New Review Posted: Code of Ethnics

Centerstage has posted my review of Code of Ethnics, a new sketch show. It's only got a few good sketches, but there's reason to hope they'll improve.

Also, I was struck by how different the sketch and theatre audiences are. Very raucous, plenty of drinking. Maybe theatre could use a little more of that energy...

Anyhow, here's the text:

The Chicago sketch-comedy scene is vibrant but rarely reflects the diversity of the city. So the existence of Urban Indigenous, a multi-ethnic sketch troupe, is good news in and of itself. Unfortunately, "Code of Ethnics," the group's first full-length show, only rarely capitalizes on its potential: there are some great laughs, but too often the clever ideas fail to pay off.

Some of the sketches hinge on the exploitation of ethnic stereotypes: the fight between Asian and Latino gangs for the loyalty of a mixed-race man, or an Asian math team captain belittling any non-Asian who wants to be on the team, and hounding the Asian man who got only a 97 on his last test. They are great setups, but too many of the jokes come from simply repeating stereotypes, without any surprises or new insights. Other sketches don't address matters of ethnicity at all, with varying results: a sketch set in an elementary school classroom is more confusing than funny, but a sketch with beverages at the grocery store arguing over which is the best was the funniest of the night. There's clearly talent in the performing and writing, but at the moment there's not enough discipline: directors Josie Dykas and Eduardo N. Martinez need to be ruthless about cutting unfunny sketches and keeping the performers at their best. In all fairness, the audience was having a raucous good time, and I hadn't had anything to drink, which might not have made me the target audience. But for such a young group, there's real potential. Hopefully in their next show, they'll live up to their funniest material and produce great shows.

Catching Up On Seasons

Five more theatres announced their seasons recently. I am shamefully behind on reporting them, but here they are. For those not up for reading the whole thing, the companies, in order, are: Porchlight, Chicago Shakespeare, Writers' Theatre, American Theatre Company, and Northlight.

Porchlight Theatre, performing at Theatre Building Chicago, has four shows in 2010-2011:

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Sunday in the Park with George is the moving study of the enigmatic painter Georges Seurat. The inarticulate Seurat fights a losing battle to maintain a relationship with his mistress Dot as he creates his painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” amid the scorn of the artistic community. Almost 100 years later, his American descendant, also an artist, is burned out and uncertain of the path he must take. The show will run from September 10 to October 31, 2010.

Quite a show. Not completely successful (especially Act II), but some of Sondheim's most beautiful music, and not that frequently produced. Expect competition for the roles to be fierce.

As an added holiday attraction, Porchlight will revisit the traditional holiday favorite, Miracle on 34th Street from November 19, 2010 to January 2, 2011. This production combines the classic story from the film with traditional holiday music. When a white-bearded gentleman claims to be the real Santa Claus he brings about a genuine ‘Miracle on 34th Street,’ spreading a wave of love throughout New York City. Families are encouraged to bring the kids to see Miracle on 34th Street as their first theatrical experience. Following each performance, the audience is invited to visit with Santa Claus and share a Christmas wish.

Apparently it did quite well for them this season, so they're bringing it back next. Sounds a little theatrically flimsy to me, but popular holiday shows finance a lot of good things.

Porchlight is pleased to present the Midwest premiere of Meet John Doe, a production that has become the rising star on the musical theatre scene, from March 4 to April 17, 2011. Based on the classic movie by Frank Capra, Meet John Doe follows a plucky journalist who fabricates a letter written by "John Doe," threatening suicide over unemployment and slimy politics. Reaction to the letter prompts the paper to hire a public face for the crusade, an out-of-work baseball player who quickly becomes an icon for the oppressed. This new work received seven Helen Hayes nominations in its original production.

Very interesting. I don't know the movie, but it's regarded as a classic of its time. And what better time than ours for a story of the degraded state of politics, economy, and the media?

Porchlight will present its first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I, from April 22 to June 5, 2011. This ambitious project will feature grand storytelling in an intimate setting. As America fights its civil war, Anna, an English widow, sails to Bangkok with her young son to tutor the wives and children of the King of Siam. The King wishes Siam to have a larger role on the world stage while simultaneously maintaining its traditions, including slavery, and he increasingly turns to Anna for advice. Featuring such classics as “Shall We Dance” and “Getting to Know You,” The King and I is the story of a man and a woman with matching intelligence and strength, but clashing personalities, prejudices and politics.

