Tom Williams

Playwright Dominique Morisseau’s first play in her The Detroit Projects trilogy, Detroit ’67 is a glimpse into the world of African-Americans struggling to exist in a violent and changing urban city. We meet Chelle (Tyla Abercrumbie) and her younger brother Lank (Karmal Angelo Bolden) who run a “blind pig” (a non-licensed bar with musical entertainment) in their basement. These private neighborhood establishments were often harassed and shook-down by the mostly white Detroit police.

  By Rainer Werner Fassbinder Translated by Denis Calandra Directed by Beata Pilch At Trap Door Theatre, Chicago Enticing dark

Some of director Jason Gerace’s staging left large portions of the audience blinded by pillars during key moments. Also the use of multiple narrators quickly became an irritant. The lack of articulation and the thick accents made the already complex story impossible to follow. What I did gather was that PIP (Mike Tepeli) is an orphan boy who is plucked from poverty and thrust into the upper class by a hidden benefactor. Pip has various adventures as he strives to find his way and a soul mate. The saga is adventurous and the supporting five actors play 40 characters in various accents and personae.

The world premiere of Kate ans Sam Are Not Breaking Up by Joel Kim Booster is a hoot! It combines dark humor with an absurd depiction of the weird world of dysfunctional losers whose obsession with the film stars of a book-to-film series (Ghost Forest) that compels them to kidnap the stars in order for Kate and Sam to reconcile their relationship.

The crew holds nothing back when it comes to vociferously attacking Calvin’s story. Looming largely over the students is the recent suicide of a female student, Eleanor. This repressed fact influences the Professor (Ed Dzialo) as he tries to tone down both Nan’ s violent stories and Calvin’s main character’s suicide. Much of this unwritten 85 minute drama is filled with inauthentic scholarly debate often becoming personally insulting. I simply didn’t believe much of the dialogue as being more that “playwright speak,” especially the emotional rants from Henry.