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Huck Finn
Adapted for the stage by Laura Eason
Based on the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Directed by Edward Sobel
At Steppenwolf Theatre for Young Adults
1650 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL
Call 312-335-1650, tickets $12
Public performances at 11am on March 3-4, 10-11 & 17-18
Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission
Through March 18, 2007
Twain’s classic comes alive in charming production
Steppenwolf Theatre’s Young Adult’s Program, a series of adaptations mounted for teens, has produced some of the troupe’s finest works over the last few years. Their present work, Huck Finn, is another example of a terrific piece of theatre—not just a show to introduce teens to theatre. I liked every moment of this show from Jurgen Hooper’s fine Huck Finn to Bradley Mott’s The Duke to Steve Ratcliff’s scary and mean Pap to Laura Eason’s tight and smart adaptation. The quickly paced show has an added depth and atmosphere from the excellent folk/bluegrass tunes from Stanton Nash (fiddle), Erik Hellman (banjo/guitar/mandolin) and Kirk Anderson (guitar). These talents also doubled as actors.
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We see the adventures of Huck Finn, the rambunctious youthful adventurer, as he escapes from home life and his abusive father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River. He champions his friend, Jim (Chike Johnson in a strongly winning performance), a slave running away from being sold. Together they strike a bond of friendship that takes them through several amazing occurrences. This thrilling show grabs you with its charm, loveable characters and its uncompromising heart. This gem of American fiction is in the grips of Director Edward Sobel who has mounted a fine blend of story telling with nice touches of acoustic folk/bluegrass music composed by Rick Sims
Jurgen Hooper is effective as Huck and he gets help from the ensemble, many of which move from character parts to musicians or singers. Twain’s classic plays well to their targeted audience whose appreciation was loudly and vigorously demonstrated by their standing ovation. Kudos to Steppenwolf for continuing this terrific program. This show is treat for everyone.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2007
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