Great show, and it's been a while since Chicago saw a large-scale production. I'd be interested to see it in an intimate house like that at TBC.

Next up is Chicago Shakespeare, the behemoth on Navy Pier:

Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
directed by Gale Edwards
in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater
September 15 – November 14, 2010

Pure and hot, passionate and true—the feverish intensity of youth explodes on CST's stage in the most celebrated love story of all time. Passion stirs the blood of young lovers and feuding families, hurling their fates to destiny—and captivating an audience left breathless. World-renowned Australian director Gale Edwards, whose work has been seen at the Royal Shakespeare Company and across America, makes her CST debut with a startling landmark production—promising to ignite the Bard's poetry on Chicago Shakespeare's stage.

It's rather strange that CST is programming this show again--it was just performed there five years ago. But people will always love this show, and Edwards is a prominent director in world theatre, so it may be worth redoing so soon.

As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
directed by Gary Griffin
in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater
January 5 – March 6, 2011


An idyllic Forest of Arden provides the lush backdrop for Shakespeare's glorious romantic comedy of courtiers, clowns, philosophers and provincials—all bewitched by the trials and triumphs of love. Disguised as a boy, Rosalind escapes the perilous Court—only to find her heart in peril, as she instructs the very man she loves on how best to woo a woman. CST's Tony-nominated Associate Director Gary Griffin stages this tale of mistaken identity and misguided affection, following his wildly successful CST productions of Private Lives and Amadeus.

I've always had a real affection for this show, and it's been ten years since it was seen on the pier (though it was seen at Writers' in 2008). Still, it's a gorgeous show, and not produced quite as frequently as some of Shakespeare's other classic comedies. I'm very excited.

The Madness of George III
by Alan Bennett
directed by Penny Metropulos
in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater
April 13 – June 12, 2011


Tony Award-winning British playwright Alan Bennett (The History Boys) has garnered worldwide acclaim as "arguably the best playwright in England" (The New York Times). This sharply witty, surprisingly heartfelt story chronicles the palace intrigue surrounding King George III's struggle to maintain political power, aided by the love of his devoted queen. The monarch's endearing exultations and fiery rage evoke an 18th-century King Lear. Celebrated director Penny Metropulos, who spent 19 seasons with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, stages this marvelously intelligent masterpiece.

The play has a very good reputation, and was quite popular in the early 1990s (spawning a movie, retitled The Madness of King George), but is rarely performed anymore, probably for money reasons. I'm very excited to see it, particularly after loving Bennett's The History Boys so much. Also, CST always puts plenty into the technical aspects, which will make the pretty costume lover in me salivate.

There will also apparently be a play in the Upstairs Theatre, directed by Artistic Director Barbara Gaines (all still TBA), as well as the World's Stage series, bringing Omphile Molusi's Itsoseng from South Africa, the spectacular Aurelia's Oratorio, from France's Aurelia Thierree, and Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan, from the Druid Theatre in Galway, Ireland, directed by Garry Hynes. The Children's Theatre series will include a new adaptation of The Emperor's New Clothes, score by Alan Schmuckler, book by David Holstein, this summer and a Short Shakespeare version of Macbeth in January.

Writers' Theatre, up in Glencoe, has announced a particularly ambitious season:

She Loves Me
Book by JOE MASTEROFF
Music by JERRY BOCK
Lyrics by SHELDON HARNICK
Musical Direction by BEN JOHNSON
Directed by Artistic Director MICHAEL HALBERSTAM
September 14 – November 21, 2010 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court


Set in a 1930’s European perfumery, we meet shop clerks Amalia and Georg, who more often than not, don’t see eye to eye. After both respond to a “lonely hearts" advertisement in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Discover with Amalia and Georg the identity of their true loves and all the twists and turns along the way!

This is high on my list of favorite musicals ever: Bock and Harnick's most gorgeous music, an utterly charming book, and deliciously romantic. It's the kind of show that turns cynical theatre experts into gushing romantics. Not gonna lie, I can't wait.

