Tom Williams Told by three actors each wonderfully recalling their story despite almost no character interaction, playwright Rogers weaves a tale that takes a good deal of work on the audience’s part since the early scenes are filled with anecdotal tidbits by the three storytellers that seems to move around in time and place. But if you keep tune-in, Madagascar eventually pays off.
Neil LaBute’s latest, Reasons to be Pretty, now in a strong staging at Profiles Theatre in a Chicago premiere, is a departure from the downer works LaBute has penned recently. This work is hopeful as it becomes a moral awakening for Greg (Darrell W. Cox), the lead character and narrator. Reasons looks at how 21st Century language doesn’t seem to allow us to communicate our true feeling, often getting us into trouble when we use a term that we find expressive but others find that term/word offensive. Misinterpretation of words and phrases plays large in LaBute’s working class, blue collar relationship drama.
Among the fine performances are Jacqueline Williams, Penny Johnson Jerald and, of course, Kaern Aldridge. Christina Clark is terrific as the sassy Jasmine.
With cuts and a new razor-sharp focus, The Trinity River Plays could really be a moving theatrical experience. Taylor’s work has loads of charm, several lovable characters and a empathetic lead.
Three Tall Women is a most truthful look at the arc of a life from the point-of-view of three generation – the youth, age 26 (C) (Maura Kidwell); in middle age women, age 52 (B) Mary Beth Fisher; and at age 92 on her death bed (A) Lois Markle. This play is a tour de force for all three women as each had several tellingly poignant moments to dominate the stage.
Eclipsed is a quietly powerful and poignant work that puts a face on the horrible role of women in a war environment. Playwright Gurira demonstrates the only viable alternative for these woman – either become sexual slave to a commander or his troops or grab an AK-47, start killing, usurping your power and control. Quite a choice.
Caroline Neff plays Rachel most effectively as she moves Rachel from questioning child to shallow teen to a determined to survive woman. We buy Neff in all these transformations. This tour de force performance carries the drama. Neff gets help from Joey deBettencourt’s manic, yet fun Billy and from Andrew Swanson’s strong yet understated Danny.
Lakeboat is a semi-autobiographical work first performed in 1980 based on Mamet’s experience as a cook on a Lake Michigan freighter (probably an ore boat) that ran from Gary to Duluth and back. We meet the crew of the T. Harrison, peopled by a crusty bunch of lonely losers. This early David Mamet play is an 85 minute slice-of-life plot-less drama filled with telling monologues, funny tidbits, and graphic sexual encounters by the crew as the monotony of sea life fans heavy drinking and rich imaginations.
This is an over produced, over amplified, out of date material (the office of 1979 complete with typewriters!) filled with a pastiche of pop songs with a couple of country tunes. The mostly forgettable score, with the exception of the rousing 9 to 5 opening tune, is a tacky and sometime crude flashback into the female oppressive office culture of the lat 1970’s before
This 85 minute show is a creepy look into the world of insanity played out as a fairy tale more like a Brothers Grimm than Disney tale. We see Odradek emerging as a physical threat to Kyle as his body becomes one with the monster. Director Bullard’s production nicely builds the dramatic tension helped by the bass music underscoring. Joe Steakley is most effective as the stoic, cold-blooded teen whose emotional core is stilted and hidden only to be attracted to the obscure monster.
The two women, bound by blood but driven by desperation, will do anything to survive. Pato’s brother Ray (Kevin Viol) provides the light relief in this potent family drama. Full of universal themes as it applies to any place where people are trapped by circumstances, whether family or social; this play redefines ‘dysfunctional families.’