Wonderfully Enacted at Steppenwolf, 'The Herd' Has an Appealingly Multifaceted Mentality -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

The Herd

a recent play by Rory Kinnear
directed by Frank Galati

Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago

Thru June 7

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The Herd is a wonderfully written play, all the more impressive for being the first penned--or at least produced--by noted British actor, Rory Kinnear.

It premiered in London in September 2013, where reviews seem to have been middling. But at Steppenwolf, with a truly terrific cast under the direction of Frank Galati, it is a fast-moving and engrossing 105-minute one-act that touches effectively on numerous themes.

"The herd" essentially references the gathering of a family, to celebrate the 21st birthday of severely disabled son, Andy, who is never seen as his impending arrival is part of the storyline. Author Kinnear has an adult sister with the mental age of a baby, and clearly understands the numerous challenges in caring for--and acutely worrying about--such a child.

It is obvious how much effort, love and life Carol (Molly Regan) has devoted to her son, and though--at least per comments in the post-show discussion--her high-strung sense of martyrdom makes her a bit unsympathetic, I felt her affection not only for Andy, but adult daughter Claire (wonderfully played by Audrey Francis).

The always fantastic, even legendary, Lois Smith and John Mahoney are terrific here as Carol's parents, smart, sassy, protective, often laughter-inducing and far from the caricatures witty seniors can often be relegated to onstage.

Also routinely terrific, Francis Guinan plays Carol's ex-husband, estranged from daughter Claire in part because of acrimony over his diminished involvement in Andy's life.

Rounding out the cast is Cliff Chamberlain as Mark, a poet and possible paramour of Claire's.

Conducted with British accents, there is much scornful, acerbic, poignant and powerful dialogue in Kinnear's script, which despite not involving any scene changes, never drags a bit. Particularly artful is the way he maneuvers characters out of the family room scene so that a pair or trio of characters can have a private conversation. (The modern art-adorned set design by Walt Spangler of an suburban English house is striking if perhaps representing more comfort, affluence and worldly interests than Carol (the only one who truly lives there) seems to portray.)

Yet while a piece of Steppenwolf marketing for The Herd plays up the wildness of dysfunctional families that often makes for spirited, audience-identifying theater--"Three generations, two surprise guests and one unexpected evening"--not only did I not find the family involved all that dysfunctional, beyond the squabbles and the cackles I most liked observing the wrought-but-caring dynamic among Carol, Claire and, though unseen, Andy.

Carol's speech about constantly fearing Andy's death adds considerable dimension to the narrative, while as the sage if snarky center of the play, the tandem of Mahoney and Smith--as Brian and Patricia--provide much more than comic relief.

So I highly recommend The Herd--which runs through June 7--and would like to think that anyone who sees it at any price, with any level of theatergoing regularity (or lack thereof) should like it plenty.

A patron who I passed on Halsted after the post-show discussion couldn't help gushing, "Wasn't that wonderful."

And I agreed.

Due to Steppenwolf's extremely generous "Twenty for $20" day-of-show ticket discount promotion, I feel especially fortunate to have seen--from just the second row!--such a stellar piece of theater featuring longtime favorites such as Mahoney and Guinan, the delightful Smith, Chamberlain who I've seen onstage numerous times, the stellar Regan, and Francis, who I found to be outstanding.

Yet while the Chicago Tribune's theater critic Chris Jones awarded The Herd 4-stars out of 4, I was just a bit less smitten in deducting 1/2@ from my pinnacle rating.

There was nothing clearly wrong with Kinnear's excellent play, and neither he, the cast, Galati or Steppenwolf can truly be blamed for this, but The Herd just felt a bit too much like a flock of other shows I've seen.

Though neither Mahoney or Guinan did anything to change their status as my favorite Chicago theater actors, the reality is that I've seen each 10+ times before--often at Steppenwolf--and their roles in The Herd seemed a tad too readily familiar.

I was most directly reminded of a play called Tribes, by Nina Raine, which I saw at Steppenwolf early last year. It also featured a highly literate British family screaming numerous profanities at each other in a rather plush domicile, with Regan and Guinan playing the parents of a hearing-impaired son and an unsatisfied daughter.

Obviously, many plays can be similar, and with all I see at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Northlight and elsewhere, that I come across the same actors in somewhat similar roles it actually rather understandable.

