|
Botanic Garden
By Todd Logan
Directed by Olympia Dukakis
Produced by Canamac Productions & David Fettner
At Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater
2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
Call 773-871-3000, tickets $35
Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30
Saturdays at 4 & 7:30 pm
Sundays at 2:30 pm
Running time is 80 minutes without intermission
Through March 9, 2008
Daunting tale of letting go nicely performed.
Chicago playwright and humorist, Todd Logan (Tops or Bottoms & Persistence of Vision) has penned a moving, yet humorous tale of a woman, Kate (Carmen Roman) who is petrified to go on her first date after losing her husband of thirty years. The image of her husband, Jake (James Leaming) provokes memories of their marriage. Jake prods her to ‘go for it,’ go on a walk in the Botanic Garden with the guy.
 |
The real life married couple Carmen Roman and James Leaming, two Equity pros, serve the play well as they exude everything Logan has written and director Olympia Dukakis has staged. Both actors are wonderfully truthful. Each moves from playful banter to deep seed anger as they relive their bland marriage. There are some funny moments but awkward events seem to show that Kate never really loved Jake. And Jake comes off as a self-centered egotist. At the time Jake contracts cancer, their marriage has fizzled, turned cold and predictable. Jake states he “needs spark;” Kate wants sex and a return to a simpler life where Jake writes fiction rather than sales letters.
 |
While I enjoyed the strong, emotionally ranging performances by Roman and Leaming, the language of the play came off as more “playwright speak” than natural dialogue. This works goes deep into the Kate’s struggle to let go of Jake. My question is why since it sure seems that she never really loved him. I guess she just was mired in the routine of marriage? With Jake’s support, we see that he did love her as he pushes her to go on with life. That is love.
Todd Logan’s Botanic Garden is a serviceable and refreshing take on letting go and coping with death of a spouse. It is worth a look.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2008
|