Do the Hustle
By BRETT NEVEU
Directed by WILLIAM BROWN
January 25 – March 20, 2011 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court


Sam and Eddie Sisson are more than just father and son, they’re a crack team of hustlers always looking for the next mark. Sam, just a teenager who has practically raised himself, now wants to distinguish himself from his father and strike out on his own. Eddie doesn’t want to let his son go without one final hustle, which could bring in their biggest take yet—but could ultimately tear them apart.

Neveu's a highly respected Chicago playwright, though I've never seen one of his plays, shame on me. Writers' produced his Old Glory in 2009 to good responses, and the premise is fascinating, so I'm intrigued.

Heartbreak House
By GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
Directed by WILLIAM BROWN
April 19 – June 26, 2011 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court


In the English countryside on the estate of Captain Shotover, an extraordinary assemblage of guests gather to reunite. Affairs begin, engagements end and hearts and minds become irreparably ensnared in a young women’s dilemma—whether to marry for love or for money. George Bernard Shaw—the master of wit and social thought—bitingly chronicles the demise of the leisure class in his favorite play, Heartbreak House.

I'm pretty damn excited about this as well. Heartbreak House is in my top three favorite Shaw plays (Saint Joan and Man and Superman are the others, if you're curious), and Shaw himself ranks very highly in my personal pantheon. This play's a stunner--funny, but very dark. It's basically a portrait of Britain in decline and the world about to explode into World War One. It was at the Goodman a few years back and I missed it, so I very much want to see it now.

The regular season will also include one show to be announced--in the 50-seat Books on Vernon space--and this intriguing special event, currently available to be purchased only for subscribers:

The Detective's Wife
By KEITH HUFF
Directed by GARY GRIFFIN
June 7 – July 31, 2011 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue


Alice Conroy is the mother of two grown children, owner of a frame shop and wife of a Chicago homicide detective. When her husband is gunned down on the job, she sets out to find out who did it...and why.


Only Subscribers and Members have the exclusive opportunity to guarantee their seats now for The Detective's Wife by Keith Huff, one of Chicago’s hottest playwrights, fresh from his record-breaking Broadway premiere!

This looks quite interesting--Huff had a significant success in Chicago with A Steady Rain (also about Chicago cops), which went on to break records in the Daniel Craig/Hugh Jackman Broadway run. Robertson is one of Chicago's most beloved actresses and Griffin one of the town's most successful directors (though generally with larger-scale shows). And it's a limited engagement in a 50-seat theatre, so tickets will probably be all but impossible to get. If it works, though, it'll be spectacular.

Next up is the ever-controversial American Theatre Company, headed by lovable scamp PJ Papparelli.

the Mamet Repertory
Oleanna
Written by David Mamet
Directed by Rick Snyder
With Darrell W. Cox as John and Mattie Hawkinson as Carol


New England. 1995. A university professor’s tenure dissolves when a student claims sexual harassment. Mamet pits the genders in a moral minefield in his most controversial and provocative play.


Speed-the-Plow
Written by David Mamet
Directed by Jaime Castañeda
With Lance Baker as Charlie Fox, Darrell W. Cox as Bobby Gould, and Mattie Hawkinson as Karen


Hollywood. 1985. Two Hollywood producers hit meltdown when their idealistic secretary turns the tables on their plans to make the next blockbuster. Mamet cracks open the ultimate choice for any artist in America: social change or financial gain.

Sigh. More Mamet. I know he's an original voice in American theatre, but I've never thought the voice actually had much to say, aside from a sort of generalized cynicism about people in general and women in particular. Oleanna is one of his most obnoxious plays, a supposed battle of the sexes that the guy wins easily. It plays a lot more like a hit job on feminism and political correctness. Speed-the-Plow, which I've only read, is a funny Hollywood satire, if not terribly penetrating. The cast is great though: Baker was smashing in last spring's Mauritius at Northlight, Hawkinson tore it up opposite William Petersen in Blackbird, and Cox is the city's leading interpreter of skeevy guys, as can be seen in the current Profiles Theatre production of Killer Joe.

a Chicago holiday tradition
It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play
Based on the Frank Capra film
Directed by Jason W. Gerace


Bedford Falls. 1948. Back for its ninth year, ATC transforms its space into a 1940’s radio studio to tell Capra’s classic story of one man’s effect on his community. Free milk and cookies are served after every show.