In looking back at my ratings/reviews for recent shows that I may be unfairly lumping together in memory, it seems I liked The Herd as much or more than Tribes, The Birthday Party, Other Desert Cities, The Night Alive and other plays about combustible and/or affluent families I've seen in just the last few years, perhaps with Guinan and/or Mahoney in the cast.

So I guess it would be fair to say that, along with much else it gets right, The Herd rises above familiar ground, even if doesn't quite separate itself from the pack all that distinctively.

But this is a trifling criticism most fans of great drama--with considerable humor--should ignore.

Especially if you find yourself with a free evening or weekend afternoon, and ideally discount tickets at the ready, I think you'll savor being roped into following The Herd.

Powerful Commentary of 'Tribes' is Well-Heard, Though Steppenwolf Run Can No Longer Be Seen -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Tribes
A play by Nina Raine
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Run ended
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I can't recommend that you go see the production of Tribes at Chicago's typically terrific Steppenwolf Theatre.

This isn't to imply that I didn't like Nina Raine's thought-providing play, which weaves a variety of themes around a hyper-literate British family whose three grown children include a deaf son, portrayed by an actor who is hearing-impaired.

While the family--and particularly patriarch Christopher (the always excellent Francis Guinan)--is so self-righteously smug as to make the drama acutely off-putting early on, in its entirety Tribes is quite estimable and worthwhile.

But while I was intrigued enough by Chris Jones' stellar Tribune review to want to see Tribes since it opened in mid-December, a variety of conflicts--including the malice of Mother Nature--precluded me from getting to it until Saturday...the last day of its run.

So I am not being derisive when I say that I can't recommend that you see it at Steppenwolf, just factual.

Hence, there isn't much need to prolong this review. But as the relatively recently hatched Tribes--it debuted in London in late 2010--is likely to wander its way through local theaters around the world for the foreseeable future, I will suggest that while it may be a bit shy of a masterpiece or "must see," for a reasonable price the play should be worth anyone's while.

Particularly if you can see it with the type of scenery that Steppenwolf employed (a multi-level house reminiscent of the theater's premiere of August: Osage County) and a terrific cast, as was the case here.

Though it felt a bit strange to hear Guinan adopt a British accent to play a character that felt like a more educated and snootier version of Archie Bunker, the erstwhile Steppenwolf ensemble member pulled off a challenging role. Another ensemble member, Molly Regan, was also very good, if a bit too shrill at times for my tastes.

And first-rate were all four actors playing the next generation, with Daniel (Steve Haggard), Ruth (Helen Sadler) and Billy (Garrett Zuercher at the performance I saw) being grown children who have returned to live at the family's home while struggling with a sense of place, purpose, parental approval and their own particular issues.

Billy is deaf and has been raised to lip-read and speak, rather than use sign-language. While the play begins with just the family members profanely and profusely berating each other, it gets much more interesting when Billy falls in love with Sylvia (wonderfully played by ensemble Alana Arenas), the daughter of deaf parents who has been gradually losing her own hearing.

Though the family--particularly Christopher--never references Sylvia being black, they nonetheless demonstrate their "tribalism," bigotry and intolerance by ruthlessly deriding her use of sign-language, which Billy chooses to adopt.

With hopes that some may get a chance to see Tribes, outside Chicago or somewhere down the road, I won't go further into storyline specifics. But with my take on it aided by a post-show discussion, despite the ugliness--if not outright malevolence--of Christopher's character, I came to appreciate the way Tribes broaches on family dynamics, struggles of grown children to find their way in the world and the use of language (including among those who use non-verbal communication).

And with impressive work by Garrett Zuercher, a deaf actor playing the role handled by John McGinty for most of the run (the latter is pictured with Arenas in the photo at right), Tribes does a great job of individualizing those who are hard of hearing.

I can't say I've ever given much consideration to the differences in perspective between those who were born deaf versus those who lose their hearing, or how, why and to what effect some sign and some don't. But the play smartly informs how there are varying levels of hierarchy and acceptance within the "deaf community," with clear similarities to other groups of people with certain similarities but many more unique differences.

So if you have seen Tribes, I would be happy to discuss it. And if you didn't catch it at Steppenwolf, while I don't think you need to kick yourself, there is an argument to be made--and this show is full of them--for at some point appreciating what it has to say.

