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Men of Tortuga
By Jason Wells
Produced by Profiles Theatre
4147 N Broadway
Chicago, IL
Tickets: 773-549-1815 or www.profilestheatre.org, $25-$30
Thu thru Sat at 8:00 pm, Sun at 7:00 pm
Running time is 1 hour 40 minutes with no intermission
Through December 7th
Veteran Cast Shines in Highly Original Men of Tortuga
Men of Tortuga, now running at Profiles Theatre, is one of those shows that make you realize what a great theatre town Chicago is. Developed in 2005 under the auspices of Steppenwolf Theatre’s New Plays Initiative and presented to rave reviews as part of their First Look Repertory of New Work that year, the show is in its first regular Chicago production. It is a highly original work that recounts the story of a group of power brokers in a nameless land who are bent on protecting their wealth through the assassination of a political rival. The play asks the question, “How far would you go?” The assassination plot provides a powerful dramatic vehicle for five very powerful actors as well as some of the sharpest humor you will see this season.
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Darrell W. Cox returns to Men of Tortuga as the hired assassin Taggart, a role that he originated at Steppenwolf. He is joined by other Profiles veterans Todd Lahrman, Jack McCabe, and Fred A. Wellisch as the wealthy conspirators with Eric Burgher as a young idealist who gets caught up in the twisted plot. As the need for certainty of success grows, the plot moves from bullets to missiles and chemical agents and the conspirators must confront the moral issue of innocent blood shed in political causes. Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder directs. Snyder’s list of credits as director and performer is already enormous, but he scores a major hit with this production of Men of Tortuga. Snyder knows how to work his actors and with this quintet he has a lot to work with. For talent, Men of Tortuga is an embarrassment of riches and the script is a rare combination of dramatic acting and humor that is both entertaining and thought provoking.
As much as Snyder can work his actors, the production staff at Profiles knows how to milk their tiny storefront. Wayne Karl’s very efficient boardroom set is elegant in its simplicity and the lighting and sound design from Jessica Harpenau and Eric Burgher move the show seamlessly. The company has even managed an extra few rows of comfortable seating for this show, which is a good thing since it is certain to draw crowds as word spreads. Profiles’ reputation as one of the best of Chicago’s artistic storefronts is definitely intact as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. This show is a must-see for serious theatre buffs.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Randy Hardwick
randyontheglobe@yahoo.com for commnets
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2008
Jeff Recommended
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