The work drones on with more and more depressing situations until strong feels of self-hatred dominates. Talk about a “downer” of a play – there is no one to relate toward – no one to cheer for – and there is no satisfactory resolution for these miserable souls. I felt like I was in theatre hell for two hours viewing this negative work.
With all the praying, I thought I was at a Catholic retreat being held at Trap Door theatre with Sister Calling My Name. This is a memory play that finds Michael (Luke Daigle) telling his memories of his reconciliation with his mentally retarded/schizophrenic younger sister. We meet Lindesy (excellent work by Katie Cheely) Michael’s mentally challenged sister. We see that she is incapable of rational thought and she seems to be highly influenced by who ever is her guardian.
Robertson presents the persona of a cop’s wife who raised two children and loyally waited for her man to come home to the safety of their Edgebrook house. Alice Conroy tells us of the time when her husband is fatally shot on duty while investigating an old 1988 “who-done-it” that has taken the lives of several investigators through the years. Alice tells that she simply “knew” the moment when John was gunned down.
And then there’s the music. The music is simple. I mean, like, really simple. Almost everything is I-IV-V. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that singer/rhythm guitar player Justin Young only knew the chords C, F, and G, and just moved a capo around to change keys. But you’d be wrong. Because that’s the point. Oh, Justin Young knows plenty of other chords, he just chooses not to utilize them – because those are the only chords he needs.
Dr. Watson acts as narrator and Holmes emerges as a superhero with amazing capabilities to deductive reasoning from the most miniscule information or evidence. The foibles of Holmes – his violin playing – his injecting of cocaine – his aversion to woman – and his condescension toward Watson’s chronicles of their cases – are well established here
The meeting of the ex lovers becomes a passive-aggressive verbally intense debate over their history, their beliefs and their personal passions. Through a series of monologues, intense arguments, with some cooking throw in, Skylight becomes a smartly fresh take on the elements of character, that at one point attracts two people to be lovers, and later, once apart, both realize that they had little binding them together.
Set in a seedy motel room (earthy set design by Jack Magaw and Kimberly Senior) Bug unfolds as an uneven journey onto the conspiracy world that paranoia can bring to a former soldier. The mystery slowly builds into violence as the bugs take over the two impressionable souls
We see how the charming and totally honest Theophilus North becomes as both the conscious and the motivator who affects the lives (for the good) of all who come into contact with him. Theophilus finds adventure in everyday life once he realizes that he doesn’t need to travel to exotic places to find enterprise.
The clarity of the Newell-Peck production gives our understanding of the angst and pain of the Gullah community a new richness. We feel Porgy’s pain and Bess weakness. We also appreciate the strength of the Gullah community. After seeing several strong productions of Porgy and Bess (including the amazing Lyric Opera of Chicago production) , I must state that this truthful Court Theatre production is a masterpiece of art. It has the best of opera with the strengths of musical theatre.
When Pip (Tony Bozzuto)- Welker’s best friend and son of Walker’s father’s partner joins the two siblings, old memories kindle trouble. We learn about the complex relationship between the three that was strongly influenced by the father’s partnership. Walker finds a journal left by his father that is filled with hints an a reference to “the three days of rain” back in 1960.