Tom Williams, Author at Theatre reviews

Reasons to be Pretty

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.

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Tom Williams

The Girl of the Golden West

Puccini is in fine form here, with gorgeous melodies (including one Andrew Lloyd Weber quoted in his Phantom of the Opera) and luscious orchestration, which are most deftly executed by their performers, both in the pit and on stage. There never was, and probably never will be, a sour note in this production.

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Tom Williams

The Trinity River Plays

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.

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Tom Williams

A Doll’s House

Probably Ibsen’s most famous play, A Doll’s House is a domestic story – which may seem the norm today, but was the exception when it was written in 1879. One of the earliest realist plays, and some say the first feminist play, Ibsen tells the story of Mrs. Nora Helmer (this time glowingly portrayed by Kate Cares), a woman who finds herself ever-more trapped by the societal norms and laws of the Victorian Era.

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Tom Williams

Three Tall Women

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.

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Tom Williams

Eclipsed

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.

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Tom Williams

Port

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.

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Tom Williams

Lakeboat

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.

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Tom Williams

9 to 5 the Musical – the National Tour

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

MUST SEE REVIEWS REVIEWS BY Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Odradek

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.