Tom Williams

First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook continues mounting outstanding theatre and their latest is a most worthy mounting of Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten. The intimacy of First Folio’s indoor stage (nice set by Angela Miller) at the Mayslake Peabody Estate serves the production well. A Moon for the Misbegotten is the story of Josie Hogan (Erin Noel Grennan in a tremendous performance)—an ungainly daughter of an impoverished sharecropper whose love for alcoholic Jim Tyrone (Christian Gray in his finest performance to date) comes to ahead one long summer night.

By Marisa Wegrzyn Directed by Brian Golden Produced by Theatre Seven of Chicago At the Greenhouse Theater I didn’t see the initial 2007 run of Marisa Wegrzyn’s terrific one-act, Diversey Harbor. I heard it was excellent so I made sure I caught Theatre Seven of Chicago’s remount now playing at the Greenhouse Theater. It is … Read more

5th Floor productions offers a funny off-night (Monday & Tuesday) comedy that dares to deal with how our profession defines us as a person. The three—Annalise (Eva Gil) is a geographer; Dave (Max Lesser) is a Court Reporter-stenographer; Margaret (Sarah Kinsey) is typographer—exploration of the idiosyncrasies of their jobs in a quite funny and truthful comedy. These three actors gave honest, heartwarming performances.

Steppenwolf Theatre, under Tina Landau’s wildly ambitious direction, has launched The Bard’s final work in an uneven production that features gender bending interracial casting with gymnastic elements, excruciating sound effects peopled with a rich assortment of Steppenwolf ensemble members some with expert Shakespearean talents and some with no clue to the Folio Method. That made for a radically strange production that included a screeching loud opening ship wreck scene, some terrific comic turns from K. Todd Freeman (Caliban), Yasen Peyankov (Stephano), and Tim Hopper (Trinculo).

Utilizing a simple white runway set with only two benches, God’s Ear unfolds as a depressing exercise in psychological fantasy that has Ted and Mel hallucinating as they struggle to cope with a child’s death. Using twisted language, wordplay, poetry and rhythm chants, Ted and Mel recite, almost babble, several meaningless monologues that drone on. So many free-flowing words, so little meaning. Might as well recite the phone book. There is a long list of clichéd figures of speech and repetitious questions and answers in this absurdist work.

Provocative Painteresque work by Jez Butterworth (Mojo, The Night Heron), Parlour Song is a most worthy domestic drama now at Steep Theatre. Butterworth’s lyrical language contains rich imagery and telling character traits. In the hands of three terrific actors—Alex Gilmor as Dale, Tim Curtis as Ned and Julia Siple as Joy, Parlour Song is a relationship drama with a mystery element and a few surprises.

I was impressed with the large crowd that come to hear former U.S. Vice President Al Gore speak. There were all kinds of protestors outside the Chicago Theatre including deniers of global warming. The carnival atmosphere quickly got serious when Al Gore—a little grayer and heavier began to speak. He was crystal clear and focused concerning global warming. He outlined the bleak future of our planet if we don’t take action now.

Old Times, Pinter’s 1971 drama, is a static, wordy affair that unfolds as a psychological exercise in mind games designed as competition between Deeley and Anna for Kate’s affection. Deeley and Kate are a miaged married couple living in a rural farm house in Britain.

Victory Gardens Theater, the home of world premiers plays, debuts ensemble playwright Jeffrey Sweet’s new play, Class Dismissed. It is a somewhat nostalgic look back at the 1960’s and the effects that decisions made during that time of rebellion have on the lives of participants growing up in that tumultuous time. Class Dismissed is funny, well acted and accurate.