Even With Powerful Performances, 'Belleville' Isn't a Ringing Success -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Belleville

a play by Amy Herzog

directed by Anne Kauffman

Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago

Thru August 25, 2013
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Kate Arrington is a beautiful actress I've often enjoyed watching onstage at Steppenwolf Theatre, where she is an ensemble member.

She is truly terrific in Belleville, a recent play by Amy Herzog, a talented writer whose After the Revolution I enjoyed last year at Next Theater in Evanston.

Playing Zack, husband to Arrington's Abby, Cliff Chamberlain--who I've also seen numerous times--is also very good, as are Belleville's two other cast members, Alana Arenas and Cliff Boykin.

The play is based in Paris and its set design is that of a rather impressive apartment in the City of Lights' Belleville neighborhood.

The Tribune's theater critic Chris Jones--who I generally trust--gave Belleville a rather positive review, and promotional blurbs refer to Hitchcockian-like suspense.

Photo Credit on all: Michael Brosilow / Steppenwolf.org

But even with all that going for the play, I left the approximately 100-minute piece--after a moderated postshow discussion--unconvinced of its true merits.

Now, though it doesn't make for much of a revelatory review, if you are going to see Belleville--and while I can't really rave about the show in full, Arrington's performance and Steppenwolf's production values well-merit the $20 day-of-show discount ticket I was able to acquire--you are probably better off having no advance knowledge of anything that happens in it.

So all I will share, and basically have already, is that Zack and Abby are recently married expatriate Americans living in Belleville. Alouine (Boykin) is Zack's friend, but also the landlord, and he is married to Amina (Arenas, a Steppenwolf ensemble member).

The play begins somewhat grippingly, but then seems to pretty much simmer for the next hour. This slow boil reminded me of some great Hitchcock thrillers, but what winds up happening never quite reaches that level of mastery.

I'll refrain from any specifics--though would be happy to discuss Belleville if you see it--but part of the problem for me is that both Arrington and Chamberlain pretty convincingly play two people I really didn't like.

I assume this is quite a testament to their acting ability, but I'd rather get a fulfilling play--even if not a heartwarming one--than merely a technical exercise.

Though I never quite sensed the right amount of bristling tension, Herzog's script sets up a variety of
intriguing possibilities. Yet I found myself unsatisfied where things wind up, and even a bit puzzled as Herzog seems to throw in a MacGuffin or two.

Particularly because of the performances and the scenery, Belleville is far from unwatchable; although I wasn't entirely captivated or convinced, I was never bored. 

So, especially with Steppenwolf's generous discount offers, I am not telling you not to see it. It could well be a high-quality work that I just didn't properly appreciate. 

But with hopes that Belleville will toll a bit better for thee, I can't quite give it a ringing endorsement.

'The Book Thief' Gets an Excellent Stage Reading -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
adapted by Heidi Stillman
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Run Ended
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The great thing about theater, or any form of entertainment for that matter, is the way it can surprise you.

Of the myriad stage productions of various sorts I see in a given year, some selections are certainly prompted—without advance planning—by stellar reviews, but most are part of subscription series or are shows I’ve noted months in advance (I seem to get advertising from every theater in Chicago).

While I am not a subscriber to Steppenwolf, I get to several of their mainstage shows. But I only came to know about The Book Thief—an Upstairs Theater production that was part of the Steppenwolf for Young Adults program—because my mom mentioned that she couldn’t get any tickets. Seems that with several performances being done exclusively for high schools, along with The Book Thief novel by Markus Zusak being the current selection for One Book, One Chicago and an extremely reasonable $20 ticket price, the stage adaptation by Heidi Stillman has been a complete sell-out.

Knowing that my mom and sister, who had both read and enjoyed the book, wanted to see the show, I was able to respond quickly to an email about a few added performances and got 3 tickets for Saturday, which happened to be my mom’s birthday.

Photo credit: Michael Brosilow

Other than knowing that the book, and play, revolve around the Holocaust and are narrated by Death—wonderfully played here by Steppenwolf ensemble member Francis Guinan—I really didn’t know much about the show going into it.

So I was pleasantly surprised when The Book Thief turned out to be among the best plays I’ve seen on stage all year; I liked it even more than Steppenwolf’s widely-heralded (and rather good) mainstage work, Good People.

