John Sanders and Jose Antonio Garcie in Stage Left’s The Vow.

In it's simplest summation, Tom Patrick's play, The Vow, is a meditation on big issues and small spaces. Or rather, how even the biggest of issues—war, god, conquest, and the uncomfortable marriage of the three—ultimately are always played out in the smallest of physical spaces: the human mind.

It's fitting that Stage Left has taken on the task of presenting this heady examination of the intersection of religious fervor and personal glory. The theatre's tiny black box, huddled under the L tracks, is an apt location for a story set in a small tent that aims to connect the dots between the Crusades (with a capital C) and today's current political and military activity in the embattled Middle East. Director Kevin Heckman overcomes the limitations of the modern space to tell an ancient tale of a war-weary nobleman, his morally absent attendant, the fanatical templar who aims to force them to continue on their quest, and the potentially murderous (or is it archetypal innocent?) Muslim scholar and the silent woman they capture and contemplate slaughtering.

Patrick is an apt wordsmith and his characters weave worlds within worlds with sometimes tantalizing results. But his dialogue is often too loose and contemporary for the weight that he assigns the words. Heckman and his largely competent cast make sure that we understand the full weight of the words. Their regal and very "period" delivery at times leaves the production feeling like it is weighted down by 60 pounds of unnecessary chain mail, but their emotional honesty hits the mark.

Scenic designer Sarah C. Walsh rose to the challenge of fitting two distinctly different worlds in SLT's tiny black box with a truly ingenious bit of engineering; and Heckman uses every available inch of the space effectively. But other technical aspects lag. The sound design seemed like an afterthought—more a necessary element than an essential one—resulting in an aural environment that seems as out of synch with the period piece as the L train rumbling through the performance. But at least that inevitable reminder that the world we live in is not the world we were watching seemed perfectly in step with the story.

The Vow—Stage Left Theatre

Chris Jones, Tribune—"Set almost entirely in a purloined tent in the year 1291, Tom Patrick's The Vow very much wants to be the drama that makes the revelatory connection between the crusading, violent Christians of the Medieval era and the military actions of today's successors. But it doesn't get there in any edifying way. Certainly, the The Vow is a noble effort, passionately directed in its first physical incarnation at the ambitious Stage Left Theatre—grandly tented for the occasion by designer Sara C. Walsh. But despite the best efforts of director Kevin Heckman and a largely decent cast, this new play can't yet make a strong enough metaphoric connection to the issues that need to be in play."

Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—"Patrick has unquestionably grabbed hold of many potent ideas and done his homework, but his dialogue tends to be wooden and his storytelling a bit heavy handed. And much of the play suffers from that Classics Illustrated problem of trying to sound historical and modern at the same time… Kimberly Morris' costumes and Leigh Barrett's lighting are first-rate. But it is Sara C. Walsh's set—with rigging that makes it possible for a European garden to morph into a glorious polychrome tent in just seconds—that deserves the greatest applause. Talk about cultural shifts."

Kerry Reid, Reader—"A wounded French baron, a lecherous manservant, and a creepy Knight Templar (pardon the redundancy) hide in an abandoned Saracen tent and argue over whether they should stay and fight or cut and run. In Kevin Heckman's staging, this mostly means they shout a lot and throw one another around Sara C. Walsh's nicely appointed set. The addition of a mysterious Muslim scholar/storyteller provides some intriguing interludes but also continues the unfortunate Western tradition of creating an exotic other."

Lawrence Bommer, Free Press—"Despite some anachronisms, Patrick knows his subject(s). He captures the class warfare that these Crusaders have brought to their Syrian warfare. He shows how the soldiers' rash vow of fealty to battle has undermined the 'better angels' within them. He grasps how the previous four Crusades have created a self-fulfilling doom: Sons and grandsons must live up to or atone for their clan's triumphs and cruelties. And always there's the non-negotiable fact that Mamalukes and Christians invoke the same god to kill each other, arrogantly confident in the certainty or consolation that the next life must offer more than this one."

Venus Zarris, Gay Chicago—"Using strong characters and fascinating storytelling, The Vow weaves a parable of conflict with open-ended potentials for resolution… This is accomplished brilliantly in the script with fascinating storytelling rather than political sermonizing and executed admirably by Stage Left's clever and tight production. The cast is solid and strong, although at times slightly forced, with outstanding performances delivered by Jose Antonio Garcia, Brooke Hardman and Cory Krebsbach."

Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City—"Without actors who can carry the weight of so many issues, however, this panoramic view could quickly slip from Discovery Channel to Spamalot. Fortunately, director Kevin Heckman has assembled an adroit cast who heft Patrick's sometimes overwritten dialogue as deftly as they wear their 20-to-60 pounds of period armor. And in a show rife with theatrical legerdemain, let's not forget Sara C. Walsh and Drew Martin, whose scenery conjures the mysteries of the Orient with the effortless dexterity of Aladdin's genie."

Fire—Prop Thtr

Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—"All this may sound worthy and noble in the ideas department, but it's entirely wooden on stage, and Steve Scott hasn't helped matters with his similarly wooden direction. Michael Fosberg, an excellent actor who deserves a far better play, portrays the workshop actor who assumes the role of Prometheus, and he delivers the god's incantatory speeches with heat and conviction. Rob Butts plays Hermes, the veteran actor who wants a larger role; J.B. Waterman is Strength, the actor who would rather be working out at the gym, and Ericka Ratcliff is the one-woman chorus."

