played by The House Theatre’s veteran Desmond Grey, whose credits include The Nutcracker, Hatfield and McCoy, Death and Harry Houdini, as well as many others. When one day Absalom goes to work on the oil fields but then fails to come home, instead sending his sister a heavily redacted letter, worried Cosbi immediately sets off for Anwar, Alaska to find him. Armed with a sharp axe and a strong will to succeed, she makes her way through the jungles of the corporate world, encountering some hilariously bizarre corporate types (wearing cool outfits (design by Izumi Inaba) ) along the way. Some helpful employee at the corporation gives her a very important book on corporate communication strategy, and it proves indispensable. The vague language of the book works like magic, as no one is quite sure of what those words and phrases really mean, for as long as they sound authoritative enough. In Borealis a fairy-tale-like world is superimposed on the reality of Corporate America. Protocols need to be observed, the right pass will get you through the door, and coffee is the most important fuel. A highly coveted pastry (it sounded like a more complicated version of a cronut) can make or break your day. Corporate America never looked more fun.

The rest of the seven actors cast are Johnny Arena (Death and Harry Houdini, The Sparrow), Ben Hertel (Death and Harry Houdini, A Comedical Tragedy for Mister Punch, etc.), Paige Hoffman (Cave with Man, The Sparrow), MckKnzie Chinn (The House debut) and Karissa Murrel Myers (The House debut), some of them playing multiple parts. Scenic design by Eleanor Kahn deserves a special mention. A narrow catwalk-like stage is equipped with a wild mechanized contraption that is capable of unfolding, effectively turning itself into an extra stage, or simply used as a prop in a scene. Walls move and doors get spun around, creating an illusion of extra space and speed in the chase scene.

The House Theatre’s Borealis is being performed at Chopin Theatre through October 21st. For more information visit www.thehousetheatre.com.

Common sense dictates doing the right thing. On the surface, that seems obvious, but in August Wilson’s final play, Radio Golf, which premiered in 2005 and is receiving a timely and propulsive revival at Court Theatre, this is not at all clear. Though the characters are archetypal, and the situations contrived, it is precisely these extremes that cast the arguments of the play into sharp relief. What makes sense? No matter which side you choose in this examination of urban redevelopment, there is no outcome that benefits the residents of the Hill District or the protagonists of Wilson’s play, because no matter how far they have come, no matter what their ideals, it is 1997 and they are black and living in a racist America. Unfortunately, Wilson’s play has aged well—though broadly drawn, the events of the play are no less a reflection of American realities than they were two decades ago.

According to the program, director Ron OJ Parson has directed 25 productions of August Wilson’s plays. This is evident in his assured, lyrical work on this production. The characters are detailed, and the poetry of Wilson’s language emerges from the physical language of the blocking, so that the cracks in the sometimes conventional structure do not emerge until long after the final blackout. Though he allows Wilson’s humor to suffuse the evening, Parson has created a powerful and engrossing dialectic that offers much food for thought and few answers. Parson’s interpretation creates a sense of community and warm comradery among the characters, which accentuates the fact that the real threat lies beyond the action onstage. Given the surging poetry of Wilson’s script, it seems that this is the production that Wilson was writing to receive. Parson’s vision is complemented by a design team that is equally meticulous, setting the scene with unobtrusive but finely tuned details. Scenic designer Jack Magaw has created a grimy but well-appointed ground floor office for the Bedford Hills Development, Inc., jammed between neighboring buildings and accessed by a concrete stairwell. There are hints of the grandeur of the past in the tin ceiling and bay window, but the green-painted walls are stained, and the linoleum floor is more practical than elegant. Claire Chrzan lights most of the interior scenes in harsh, bright light, occasionally softened by practicals. She subtly shifts between moods and time, extending the magical realism to the windows of neighboring residences. Costume designer Rachel Anne Healy creates a period-perfect uniform for each character that allows each to evolve according to their fortunes, without veering into caricature. Sound designer Christopher M. LaPorte uses a funk-injected jazz score to set the tone, as well as contributing cool radio tracks and jarring sounds that invade the relative sanctuary of the office from the outside.