Having not read the book myself—I intend to—I had to have a few plot points explained by my mom and sister (it didn’t help that I was a bit sleepy during Act I), but even without having any point of reference, I felt the stage rendition stood strong on its own.

The run at Steppenwolf has now ended, but hopefully will be reprised somewhere, as while there were some moments that felt like I was watching the enactment of a book, rather than an organic stage play, for the most part this is a legitimate piece of theater that doesn’t require knowing the source material. And although it was presented toward young adults, a full spectrum of audience members certainly seemed to appreciate it.

Of course, great acting always helps. Under the direction of Hallie Gordon, Guinan was superb in instilling Death with whimsy as he guided us through the events of the play, even those of which the story’s main character, Liesel (a terrific Rae Gray) was not acutely aware.

Liesel is a teenage German girl who is not Jewish, but orphaned nonetheless during World War II due to her parents being Communists. She is taken in by foster parents, the Hubermans (embodied warmly by Mark Ulrich and a bit more sternly by Amy J. Carle) and makes friends in the neighborhood, particularly with a boy named Rudy (Clancy McCartney). Subsequently, the Hubermans take in a young Jewish man named Max (the typically excellent Patrick Andrews), promising to hide him—he is the son of Mr. Huberman’s war buddy—in the face of Jewish persecution.

Except for revealing that Liesel gets monikered "The Book Thief" by Rudy due to her propensity for stealing books from the house of woman in town (Ilsa, played by Nicole Wiesner), I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to uncover, whether through the book or a future stage rendition. Suffice it to say that it gets quite gripping, both in terms of what happens to the characters themselves, but also as a study of “bystanders.” Zusak (and Stillman) asks difficult questions about the responsibility of decent citizens—in this case, non-hateful Germans—in the face of abhorrent atrocities. Should they speak out and put themselves and loved ones at risk? Are they wrong for turning the other way?

With much resonance and excellent performances throughout, The Book Thief proved to be extremely compelling and moving, for audiences of all ages.

I've Seen (All) 'Good People' ... So Satisfied? Yes, Particularly at a Great Value -- Chicago Theater Review

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

Theater Review

Good People
by David Lindsay-Abaire
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Thru November 11, 2012
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Even though Good People is the first play by David Lindsay-Abaire that I've seen, I was already fairly well convinced that he is an excellent playwright.

For the film Rabbit Hole, which Lindsay-Abaire adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of the same name, was one of my favorite films of 2010 (even though I didn't see it until January of the following year).

Good People, which likewise enjoyed a Tony-nominated Broadway run, further reiterates my regard for Lindsay-Abaire, even I didn't find its current Steppenwolf production quite as riveting, or as good, as Rabbit Hole (at least per the film version).

Based in hardscrabble South Boston--where Lindsay-Abaire grew up--with forays into the leafy Boston suburb of Chestnut Hill, Good People centers around a middle-aged woman named Margaret, richly embodied by Marian Mayberry.

As the play opens, Margaret is fired from her $9.20/hr. clerk job at a Dollar Store by--as the photo at top depicts--her much younger supervisor, Stevie, in the back alley. Though I think that most viewers would concur that the termination is merited and that Stevie is blameless, we nonetheless feel considerable empathy for 'Margey,' especially upon learning that she is a single mother caring for a severely retarded adult daughter (who we never see).

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

Margaret is comforted by her wonderfully sassy best friend, Jean (a delightful Lusia Strus), who convinces her to seek out an old flame named Mike (Keith Kupferer), a fellow 'Southie' who is now a successful doctor living comfortably in Chestnut Hill with his wife, Kate (Alana Arenas).

Though I won't go into any more storyline details, there are enough plot points to keep the play engaging throughout, though it doesn't really kick into high gear until midway through Act 2.

Lindsay-Abaire gives us much to think about, as evidenced by a lively post-show discussion following Saturday's matinee, including issues concerning class, community, friendship, wealth, race, the choices & sacrifices we make and an abiding desire to be seen as "good people" that can simultaneously drive our actions while being at odds with them.

I was largely prompted to check out Good People by Chris Jones' 4-star (out of 4) review in the Tribune. I'm glad I did, particularly in taking advantage of Steppenwolf's generous Twenty at $20 same-day ticket discount program.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

I wasn't quite as wowed as Jones seemingly was, but still found Good People to be worthwhile entertainment and a bit beyond. In my eyes, it's not quite a "must-see" at this jam-packed time of the theatrical year, but a comedy-infused drama that most who attend should find insightful and enjoyable.

