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Perfect
By Philip Dawkins
Produced by Side Project
1439 W Jarvis
Chicago, IL
Tickets: 773-973-2150 or www.thesideproject.net, $15
Thur-Sat at 8:00 p.m., Sun at 2:00 p.m.
Running time is two hours with one intermission
Through March 1st
In Search of Perfection
What is perfect? Things can be perfect; life itself can be perfect; and even the least perfect among us can be perfect. Contexts shift; time moves on. In Philip Dawkins’ new play Perfect, now in its world premiere at Side Project Theatre, perfection, like her lesser cousin beauty, resides in the eye of the beholder.
Side Project veteran Steven Cone directs the funny but edgy tale of high-school senior Natalie Unger (Madeline Long) and her sexual encounter with Robert (Will Schutz), a 37-year-old developmentally challenged man whom she cares for through her after-school job with a local social services agency. To many, Natalie is the perfect young lady. She is the top student in her class and a gifted writer; she is a popular cheerleader; and she is a sincere, down-to-earth person. She has a perfect future ahead of her until things turn into a perfect mess.
Schutz is brilliant as the autistic Robby. His timing, mannerism and gaze convince while he is simultaneously funny and endearing. Long masterfully navigates the complex Natalie and the play between the two leads is strong. Newcomer Thomas Whittington does a standup job as Natalie’s jock boy pal Trevor and a veteran cast that includes the popular Will Kinnear as school counselor Hal Barrett round out the show. Cone’s direction is lively and allows the humor of the material to drive the thought provoking and interesting plot. His light touch has actors lined up like football players on a bench as they await their turn to get into the fast-paced action in the tiny Side Project space.
In between the laughs the audience is left to ponder who the abuser in this unlikely and thoroughly taboo relationship is. Natalie is the seductress but she’s also a minor. Robby is 37, but mentally a child. Could it be that they are just two kids in love?…Unspeakable! And how different are they from the rest of us? This may not seem like the stuff of which light entertainment is made, but the show is definitely more funny than sad and at least as tender as it is edgy. As I said, contexts shift and time moves on. From afar the concept seems too weird, but for the two hours I was in the theatre it was a very satisfying theatrical experience that was frankly…perfect.
Highly Recommended
Randy Hardwick
randyontheglobe@yahoo.com for comments
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2008
Jeff Recommended
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