The theatre's holiday show. Apparently it's quite charming and delightful. Hopefully it also gets into the weird and uncomfortable  dark side of the story as well--it isn't the shiny happy movie that many people remember.

world premiere
The Big Meal
Written by Dan LeFranc
Directed by Dexter Bullard


An American Restaurant. Today. In an electrifying 80-minute theatrical ride, eight actors present the quintessential dinner moments from five generations of a modern American family. From their first kiss to their secret affairs, this strangely recognizable family explores life, love and loss over chicken fingers and mac ‘n’ cheese at America’s dinner table.

A strong idea for a show--if reminiscent of A. R. Gurney's The Dining Room--so it should be interesting. I know nothing about the playwright, but it has potential.

the musical event of the season
The Original Grease
Book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Directed by PJ Paparelli


Chicago. 1959. Before two movies and three Broadway productions, Summer Nights happened on Foster Beach and the rule-the-school T-Birds were a group of working class outsiders living on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Including never-before-heard music, lyrics and scenes, author Jim Jacobs teams up with Artistic Director PJ Paparelli to bring to life for the first time since 1971 the original R-Rated version of the world’s most famous movie musical.

I never in my life thought I'd say this but: I am extremely excited to see this new production of Grease. The original Chicago version, nearly 40 years ago (!), was apparently much darker and lewder, with a sharper satirical edge. Hopefully it will also avoid the creepiness of the version we currently know, which basically puts a big smiley-face on the idea that girls should give up their principles and identities in order to make men happy by conforming. Plus, Chicago references are always fun. So yes, I'm very excited for this production.

And finally we have Northlight Theatre in Skokie, where I interned in fall 2008, with a very intriguing slate.

Daddy Long Legs
Based on the novel by Jean Webster | Book by John Caird | Music & Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Directed by John Caird
Presented in co-production with Rubicon Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and TheatreWorks.
September 16 - October 24, 2010
A NEW MUSICAL FROM THE TONY AND OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR OF LES MISERABLES AND THE CREATORS OF JANE EYRE


Jerusha Abbott's prayers seem answered when the generosity of an anonymous gentleman allows her to move from orphanage to university. Through her grateful letters, Jerusha shares her life with her mysterious benefactor as she grows into an intelligent, independent New American Woman and discovers a budding romance with a wealthy young suitor. Yet there is one startling fact that Jerusha has yet to uncover-one that will change her life forever. A charming and unique musical love story!

This is a much adapted story (at least one previous stage version and at least four films), and this production has been making the rounds (I believe this is the third production). I don't know much about the show, but Caird has had some major hits. (Though Caird and Gordon's last big show, Jane Eyre, was not terribly successful.) I'm still excited though--it could really be something.

A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration
By Paula Vogel
Directed by Henry Godinez
November 11 - December 19, 2010

On Christmas Eve in 1864, a fugitive from slavery and her young daughter have become separated in unfamiliar Washington DC. As the desperate mother searches the snowy streets for her child and Mary Todd Lincoln searches for the perfect Christmas tree for the White House, familiar faces from our nation's history cross paths and storylines in this uplifting epic filled with traditional music and themes of family, reconciliation and communal hope. The perfect holiday fare for all ages and faiths!

I've been fascinated by this one since I first read about the initial regional productions a couple of seasons ago. Fertile setting, lots of music, and what looks like an original perspective on history--and Vogel's work is always worth a look.

Eclipsed
By Danai Gurira
January 13 - February 20, 2011

Amid the wreckage of the Liberian civil war, the "wives" of a rebel officer band together to form a fragile community-until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of two newcomers, and the return of a former "wife" turned rebel soldier. As the war draws to a close, each must discover her own personal means of survival in this deeply felt portrait of women finding and testing their own strength.

This one has gotten very strong responses in other productions, so I'm excited to see it. One could say that this is riding on Ruined's coat tails, but even if it is (which I don't believe), that can be a good thing--we certainly don't see very many stories from Africa, especially women's stories. And Gurira's work has been very highly praised before, so more of her plays onstage is always good.

Sense and Sensibility
By Jon Jory | Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Jon Jory
March 10 - April 17, 2011
World Premiere!
A lack of family fortune means difficult marriage prospects for the Dashwood sisters- two girls who couldn't be more different. Both are seeking a husband, but find that neither Elinor's common sense nor Marianne's passion offer a key to happiness. Startling secrets and unexpected twists line the path to true love in this tale of flirtation and folly, based on Jane Austen's first novel.