All the more reason opting for readily-available discount tickets--through Steppenwolf, HotTix or Goldstar--could make a play about the things in life we value one that's especially good, people.
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In case you're curious about my title for this post, "I've Seen All Good People" is a song by the British band Yes that has absolutely nothing to do with the play, but whose lyrics I couldn't help but reference.

'Raisin' Some Dramatic Questions, 'Clybourne Park' Shines at Steppenwolf -- Theatre Review

Photo credit: Michael Brosilow, Steppenwolf.org

Theatre Review

Clybourne Park
a new play by Bruce Norris
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Thru November 6, 2011
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I don't mean for this to sound preachy, as though I'm really telling you what you should do. After all, despite beautiful weather in Chicago over the weekend, suggestions that I take a bike ride along the lake, watch the marathon or even (with proper training) run the marathon wouldn't have been heeded. Not my thing, and perhaps going to live theater isn't yours. No harm, no foul. Free to be you and me.

But should you be someone interested in exploring thought-provoking entertainment, you would be amiss not to see Bruce Norris' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Clybourne Park, at Steppenwolf Theatre. Especially when, as I did, you should readily be able to get a ticket for just $20 (+ a small handling fee) by availing yourself of Steppenwolf's generous 20 for $20 daily discount ticket program. Steppenwolf also offers half-price rush tickets and student discounts, and the show has also been discounted on HotTix.

So although patrons who paid the full $70 price for the same Sunday matinee I attended for $20 saw an excellent, contemplative, often humorous drama, I got a bargain of such tremendous value that I urge others to take advantage as well. You won't see theater any better for any less.

Norris, whose 6 previous plays all originated at Steppenwolf, debuted Clybourne Park in New York before it played London, where it won the 2011 Pulitzer for Drama as well as the Olivier Award for Best New Play.  Given his history with Steppenwolf and the fact that Clybourne Park is based in Chicago, it's a bit ironic that Norris' most decorated work premiered elsewhere, but the cast here certainly delivers an excellent rendition.

The new play plays off Lorraine Hansberry's classic 1959 drama, A Raisin in the Sun, which I've yet to see or read, but Clybourne Park clearly stands on its own. From what I've discerned, 'Raisin' is about the Youngers, an African-American family in Chicago that has an opportunity to move to a better neighborhood called Clybourne Park after receiving a life insurance payout. Along with debates within the family, the story involves a bigot named Karl Lindner who tries to pay off the Youngers to keep them away for racist reasons.

Set in 1959, the first act of Clybourne Park revolves around a white couple that lives in the house the Youngers wind up buying in A Raisin in the Sun. Norris depicts why the couple wants to leave their neighborhood, shrewdly showing how intolerance isn't only across racial lines. But largely through the inclusion of Karl Lindner, Norris also reveals the ugliness that pervades the neighborhood after it is learned who will be buying the home. (A question for dramatic afficionados: Besides Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, can you think of any other plays derived from characters/plotlines of a different play?)

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow, Steppenwolf.org

Act 2 is set 50 years later, in the same house, now being purchased by a white couple that plans to knock it down to build a McMansion. Their black neighbors, descendants of the Youngers, oppose their plans. I found this act to be a bit confusing and not quite as slyly tension-packed as Act 1. But as I mentioned, along with being quite commentative about the past and present, Clybourne Park is infused with a good deal of humor, so even if a bit top-heavy, the show is never less than richly entertaining.

With Red now playing at the Goodman, two of the best, most highly acclaimed plays of recent years are currently making their regional debuts in Chicago, with world-class productions. If you can't get to both, do yourself a favor and find a few hours to catch either Red (Goodman also has discount programs) or Clybourne Park. I promise you'll be better off for doing something so rewardingly dramatic.

A Hat Trick of Quick Theater Reviews

Merrily We Roll Along
a musical by Stephen Sondheim
The Music Theatre Company
at the Karger Center, Highland Park, IL
Run Ended (saw on May 13)
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It distresses me to no end that among Americans under 50, Kim Kardashian undoubtedly has a higher Q Rating than Stephen Sondheim. I still don't know what she's ever done; he's simply the greatest composer and lyricist musical theater has ever known. This 1981 show was his notorious flop, but the score is still sumptuously sublime, with typical Sondheim sophistication in the music and lyrics. And the backward sequencing of the plot is an interesting narrative device. The cast was a bit young, but quite talented and the show rolled along quite merrily, indeed.