The cast of Radio Golf is uniformly excellent. As Harmond Wilks, the real estate developer hoping to bring back Pittsburgh’s Hill District while launching his bid to be mayor of both black and white citizens of the city, Allen Gilmore lends an Obama-esque, unruffled cool to his idealistic character, which gives way to almost petulant panic when he finds himself fighting for a future that seemed more secure than it turns out to be. As his golf-playing partner and newly-minted bank vice president Roosevelt Hicks, James Vincent Meredith is smoothly overbearing and casually abusive, while maintaining a boyish charm and ambition—he goes far enough in his self-serving tirades to draw derision but retains enough humanity to elicit sympathy. As Wilks’ wife, Mame Wilks, Ann Joseph is warm, no-nonsense and imperious; her attempt to open her husband’s eyes to the consequences of his choices for them both is heart-wrenching and powerful. Alfred H. Wilson plays Elder Joseph Barlow with a kinetic physicality that mirrors his scattershot philosophizing, rarely pausing as he reveals a strong gravitational center to his wandering thoughts. James T. Alfred brings comic timing and a self-aware physicality to the almost excessively forthright ex-con Sterling Johnson, who, while he has stopped punching everyone in the mouth to make himself feel good, still seems perfectly capable of doing so if he sees a need. As Wilks finds himself entangled in bonds that he thought had dissolved long ago, and Hicks finds himself presented with ways to turn his race into an asset, the battle lines are drawn, and it becomes clear that all the characters are casualties of a war that is being waged for profit by others, but there are promotions to be had if they join the winning side. As an ensemble, all the actors find the humor and good will in their characters, without allowing them to become bathetic or cartoonish. Though sometimes broadly drawn, each character finds his or her dignity in the sensitive and emotionally grounded portrayals onstage at Court.

Radio Golf alternates between laugh-out-loud (though at times decidedly un-PC) humor and incisive social commentary, spot-on examinations of familial and geographic loyalties and nearly stereotypical portraits of the members of a community and the different paths they take, and director Ron OJ Parsons and his expert cast, supported by a perfectly tuned design team, weave the tonal shifts into powerful, perfectly modulated quintet. On the surface, August Wilson’s final work may seem less haunting and lyrical than the previous plays of the ten-play Century Cycle that it completed, but this production belies that impression. Though some elements may seem facile, when the curtain comes down, one realizes that Wilson left behind a complex and uncompromising challenge for his audience. Wilson was an American who wrote about his country with awe, humor, rigor and compassion. In Radio Golf, he took on the issue of gentrification and redevelopment, and what happens when revitalization becomes disenfranchisement. In Court Theatre’s production, the play is an entertaining, empathetic and unyielding plea for doing the right thing, especially for those who wield the power to do so.

Radio Golf runs through September 30 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago. Tickets, priced $50 - $74, are available at the Court Theatre Box Office, but calling (773)753-4472, or online at www.CourtTheatre.org.

“God’s will” is often invoked as a reason for suffering in Barbara Lebow’s 1984 A Shayna Maidel, now being revived in a powerfully acted and impressively designed production at Timeline Theatre. While this might provide comfort to those who suffer, it also provides cover for those who caused the suffering. This point is made in the play, but the focus is on what people do survive, not on the circumstances that compel them to have to fight for survival. Taking place in 1946, it is a powerful tribute to the resilience of those who lived through Hitler’s Final Solution. As one family realizes that their estrangement is based on more than just miles and struggles to once again become as whole as possible, their perspectives and memories go beyond the lists of the dead to show the personal impact of not only hate, but ignorance, both willful and not. As the Holocaust slips further into history, it is important to remind people of its toll on humanity, and how easy it was to stay on the sidelines, allowing “God’s will” to be done.

A Shayna Maidel begins the generation before the main events of the play, in a Polish village in 1876, where a child is being born in the midst of a Russian pogrom. Fires burn, screams fill the air, and horses’ hooves thunder. The baby, Mordechai, is born without a cry, but he survives. Flash forward to 1946, and Rose Weiss is roused from sleep by pounding on the door. It is her father, Mordechai Weiss, now a successful store manager in New York City, waking Rose with the news that her sister, Lusia, has survived the concentration camps and will be coming to stay with her in a few days. Rose, who has recently gotten a job and the apartment that she is being ordered to share, is not happy that she is being given no choice in the matter. She has no memory of Lusia and her mother, whom she and Mordechai left behind in Poland when they came to America when she was four. Though she feels guilty about being the sister who was able to grow up American, Rose is as American as Mordechai raised her to be. She was able to ride out the Depression without pain and, though she has forced herself to watch newsreels of Nazi atrocities, Mordechai has isolated her from news of the family and her sympathy is from a distance. Lusia’s arrival brings it home.