Northlight had a big hit with an adaptation of Austen's Pride and Prejudice in 2005, and Jory is a legend in American theatre--he ran the Actor's Theatre of Louisville for many years and founded the Humana Festival of new plays while there. Looks like it will be a delightful show.

The Outgoing Tide
By Bruce Graham
Directed by BJ Jones
Featuring John Mahoney
May 12 - June 19, 2011
World Premiere!


In a summer cottage on the bank of Chesapeake Bay, Gunner has hatched an unorthodox plan to secure his family's future but meets with resistance from his wife and son, who have plans of their own. As winter approaches, the three must quickly find common ground and come to an understanding-before the tide goes out. This new drama hums with dark humor and powerful emotion.

The description doesn't give much away, and I'm not familiar with Graham's work, but hey, a world premiere starring John Mahoney. I'm intrigued.

So that's all until the next announcement--let's hope the season lives up to its potential!

Killer Joe Moves Downtown

As Chris Jones reported, Profiles Theatre's production of Killer Joe, Tracy Letts' first play, is transferring to the Royal George cabaret space on April 15th. It's a much larger theatre, and a pretty lengthy run. Profiles seems to have the winning combination, in the past year Graceland and The Mercy Seat both saw highly successful, extended runs.

Killer Joe is definitely an acquired taste--it's extremely nasty and exploitative, and full of violence, much of which has a sexualized edge. I thought it was quite powerful, but some really didn't enjoy the experience. My original review is here.

New Review Posted: Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Centerstage has posted my review of Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons), which Remy Bumppo is doing at the Greenhouse Theatre Center. This play (and the film adaptation) is one of my very favorites, and it was great to finally see it live. It wasn't perfect, true, but it's still a smashing entertainment. It's not to everyone's taste, but I had a wonderful time. If you enjoy pretty clothes and ugly souls, go. Here's the text:

For some theatergoers, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," adapted by Christopher Hampton from Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' notorious 1782 novel, is irresistible: witty people in gorgeous clothes behaving horribly toward each other. It's tremendously malicious entertainment, great fun until the human cost becomes distressingly clear. Some argue that it's all a little hollow, or that the moral reckoning comes too late, but in a strong production — and despite a few problems, this is a very strong production — the play just works. It's hard to argue with a show this tasty.


Le Vicomte de Valmont (Nick Sandys) and Mme. De Merteuil (Rebecca Spence), friends and former lovers in prerevolutionary France, pass their time by seducing, manipulating, and destroying unsuspecting victims. Merteuil, seeking revenge on a man who spurned her, sets Valmont the task of deflowering Cecile (Margaret Katch), 15 and just out of the convent, while he aims for Mme. De Tourvel (Linda Gillum), famed for her happy marriage and strong religious convictions. The plans work at first, but soon go wrong, with ghastly consequences.


Hampton's adaptation remains a wonder; the plotting is clear and frequently gripping, it's full of hilarious, quotable lines, and it generally handles the transition from comedy to tragedy well (though the Valmont/Tourvel relationship doesn't quite work). Embracing the story's excesses, director David Darlow keeps the action fast and fluid (the play feels far shorter than its 2:45 running time), and is helped by superb designs, with Emily Waecker's sumptuous costumes particularly standing out. With one unfortunate exception (Gillum, oddly flat), the performances capture the play's arch, barbed tone perfectly, with Sandys, languid and deadly as a coiled snake, Spence, steely behind her sweet facade, and Katch, far more than the silly girl she appears, particularly standing out.


There's little redeeming social value, but it would be hard to find a more seductive look at humanity's very worst impulses.

The Stephen Sondheim Theatre

Joining the ranks of artists like O'Neill, Rodgers, Gershwin, and Hirschfield (and producers and money men like Golden, Minskoff, Schoenfeld, and Jacobs), Stephen Sondheim will have a theatre named for him on Broadway. As Playbill reported, the Roundabout will name the theatre currently known as the Henry Miller's Theatre (a Broadway actor and theatre owner little known today) for Sondheim after the current tenant, Dame Edna and Michael Feinstein's All About Me closes. (While the Roundabout has a long-term lease on the recently-renovated theatre, they are renting it to commercial producers for the current production.) The renaming was announced last night at a Roundabout gala honoring Sondheim on his 80th birthday. Roundabout has said that the renaming is due to a gift from a group of musical lovers to the theatre. The names of the group and the size of the gift have not been announced.