Photo Credit: Joel Moorman, Steppenwolf.org

The Hot L Baltimore
a play by Lanford Wilson
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Thru May 29, 2011
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I liked the premise of this 1974 play by the recently-deceased Wilson: a bunch of social misfits demonstrating camaraderie, dignity and perseverance in the dying days of a once-grand Baltimore flophouse. The set design at Steppenwolf was fantastic and the '70s music that accompanied the show was a lot of fun. The acting by the large ensemble cast was excellent and the beautiful Kate Arrington shedding all her clothes at one point was quite, uh, eye-opening. But while it added up to a worthwhile show, the highly splintered focus (or lack thereof) was a bit hard to follow, rendering the Hot L Baltimore not wholeheartedly worth checking into.

Stage Kiss
a world premiere play by Sarah Ruhl
Goodman Theatre, Chicago
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This show was quite funny and therefore enjoyably entertaining. But in addition to dragging on way too long, it didn't seem to provide any shrewd insights or say much more than "actors often turn on-stage passion into off-stage romance, but it often winds up being a superficial, unsustainable relationship."

'Sex With Strangers' Well Performed, But Not All That Fulfilling -- Theater Review

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow, Steppenwolf.org

Theater Review

Sex With Strangers
A new play by Laura Eason
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Thru May 15, 2011
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Very impressively staged in Steppenwolf's upstairs theater, Laura Eason's Sex With Strangers is a play whose parts are better than its sum.

The two-character drama stars Stephen Louis Grush and Sally Murphy, both first-rate performers who are typically excellent here.

Grush plays Ethan, a 24-year-old blogger who writes openly about his sexual exploits and has turned his blog into a book that shares its title with the play. Murphy's Olivia, pushing 40, is a novelist who hasn't published anything in years but is working on her second book as the show opens.

There are many possibilities here, and perhaps that's the problem. For while Sex With Strangers is about several potentially compelling topics--romance between people of different ages & perspectives, the art & emotion of writing, the immediacy and openness of blogging vs. the deliberate nature of authoring long-form fiction, the way publishing and technology has changed, the voyeuristic nature of the Internet, the propriety of compromise, and more--the result was too much of a hodge-podge for me to care very much about any of it.

Often feeling like a scenario better suited for a mediocre romantic comedy movie, Eason's new work--which was first presented at Steppenwolf's 2009 First Look Festival--has a narrative that seems too compressed and contrived to hold real emotional heft or provide societal insight, and despite the talents of the actors, neither of the characters are fully realized nor particularly empathetic.

This is subject matter with potential and there are a few laughs and enough to think about to make the post-show discussion worthwhile. If, like I did, you can grab a $20 day-of-show ticket, 'Sex With Strangers' may be worth experiencing, despite its flaws. It's quite possible that you may find something there that just didn't connect with me.

But in the end, it just doesn't add up to any all that fascinating, or despite its name, even titillating (one guy in the post-show discussion complained that the stage went dark for all the sex scenes). Despite an attractive couple of partners, this 'Sex' just ain't all that great.

'Detroit' Well-Worth Visiting Even If It Feels a Bit Too Safe -- Theater Review: Detroit at Steppenwolf Theatre

Theater Review

Detroit
a new play by Lisa D'Amour
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Thru November 7, 2010
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Although full of somber undertones, Lisa D'Amour's world premiere play, "Detroit," is the most overtly enjoyable and thought-provoking new work I've seen at Steppenwolf in some time, probably since August: Osage County premiered there in 2007.

As such, it's well worth your time and presuming you can get a discounted ticket through myriad options--Steppenwolf's Twenty for $20 program each morning at 11am (which I took advantage of, even at 12:30), their half-priced rush tickets, HotTix and Goldstar--your money.

It may be the going rate, but $53-$73 for a normal ticket (depending on the day) is not only antithetical to Detroit's theme of recessionary consequences, but is likely to blame for why on Friday night--with $60 the standard price--Steppenwolf had more empty seats than I'd ever seen. And this for a well-reviewed show starring Laurie Metcalf, a longtime ensemble member who's enjoyed considerable TV fame.

