Icarus
Written and Directed by David Catlin
At Lookingglass Theatre
Confusing Greek myth at times soars but ultimately crashes
I must confess that I’m not a big fan of Greek mythology as I was forced to read too many of those stories in high school. David Catlin’s version of Icarus reinforced my dislike of the ancient stories mainly due to his story theater techniques being extremely hard to follow. I quickly got confused as to what was going on and I never was able to focus on anyone thus I didn’t know who I was suppose to care for.
While the visual metaphors, the flying, and the movements were stunning, I quickly became lost as the story melted into too many unclear segments. A much more focused narrative centering more on Daedalus (Lawrence E. DiStasi in a movingly emotional performance) and his son, Icarus (Lindsey Noel Whiting) would serve this production well.
The flying scenes, the lighting (by Jaymi Lee Smith), and the sound (by Rick Sims) offered interesting depth to the show but all the movement of chairs, suitcases and the stringing of rope around the stage only seemed to complicate the confusion. Catlin simply tried to tell too many stories here. For those who have never witnessed a Lookingglass Theatre production of a Greek myth, there is much to enjoy, especially with the flying and the creative movements. But, as storytelling, this Icrus does indeed crash and burn. A tighter focus is need with a clear narrative. The production values will be enough for some so I’d brush up on the myth of Icrus before seeing this show.
Somewhat Recommended
Tom Williams
At Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, call 312-337-0665, www.lookingglasstheatre.org, tickets $18 – $62, Tuesdays thru Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays & Sundays at 3 & 7:30 pm, running time is 90 minutes without intermission.