I'm personally pleased--more honors for Sondheim are always a good thing. And if I ever see a show there, you can bet I'll say "I'm going to spend the night at Stephen Sondheim's."

Happy Birthday Mr. Sondheim

Today marks the 80th birthday of Stephen Sondheim. I doubt it causes much controversy any more to call him the greatest living musical theatre artist. Hell, aside from the odd Edward Albee partisan, I imagine calling him the greatest living theatre artist would not raise many eyebrows any more. He has been lucky enough to see his status go from fringe figure to great man of the theatre in his own lifetime.

I'm not going to go into a lengthy discussion of why he's the best, because others have done it far better than I. I can just say that discovering his musicals made me fall even more in love with the art form, and they've brought me great joy, intense feelings that run the gamut, and real moments of transcendence throughout my life. He's an artist, one of the great ones in theatre history, and I'm so grateful that he exists.

So if you own his cast albums, go listen to them today. If you don't, borrow and copy them from a friend, or look up Company or Follies or A Little Night Music or Sweeney Todd on youtube. It will be worth the effort.

And happy birthday, Steve. My wish is that you give us much more to hear and see. Blow out the candles.

New Review Posted: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Centerstage has posted my review of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest at Gift. It's an odd one. I mention it at the start of my review, but this play outdoes itself in castration references and descriptions of women dominating and destroying men. You could practically make a drinking game from it. And this production, while well-acted, gave the time to think about these elements. It didn't quite have enough electricity...er, that's the wrong metaphor. It didn't grab you by the throat...that's no better. It didn't cut deep enough...crap,. forget it.

Here's the text:

There isn't space to write about the many bizarre elements in the script of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Dale Wasserman's 1963 stage adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel from a year earlier: there's distrust of psychiatry and all authority, a rather troubling "magical Indian Chief" character, and an extremely skewed attitude toward women (with a disturbing focus on castration), among many others. It makes watching the play in 2010 an odd experience.


Theaters still produce the play today, however, because of the rich acting roles and potential for hugely entertaining theatrical fireworks. John Kelly Connolly's Gift Theatre staging is moderately successful in that regard; there are many strong performances, but it falls short of gripping.


The play takes place at an Oregon mental hospital in 1959, ruled absolutely by the calm, sadistic Nurse Ratched (Alexandra Main). Randle P. McMurphy (Paul D'Addario), arrives from the work farm, committed after faking insanity to get an easier sentence. He soon discovers how wrong he is, and leads the inmates in a revolt against Ratched's authority.


Everyone in the cast of 20 is doing strong work: D'Addario brings a seedy edge to his iconic role, Main hides her nastiness behind a nearly implacable reserve, though we never really get a sense of what makes the character tick (that may be the fault of the writing), and Guy Massey, as the most articulate of the inmates, is delightful to watch.


But it never quite coheres into drama. Though rarely boring, it's also rarely compelling, and the stakes never get that high. It's always a pleasure to see a small company doing such an ambitious show, and there's lots of great stuff to see, but in the end it's too hard to get deeply involved.

If Only I Had a Research Grant

Okay, maybe it's just me, but have you ever been struck by a topic and thought of what an awesome topic it would make for someone's Master's thesis? Like, I don't know, a comparison of Jewish male sexuality in Philip Roth's Goodbye, Columbus and Michael Chabon's The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, or the evolution of the dead relative appearing on stage as a character, or something like that. Because I'm sometimes struck by such ideas, and wish I had the ability to follow them to their conclusions, or hire someone to do it for me.

Which is all by way of saying: If anyone wants to write "The Nightmares Came Today": Violence, Disorder, and the Apocalypse in the Works of David Bowie, they should contact me at their earliest convenience.

Blog Exclusive Review: The Somewhat Gelatinous Blob From Beyond The Grave (And Also the Grave's in Outer Space!)

So this is another one of those not-really reviews. Julia Weiss, the playwright, and I actually did a show together at the Cornservatory a couple of years ago, and we've stayed friendly since. But as I wanted to see the show (full title above, henceforth referred to as Blob) and the people at the Cornservatory wanted me to write about it, they were gracious enough to provide comps for me.

