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The Time Of Your Life
By William Saroyan
Directed by Joseph Slowik
Produced by Provision Theater
At the Viaduct Theatre
3111 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-506-4429, tickets $25 - $20 Students, Thursdays industry $10
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through March 2, 2008
“Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed.”
William Saroyan
“IN THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE,
live—so that in the good time there shall
be no ugliness or death for yourself or for
any life your life touches. Seek goodness
everywhere, and when it is found, bring it
out of its hiding-place and let it be free and
unashamed. Place in matter and in flesh
the least of the values, for these are the
things that hold death and must pass away.
Discover in all things that which shines and
is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in
whatever heart it may have been driven into
secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror
of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is
unworthy of the clear eye and the kindly heart.
Be inferior of no man, nor of any man
be the superior. Remember that every man
is a variation of yourself. No man’s guilt is
not yours, nor is any man’s innocence a
thing apart. Despise evil and ungodliness,
but not men of ungodliness or evil. These,
understand. Have no shame in being kindly
and gentle, but if the time comes in the
time of your life to kill, kill and have no
regret. In the time of your life, live – so
that in that wondrous time you shall not
add to the mystery and sorrow of the world,
but shall smile to the infinite delight and
mystery of it.”
William Saroyan, The Time Of Your Life
Provision Theatre has mounted a masterpiece with Saroyan’s modern morality play, The Time of Your Life
Take a beautiful script and place it in the hands of a master director (Joseph Slowik) and then cast 22 terrific actors placing them on a realistic honky-tonk wharf bar (set design by John Zuiker) circa 1939 and you have a magical evening of theatre! I was thrilled with Provision’s production and it mirrored the fabulous Steppenwolf production from November of 2002.
The world needs to witness The Time of Your Life. It personifies what America is about as director Joseph Slowik gives us an open and honest view of Saroyan’s 1939 San Francisco.
From the moment we enter the theatre, we become part of the play as we see a barroom with patrons drinking beer and playing pinball. Obviously, everyone is welcome at Nick’s since it has a nurturing atmosphere. The waterfront is alive with losers who find sanctuary here.
I voluntarily entered their world and spent a couple of hours “living in the moment” with them in their community. They taught me to live now, this moment, for who knows what will happen next? They made me realize that basically most men are good and dream the same dreams as I do. I left reassured in the belief that the world is full of kindness and hope. Only a live stage play produced and performed by master craftsmen and written by a genius could evoke such emotions. The Time Of Your Life is one of those plays.
The Storyline: Nick’s (Philip Wasik) Pacific Street Saloon in San Francisco is a haven for lost souls in the waning days of the Great Depression. America and the world are on the brink of war. The benign catalyst of this group of outcasts is Joe (Tim Gregory in a tour de force performance) a kindly and enigmatic guardian angel type who encourages everyone to seek goodness and dignity – to live in the time of their lives. When his trusting and naļve friend, Tom (Tucker Curtis), falls in love with a prostitute, Joe defends their love against the brutalities and cynicism of conventional society. The barroom becomes a character and the natural hospitality of the place together with Nick’s kindness toward everyone loosens the tongues of the patrons.
We hear several hilarious conversations from disenfranchised characters: the fanatical bum with only one phrase in his head, the young man madly in love, the disillusioned cop and the braggart cattle wrangler with wild stories of the West are unique characters that Saroyan lets speak their minds as they imbibe Nick’s drinks.
As a playwright, William Saroyan pushed the boundaries in form, focusing his work on mood and atmosphere rather than plot. This freshness is entrancing.“The form is not absent; it’s just an unfamiliar form. They are used to physical progress but in The Time Of Your Life, the spiritual and progressive values keep moving forward.” William Saroyan
He experimented with forms that were later developed by “beat” writers (Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg) and the magical realists (Jose Rivera and Gabriel Garcia Marquez).
Saroyan described his plays as:
“A play, a dream, a poem, a travesty, a fable, a symphony, a parable, a comedy, a tragedy, a farce, a vaudeville, a song and dance, a statement on money, a report on life, an essay on art and religion, a theatrical entertainment, a circus, anything you like, whatever you please.”
The Time Of Your Life is certainly a vaudevillian fable and a mural as well as a nostalgic character work whose core value is inclusion, to live together now, in this instant. He believes people strive to be good and given the chance will be good. Hope, honesty and kindness are basic human traits that expound here. This 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning ensemble play, alive with music, is a sweet and funny portrait of eccentric lives and the compassion that binds them. Howard Savage deftly plays Gershwin and Porter on the piano to create an underscore to the action.
With 22 wonderful actors and the marvelous set creating the atmosphere necessary to tell Saroyan’s story. 30’s nostalgia leaps upon us. Joseph Slowik’s vision gives this period piece a freshness that rings true in these maddening times.
But it’s the phenomenal ensemble that makes this show so terrific. Philip Wasil, as Nick, is convincing as the humane saloon boss who loves everyone. Tim Gregory, as Joe, gives one of the finest performances seen in years as the mysterious, guilt-ridden insightful patron who gets pleasure from making dreams come true for others. Gregory makes Joe one of the most memorable theatrical characters. Tim Gregory exudes charm and humanity.
Tucker Curtis as the naļve Tom and Tien Doman as Kitty Duval offer gut -wrenching performances. Alan Schmuckler as the song and dance comic Harry is wonderful as a sort of MC for the show in the role that made Gene Kelly a star. This is Schmuckler’s best work to date. So many excellent performances make this the kind of show that you want to experience again. From the funny gum chewing scene to Harry’s corny jokes to Tom’s unconditional love for Kitty to Nick’s concern for all his patrons to Joe’s kindness to everyone – The Time Of Your Life renews our hope for humanity and our faith in the goodness of human nature. William Saroyan, like Frank Capra, understands the optimism of the American people and the belief that ultimately good wins over evil. This wonderful show is a poetic tribute to optimism and dreaming. It is time to renew our faith in what is good. The Time Of Your Life helps heal our wounds.
Take everyone you care about to see this wonderfully engaging play. It is theatre at its best. Hurry, you only have until March 2, 2008. For only $25, it is a bargain!
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2008
Jeff Recommended
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