Suffice it to say that Detroit seemed significantly better for $20 than it would've felt for full price, and some folks in the after-show discussion expressed chagrin over what they had paid for the show they saw. Who knows if it's feasible, but this would be an ideal play for which to hold free or cut-rate "Newcomer Nights," especially if expressly marketed to a more culturally-diverse audience than was in the house on Friday night.

Photo Credit on all: Michael Brosilow

As it was, I was quite entertained by D'Amour's well-paced and accessible script, and especially fine performances by a full cast of Steppenwolf ensemble players, including Metcalf, Ian Barford, Kate Arrington, Kevin Anderson and Robert Breuler.

In playing a perplexed middle-class suburbanite, Metcalf's characterization as Mary couldn't help remind of her most famous role as Jackie on 'Roseanne,' and she was superb. Barford was typically great as her unemployed husband, Ben, the always-engaging Anderson was fun as ex-drug addict Kenny, who moves in next door with his also previously strung-out wife, Sharon, played with beautiful believability by Arrington, who has never been better. Breuler has a smaller role, but likewise plays it well.

With a very watchable and quite pertinent storyline--revolving around the relationship between the neighboring couples--, wonderful performances and impressive characterizations, "Detroit" well-deserves the @@@@ I am awarding it. And yet, I can't help but think that it could've been considerably better.

Mind you, many of my issues likely have to do more with the play I expected/wanted it to be, rather than flaws in what was presented. Between my own ongoing state of unemployment, the lack of Clash, Public Enemy or Nirvana-like beacons to shake (or at least loudly comment upon) our societal malaise and Chris Jones' Tribune review calling "Detroit" a "major new play about the soul-destroying layoffs [and] the collapse in real estate values," I went in hoping for a Howard Beale moment stretched over 95 minutes.

And given the connotations of Detroit, a city I actually like but that has been blighted for years by economic and racial strife, and which has seen recent strides devastated by the problems of the U.S. auto industry (and overall economy), I guess I was anticipating something a bit more specific and direct.

Not only is the play set in a "first ring" suburb rather than within Detroit itself, but D'Amour (via the Steppenwolf program) states that it doesn't even necessarily take place in the Detroit vicinity, as the neighborhood portrayed could exist on the edges of many other U.S. cities.

As such, if the play were called "Morton Grove" (a near first-ring suburb of Chicago) or "There Goes The Neighborhood," and if Jones' hadn't prepared me for more outright anger--to be fair, his review does detail some of the same shortcomings in tone that I found--I might have been entirely satisfied with its engaging portrayal of middle-class disconnect and, per the stated theme of the new Steppenwolf season, its take on Our Public/Private Self.

But assuming that D'Amour intended "Detroit" to be more strident a commentary on our tough economic times, I thought the overall tone felt a bit too facile and not infused with enough vitriol, daring or true sense of danger and consequence. I don't want to reveal anything that happens, and therefore it's hard to get specific about perceived shortcomings, but I just had a sense that there wasn't quite enough bleakness, desperation or overt tension in the situation being shown.

But this is very much a recommendation, so perhaps if you see the play, get in touch and we can debate whether 'Detroit' truly connected on all cylinders, or perhaps could stand to be a bit more revved up.

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Two small things (these aren't really spoilers, but probably more apt after you've seen the play):

1. I think a moratorium should be placed on the utilization of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin.'" I enjoy the song and endorse its message, but it's been overused to the point of being trite. Given the play's supposed setting, why not incorporate some Seger or Motown? (Yes, I know DSB mentions South Detroit)

2. This is probably due to having recently re-watched the movie "Fight Club," but 'Detroit' is almost more fun if you consider Kenny & Sharon (Kevin Anderson/Kate Arrington) as merely Tyler Durden-esque characters in their relationship to Ben & Mary (Ian Barford/Laurie Metcalf).

'A Parallelogram' Presents Interesting Angles, But Is Too Obtuse to Be Acutely Rewarding

Theater Review

A Parallelogram
a play by Bruce Norris
Starring Tom Irwin, Kate Arrington & Marylouise Burke
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
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Aside from plays that I see as part of subscriptions to Goodman Theatre and Broadway in Chicago, there are about five factors that influence my desire to attend a dramatic performance. In no particular order, these include critical praise from the media (mostly the Tribune's Chris Jones, but also the Sun-Times, Reader and other local press), rave reviews from friends & family, particular actors that I want to see, the desire to become more familiar with a given playwright and finally, the ability to obtain cheap tickets.