Emily Berman’s haunted Lusia captures the steely resolve that kept her from giving up and keeps her looking for her husband when the search seems hopeless. Her careful movements and speech conceal the accumulation of loss and suffering, as well as the seething fury, that she cannot leave behind. As her sister Rose, Bri Sudia embodies the more mundane struggles she faces—working and creating her own life and identity despite her father’s objections—she is radiant, powerful and compassionate, despite her ignorance of the world she escaped. Initially resentful of having to take in her lost sister, Rose becomes an ally and friend as the bonds of blood and memory emerge. As the patriarch Mordechai, Charles Stransky fully realizes the imperious anger that both daughters remember, and the pride that reveals his love for them, but also played a role in their estrangement, a fact that he forces himself to ignore. Carin Silkaitis plays Mama with a warmth and pragmatism that reflects the character’s own strength in facing hardships. Weaving through Lusia’s memories are her husband Duvid and her best friend Hanna. We see Alex Stein’s Duvid go from cocky teenager, to proud husband worried about protecting the future of his family while still retaining his brash charm. As Hanna, Sarah Wisterman is bubbly and gregarious, hopeful and defiant in the face Nazi atrocities.

Director Vanessa Stalling has assembled a perfect cast and understands the importance of remembering the events that tear apart the Weiss family in Lebow’s play, though some flashbacks prove problematic, lending an elegiac quality that deprives the play of its contemporary relevance. Still, the moments that provide a reason to remember are powerfully rendered—the comparison of lists of the lost, the litany of causes for Lusia’s abandonment in Poland, the hope that runs through the tragedy, not as a weak last gasp, but as a powerful choice. It is this hope that makes the production worth checking out, even though the script sometimes threatens to relegate the threats faced by the Weiss family to the past, rather than reminding us that they still exist. Stalling’s design team finds the balance between the visceral and the mundane. The note-perfect set by Collette Pollard and props by Hillarie M. Shockley, with their cheery colors and all the luxuries that a 1946 walk-up might contain, ensure that the realistic story stays connected to the real stories it represents. Costume designer Samantha C. Jones likewise accents the reality of the time, from the Rose’s middle-class chic, to Mama’s peasant vibrance, to Lusia’s evolving wardrobe, from drab Red Cross issued dress to the relative elegance of the flower prints that echo her sister’s own clothes. Lighting designer Rachel K. Levy shifts her palette between the warm glow of the apartment and memories of childhood to the harsh saturated colors that define the realities of oppression. Sound designer and composer Jeffrey Levin creates a rich aural tapestry, with music ranging from klezmer to period pop, the music of the present and memories, and the terrifying sounds of violent onslaught.

It is important that the world never forget the Holocaust. A Shayna Maidel brings its memory to life, but it does not go far enough in showing us why it is important, nor placing blame where it belongs. It becomes too easy to shift the blame to Mordechai, with his imperious pride, rather than a world that turned away. This has nothing to do with Vanessa Stalling’s meticulous and impassioned Timeline Theatre production, which is a devastating reminder of events that are growing distant enough that their lessons are being daily—and sometimes deliberately—forgotten. Emily Berman’s Lusia embodies the hope and strength required to survive crushing loss and abandonment, while Bri Sudia’s Rose shows the genuine value of empathy. As Mordechai, Charles Stransky finds the compassion behind his character’s overbearing demeanor, and the remainder of the ensemble show the tragedy of what was lost in the face of Nazi atrocities and the world’s wavering response. A Shayna Maidel, the play, misses opportunities to show the ongoing impact of ignoring ethnic cleansing and genocide—connections made, but not pursued. However, the members of Lebow’s fictional Weiss family and their journeys provide many indelible moments of recognition, recrimination, love and loss.

A Shayna Maidel runs through November 4 at Timeline Theatre Company, 615 W. Wellington, Chicago. Performances take place Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 pm and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets are available at timelinetheatre.com or by calling the box office at (773)281-8463 x 6.

*Extended through December 2nd