Invictus Theatre’s smashingly good Chicago production of Susan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog” brings us a dark comedy that is both gripping and layered. This Tony winner for its current Broadway revival incorporates all the qualities of a well-written play, steadily unfolding details of the brothers who share a derelict apartment—the plaster is falling, the sink is broken, the working bathroom is down the hall—with exposition artfully buried in the dialog.
Under the direction of Aaron Reese Boseman, the audience is drawn in the course of the play to learn these two black brothers were separated some 20 years ago from their parents, who named them as a macabre joke, then walked out when Booth was just 11 and Lincoln 16.
The two have made their way in the world by hustling for money. Booth (DeMorris Burrows) shoplifts and Lincoln (Mikha’el Amin) is a master at three-card monty, where he collects winnings from marks. Younger brother Booth longs to capture Lincoln’s mastery in cards, and when we first meet him alone in his apartment, he is practicing and practicing, struggling to gain his older brother’s finesse.
When Lincoln arrives, though, we learn he has given up cards, and is now working in an arcade, in white face, dressed as Lincoln: tophat, beard, frock coat and vest. Lincoln comes fresh from his work, where customers pay to shoot blank bullets at him, after which he dutifully dies. How’s that for a premise?
Lincoln gives Booth a hard time. "Bathroom's down the hall," Booth tells Lincoln, who needles his brother. "You're living in the third world, Booth." When Booth asks Lincoln to teach him how to succeed at three-card monty, Lincoln retorts, "I don't touch the cards," and refuses to teach him. Booth complains, "Here I am trying to make a living, and you're standing in my way." We immediately feel that this argument, and Booth's supplicant role, has played out many times.
Yet Lincoln also helps Booth, dispensing his earnings, yet Booth takes advantage of him, taking all but $13, then asking for five bucks back. What Booth really seeks is the recreation of the family of his childhood, when the two lived with their parents, as carefree children, with a treehouse, running a lemonade stand, playing practical jokes on their dad, and chowing down on their mother’s home cooking. Booth rearranges the furniture, to simulate the table around which they would gather during their upbringing. But Lincoln refuses this sentiment, putting it all back the way it has been when he arrived.
Into the mix are added intriguing entries: Booth tells his brother of witnessing his parents preparing to leave, a traumatic experience. He secretly retains a stocking filled with a parting gift, which he believes is money, but it is never opened during the play. Booth has a girlfriend, Grace, whom he plans to marry—yet she never appears, and when he returns from visiting her, Lincoln asks Booth for a blow-by-blow of the tryst. His recount sounds unconvincingly made-up, but the inebriated Lincoln only vaguely challenges Booth on this, then passes out.These components point to yearnings Booth holds, which Lincoln only partially shares.
Eventually, there is resolution of the action, the relationship, everything, that is both satisfying and disturbing. The actors here put everything on the boards; it's hard to imagine them recovering and doing this again, nightly. In his protrayal of Booth, Burrows is exacting, a range from humorous clowning, to high energy plaintive soliloquoy, while Mikha’el Amin's Lincoln gives a more restrained but emotionally evocative performance. This nuanced portrait of a brotherly relationship rings remarkably true. Anyone with a brother, or who knows brothers, will recognize the mix of adulation and aspiration in the younger sibling, and the kindly nurturance and meanness in the older one.
Driven from its tiny 35-seat quarters by a fire, Invictus has landed in the northside site renowned for its big sets and large enough to accommodate some riveting immersive theater. WIth existing lighting, sound, and set capability, this space allows for production values supporting in equal measure to Invictus' tradition of concentrating on the fullest expression of the script. Scenic design by Kevin Rolfs, props by Barbie Brown, costumes by Marquecia Jordan or on the mark. The touches of music by sound designer Petter Wahlback set mood at keep dramatic points, and lighting by Brandon Wardell and Josiah Croegaert illuminate and transition fully in sync with the action.
“Topdog/Underdog” carries all the ingredients of the formula for a hot production: an eminently incredible play, in its Chicago revival at the capacious and versatile Windy City Playhouse, the new digs for one of Chicago’s top acting troupes, Invictus. Definitely a must-see on all counts, "Topdog/Underdog" runs through March 31 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago.
Upon entering the beautifully decorated lobby of Teatro Zinzanni theater on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel, you are…
Just as there are many Santa’s around town, this time of year we have a wide selection of Christmas and…
Today, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) unveiled the full program for the second performance series of its 2024/2025 season, Season 47: Winter Series.…
David Sedaris, author of the previous bestsellers Calypso, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and regular…
Hell in Handbag is pleased to host a special weekend of benefit performances during its upcoming 25th anniversary edition of Rudolph the Red-Hosed…
The Hip Hop Nutcracker has returned to Chicago by popular demand and is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre…
[Reviewer’s Note: I’ve been reading a book whose main character is inveigled by Word of the Day; hence, I’ve striven…
Like a lot of people, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been mostly a cultural curiosity for much of my…
There is something magical about Chicago at Christmastime. Even if there is no snow on the ground, there is an…
Lights come down at the top of the show. We are clearly in a rehearsal hall as the ensemble lets…
Charm, romance and humor abound in the 2001 comedic masterpiece Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of…
Immediately following the gastronomical excesses of Thanksgiving are the monetary investments and personal sacrifices we make for Christmas. At the…
“No man is a failure who has friends,” is to film what “God bless us everyone” is to literature. Frank…
The Conspirators are proud to present the world premiere of Ayn Rand's "It's a Wonderful Life" as Performed by the Conspirators…
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce Fun Home: Behind the Show Backstory with Artistic Director Michael Weber, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7…
Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce MEAN GIRLS – the record-breaking new musical comedy adapted from the hit Paramount Pictures film…
After pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago's Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company is proud…
City Lit Theater has announced its cast and creative team for the Chicago Premiere of GLASSHEART, by Chicago-based playwright Reina…
Steppenwolf's cozy downstairs theater provided the ideal setting for an evening of outstanding and expressive dance by the highly acclaimed…
I arrived at the Goodman Theatre for the opening of its 47th annual production of A Christmas Carol, directed by…
If you’re looking for a way to entertain the children (or grandchildren) this holiday season that doesn’t involve long lines,…
In 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made.…
What the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I…
The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of…
Oil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2025 season, The Complete…
Chicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this holiday season. In support,…
Steep Theatre will kick off the new year with the Chicago Premiere of David Harrower's A Slow Air, directed by Steep…
The Driehaus Museum and the African American Museum of Performing Arts (AAMPA) announce the casting for A Nativity Tribute, an adaptation of Langston Hughes' gospel…
Overall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy…
When Francesca Zambello, director of The Glimmerglass Festival, commissioned an opera about race in America, the country was reeling from…
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.