'A Parallelogram,' now playing in the downstairs theater at Steppenwolf, had a solid four and nearly five of these motivators in its favor. Jones lauded the world premiere show and an astute theatergoing friend recommended it. It stars Kate Arrington, probably the most attractive actress working in Chicago today, and Tom Irwin, a longtime Steppenwolf ensemble member who I enjoyed long ago as the father on TV's "My So-Called Life." Although I haven't seen much by writer Bruce Norris, who I've only heard of because he's regularly commissioned by Steppenwolf and is the brother of former MTV News reporter John Norris, I liked his 2005 play, The Pain and the Itch. And as I usually do, I was able to obtain a $20 day-of ticket by calling the box office at 11am.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for 'A Parallelogram' was greater going in than it was upon leaving. Although the play, which depending on one's interpretation revolves around time travel, psychic abilities or projections of one's future due to traumatic illness, is inventive, includes engaging, at-times humorous dialogue, and moves along at a good clip, in the end I was unsure what it meant, literally or figuratively. And despite a post-show talk that indicated that the play is intentionally ambiguous, it didn't leave me with a good confusion--as in "let me ponder all the intriguing questions"--as much as a sense of unresolved ambivalence.

Despite dressing down for the role, Arrington was lovely as main character, Bee, and interacted engagingly with the likable Irwin and even more so, Marylouise Burke, who played Bee at an advanced age. The stage set changed in unique ways that complemented the time-shifting storyline. But ultimately I never really cared about the characters, and whatever Norris may be trying to say about living for today, not worrying about the future, etc., didn't really strike me as all that meaningful given the narrative at hand.

Perhaps 'A Parallelogram' was profound in ways that I just didn't appreciate, but it felt like merely a run-of-the-mill play, not a special one. And while a second viewing and further consideration might help it better take shape, I don't anticipate re-discovering it anytime in the near future.

Beckett's Endgame Baffles from the Beginning

Theater Review

Endgame
a play by Samuel Beckett
Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago
Thru June 6, 2010
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I realize that some of the most ultimately enriching works of art can initially be among the most challenging and confusing.

Artistry at its most innovative and imaginative often requires an eschewal of linearity or normality that can be more than a trifle off-putting to a newcomer.

As such, in seeing Samuel Beckett's absurdist one-act Endgame for the first time last night at Steppenwolf, I can't say that I "got" or particularly liked it. But especially with the help of a good post-show discussion, I can appreciate that there might be much worth re-exploring and quality that exceeded my firsthand enjoyment.

I imagine devout Beckettophiles should love it, as there is undeniable talent involved with this production.

William Petersen, who has returned to Chicago stage acting after getting rich and more famous on TV's CSI, stars as Hamm, a blind, unable to stand man (king? tyrant? definitely a son, perhaps a father) coming to terms, obtusely, with his own mortality.

Now a Steppenwolf ensemble member, Petersen is joined onstage by three other Steppenwolf stalwarts and directed by a fourth. Ian Barford plays Clov, Hamm's servant, Martha Lavey and Francis Guinan play Hamm's dead, dying and/or otherwise decaying parents, who are relegated to living in ashcans, and Frank Galati helms the mainstage production. 

The performances alone probably made the 75-minute show worth seeing, even if I never do warm up to what was really going on or why I should care, but I would strongly suggest availing yourself of Steppenwolf's ticket discounts, which enable you to buy day-of-show seats for $20 over-the-phone at 11am (this is what I did) or at half-price in person within an hour of showtime. Based on last night's considerably less-than-full house--I guess the novelty of Petersen back on the local boards has worn off--cheap seats should be commonly available.

Endgame was just my second foray into Beckett, but recently seeing Krapp's Last Tape at Goodman was an even more befuddling and displeasing experience. Perhaps I'm not smart enough--or even in the moment alert enough--to appreciate the consequence of his absurdity, no matter how artful. I probably should look deeper and revisit Endgame at some point, but perhaps for now it's best if I keep Waiting for Godot.