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Augusta
By Richard Dresser
Directed by Nora Dunn
At American Theatre Company (ATC)
1909 W. Byron
Chicago, IL
Call 773-929-1031, tickets $30 - $35
Wednesdays thru Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 4 & 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 90 minutes without intermission
Through March 2, 2008
Augusta offers a mixed bag of entertainment
In Richard Dresser’s Augusta, now on ATC stage, the playwright tried to write a comedy with strong dramatic elements and somewhat succeeded. His Augusta is a slowly paced work that has elements of humor built around a disturbing story of the working poor and an ambitious pure company-man aspiring to both seduce women under him and climb the corporate later. Augusta contains a satirical look at corporate life.
Set in a small town, Augusta finds Molly (Kate Buddeke, the middle aged everywoman) and Claire (Gwendolyn Whiteside), the young 20something uneducated naļve dreamer cleaning homes to make a living. Molly is trapped in an hourly waged position that barely allows her to survive while Claire is in a below minimum wage training position. They are working for a maid service. Their new boss, Jimmy (Ed Kross) is an obnoxious, pure corporate type right out of a generic corporate training video. Jimmy is a fast talking boss who loves corporate gossip and working secrets.
Molly is the ‘team leader’ who strikes up a friendship with Claire, her new trainee.Jimmy, ever the paranoid, tricks Claire into revealing secrets about Molly. Jimmy has eyes on Claire as he dangles job advancement to Claire for after work favors. This 90 minutes show has some terrific moments but the switch from comedy to drama and back throws the tone off. Ed Kross doesn’t come off nasty enough. Kate Buddeke is believable as the tired and trapped working poor laborer. Gwendolyn Whiteside delivers a spirited performance as the naļve newbie to the labor force. The attacks on the spirit of corporate culture are real. There are some plot twists that emerge as each struggle with how far they will go to secure financial security. This show has enough moments to be worthy.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2008
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