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On the Shore of the Wide World
By Simon Stephens
Directed by Jonathan Berry
Produced by Griffin Theatre Company
At the Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL
Call 773-327-5252, tickets $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 25 minutes with intermission
Through November 16, 2008
“WHEN I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be.”—John Keats
Wonderful kitchen sink family drama introduces us to British playwright Simon Stephens
Kudos to Griffin Theatre for mounting the North American Premiere of the 2006 Olivier Award winner for Best new Play, Simon Stephens’ “On the Shore of the Wide World.” This touching family drama covers three generations of the Holmes family in Stockport, England. This contemporary work explores the everyday life of working class Brits as it examines their persistent dreams and struggles facing each generation. “Wide World” deals with the joys and fears that come from every day life and the struggle for each person to make their mark in society. Playwright Simon Stephens develops well rounded characters in the tradition of Eugene O’Neill and William Saroyan. Stephens’ powerful slice-of-life drama is deftly staged and effectively paced by director Jonathan Berry to eek out deep seated emotional trauma each family member feels upon the sudden death of a family member.
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We meet the Holmes boys—Christopher (Josh Schecter in a vibrant performance), the precocious 15 year old and his 18 year old level-headed brother Alex (Brian Deneen in a marvelous nuanced performance). When Alex brings home his beautiful and sensual girlfriend Sarah Black (Lucy Carapetyan), Christopher instantly falls in love with her but he never acts on his urges. Peter Holmes (the marvelous Paul D’Addario) and his wife Alice (Elise Kauzlaric) allow Sarah to sleep with Alex. We also meet the grandparents—Charlie Holmes (Norm Woodel), a closet alcoholic and cigarette smoker, and Ellen (Ariel Brenner), the long-suffering physically abused wife who now barely tolerate each other. Charlie stifles all of Ellen’s ambitions.
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Stephens weaves his story from one generation to another effectively to keep us engaged as we begin to understand and empathize with each character. Both the writing and the acting exude the honesty in each character. We witness the family’s coming to terms with a sudden trauma as well as their daily battle for personal fulfillment. The temptation to cheat and betray the family is faced by several members. Peter Holmes and most members of his family exhibit a real fear of risk taking since playing life safely lowers the risk of failure. Stephens also captures the rich layers of familial relationships wherein each member begs for human interaction through a hug, a kiss and or a kind word. The need to connect and communicate among family members is vividly presented.
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The heartfelt and truthful performances point out how each generation passes along its legacy and morality to the next generation. Stephens shows that there is real hope that each parent will be better than his parent was. The Holmes family mirrors us and we relate and empathize with their humanity and spirit. This play is a wonderfully written and extremely well acted work that subtly grabs us and holds us throughout. Brian Deneen, Paul D’Addario, Elise Kauzlaric and Josh Schecter gave splendid performances. Don’t miss this exquisite play. Stephens’s voice is refreshingly subdued yet powerful.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2008
Jeff Recommended
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