Brian Nemtusak, Reader—"Art about the artistic process is almost always more satisfying to the artist than anybody else, but even relatively speaking Fire, developed at Chicago Dramatists and Famous Door's Women at the Door 2003, seems solipsistically enclosed. Only surrogate writer Alex and his dying father—Harry Eddleman and Wiliam J. Norris, both in good form—register much reality onstage, Norris largely through sheer force of archetype. Director Steve Scott does what he can with Austen's cut-and-dried crosscutting between mirror and mirrored, and if her major thematic thrust makes something suspiciously Christlike of a pagan demigod, who can blame her? That's pretty much how Jesus was invented."

Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City—"Under the direction of veteran farceur Steve Scott, the discussion of our hero's literary submission is conducted by self-serving caricatures, led by Natalie West doing her reliable batty-old-lady turn. If Austen's real-world storyline had been likewise comic, her play could have emerged as behind-the-scenes satire. After all, from the moment that the author's harshly critical father enters, coughing and wheezing, we know he will die, after the usual filial ranting and weeping. As serious fare, however, William J. Norris renders him so instantly repellent that his deterioration moves us no more than does the distress it inflicts upon his son, nebulously portrayed by Harry Eddleman."

Incident at Vichy—Steep Theatre Co.

Nina Metz, Tribune—"In a nondescript anteroom, a number of men, all presumably Jewish, sit nervously awaiting their fate. The 1964 script is not one of Miller's best, but it packs a solid punch nonetheless. Miller's plain-spoken eloquence reveals itself in this uneven but generally decent production by Steep Theatre Company, a 4-year-old troupe that has produced 15 shows. Designwise, the show is impeccable—both John Wilson's simple, evocatively drab waiting room and Tony Adams' shadowy lighting design are top-notch. Director Luke Hatton is less assured with his actors, who veer between cunning understatement and a kind of rip-roaring too-muchness. In this case, less is more."

Kelly Kleiman, Reader—"Luke Hatton's taut staging of this nearly forgotten 1964 drama about a group of men in a Nazi detention camp keeps the stench of claustrophobia and potential collaboration constantly in the air… In this play the ultimate question revolves around manhood: at whose expense do you survive? The question's gender-specific nature annoyed me at first, and the play's all-male cast made me long for a similar chance to see a dozen actresses do their stuff. But soon the company's lean, muscular approach to the text eradicated those concerns. And while the piece goes on slightly too long, with moments where didacticism overwhelms drama, on balance this uninterrupted mix of ideas and emotions is exciting to the point of breathtaking."

The Sirens of Titan—Lifeline Theatre

Chris Jones, Tribune—"John Hidreth's smart script struggles with the usual problem of containing so much narrative action in a single night's traffic on the stage, but this is a strikingly clear and profound version of the novel that pulls out nicely its most potent themes… But Kevin Theis' up-and-down production—a typically inventive, handmade Lifeline affair that uses spaceships on sticks, immersing sound effects and an energetic, intense style—is more of a mixed bag. The show only works when the acting is honest and credible."

Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—"It's no wonder the writer enjoyed such an enthusiastic following during the Vietnam War era and now seems to be a source of renewed interest for some in these post-Sept. 11 years. This does not, however, prevent him from being a great bore. And this show—despite all the theatrical invention and whimsy supplied by director Kevin Theis and his tireless cast of nine morphing actors—also is tedious… This is no reflection on the cast, which also includes the always engaging Robert Kauzlaric, Erich Roach, Christopher Kuckenbaker, David Sellars and Melanie Esplin. But Sirens feels like mission interminable."

Jack Helbig, Reader—"Lifeline Theatre's bare-bones but carefully done staging of John Hildreth's adaptation remains true to Vonnegut's eccentric characters, odd sci-fi story, and playful way of batting around weighty ideas: free will versus determinism, God the loving father versus God the unmoved mover versus God the necessary fiction… What makes this production great, though, is the judicious cutting Hildreth and Lifeline have done… [T]his show runs barely two hours, which feels about right. And Lifeline's playful approach to the satiric material mirrors Vonnegut's: space travel is represented by toy rocket ships on the ends of poles, and a Martian invasion by a squadron of paper plates spray painted a silvery gray."

Web Behrens, Free Press—"Vonnegut's irreverent style somehow doesn't always work here, though leads David Blixt and Dave Skvarla nail the broad style director Kevin Theis adopts. Meanwhile, Mike Speller's robot, Salo, seems more emotionally real than the human characters. The rest of the cast tackle a multitude of parts both supporting and bit; for cheap chuckles, they often toss in an accent. The big star of the show is behind the scenes: Victoria DeIorio, who adds so much to the mood with her music and, especially, her sound design. Visually, this doesn't feel much like the future—a limitation of budget, perhaps. Unfortunately, the end result is that Mars feels much the same as Mercury feels much the same as Titan."

Venus Zarris, Gay Chicago—"We are drawn in right from the beginning by the witty, cartoonish look of the production, the strong and whimsical characters and the fast-paced, nonlinear storyline. This is a complex and outlandish tale that presents challenges in the telling, but Lifeline is more than up to the task with superb artistic and technical delivery as well as a cast that is terrific. I love the spaceships!"

Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City—"Adapter John Hildreth condenses his nebulous material with capable efficiency. And under Kevin Theis' direction, an ensemble of shape-shifting actors guide us through the story's labyrinthine complications with charm and alacrity. But even cute futuristic devices, like the stick-mounted spaceships swooping over our heads and a robot dressed in what appears to be industrial marinara sauce, cannot compensate for the enervating effects of such now-threadbare motifs as German-accented doctors and revivalist church liturgies, nor can it disguise the vaguely adolescent tone of Vonnegut's mockery."