The show is a parody of 1950's-era B Movies with absurd monsters at the center. It's a genre ripe for parody--the films' cheapo productions values, confusing plots, clunky dialogue, and bizarre acting style are hilarious on their own. If done sloppily, a spoof would be more grating than funny--it's too easy to go way over the top. At its best, however, Blob simply puts one extra twist on top of the existing absurdity, and the results are sidesplitting. There are parts that go too long or get too broad, but there's more than enough of the best parts to make it a very fun show--especially for those who take advantage of the theatre's BYOB policy.

The plot involves the attack by the B.L.O.B. (Daniel Polonka), which stands for "Boogeranious Lifeform Orginating from Bylopsia X-25," we soon learn) on Washington DC. It's eating people, leaving behind only their metal jewelry, and no conventional weapons can stop it. Mr. President (Steve Thomas) and his advisors (David Kaniuk, Jim McDaniel, and Michael Schmitt) quickly come to the conclusion that the disappearing people must be the result of the "Commumicks": Irish Communists--Communist because they're destroying America, Irish because of the frequent appearance of the color green at the scene of the disappearance. They're so sure of themselves that they ignore the increasingly frantic insistences of Smittie (Kevin Anderson), a goevernment scientist, that they have a B.L.O.B. on their hands. Soon they send Smittie to rescue Midge (Katherine Schwartz), the President's daughter, from the office of the Sherriff (Matt Gripe), where she has been since seeing her boyfriend eaten by the B.L.O.B. Of course love will blossom between them as they race to the Pentagon to save America.

It's incredibly silly stuff, of course. But huge sections of it are deliriously funny. Anderson and Schwartz are just about perfect: they play the scenes straight enough to let the absurdity of the script shine through. It's also some of the best writing in the play, especially Smittie's ludicrously dramatic monologues. The rest of the play often rises to that level--McDaniel is particularly spot-on in his variety of roles. But there are sections where things are played too broadly: there are too many scenes of the B.L.O.B. wreaking destructions on innocents and they all go on for too long, a few characters are saddled with one-joke personalities, and there are points when it threatens to go off the rails.

But it doesn't. Despite the flaws, the whole thing's performed with enough commitment that it all works. (Credit director Anneliese Toft for keeping the cast mostly on the same page.) It won't change your life, but there are many moments when you'll laugh your ass off.

Blob... runs Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM through March 27th at the Cornservatory, 4210 N Lincoln Ave. Tickets, $7-15, at 312-409-6435 or http://www.cornservatory.ord/.

New Review Posted: Lower Debt

My review of LiveWire's Lower Debt is up on Centerstage. Sadly the show doesn't have much to recommend it, but I'm impressed that this is the first show I've seen this year in Chicago that wasn't worth a visit. Ah well. Anyhow, here's the text:

To give credit where it's due, Joshua Aaron Weinstein's new play "Lower Debt" is not a solemn tract about the people left behind by capitalism and forced to live in tent cities. Unfortunately it's hard to tell just what it is: poetic monologues sit next to meandering scenes, interrupted by black-and-white filmed sections, while no real plot shows up until about 20 minutes from the end. It's perplexing, to say the least, but not in a particularly interesting way. Despite some worthwhile performances, a strong staging and a few involving moments, it's mostly just dull.


After a pair of monologues with no apparent relation to the rest of the play, Claude (Malcolm Callan), his lover Val (Melissa diLeonardo) and her younger cousin (or sister - it isn't clear) Wendell (Annie Rix) discover an empty lot and claim it, charging rent for its use as a tent city. Meanwhile, CW (Brian P. Cicirello), an advertising copywriter, loses his job and is pulled into poverty by a combination of bad decisions and worse fortune. CW's scenes are shown as black-and-white movies until he arrives at the tent city — an interesting idea hampered by sound that makes it hard to understand most of the dialogue. For most of the show, though, we watch the various residents of the tent city go about their lives. There is vague rumbling about the characters' pasts and possible connections among them, but by the time revelations arrive they're too late — and too confusing — to make it worth the trouble.


There's good work here; Rebekah Scallet's staging is clear and always interesting to watch, Cicirello and Earliana McLaurin give engaging performances, and Anders Jacobson and Judy Radovsky's set is very evocative. But at this stage the script is still a bewildering muddle, and it's hard to care.