3-13-09
Odd Pairings Hold Little Surprise in Neveu's Glory
Brett Neveu has had the up-and-coming tag on him for a while, so now there are some who are getting impatient for him to take the next step. I’m not sure what “next step” entails, but clearly it’s something more than being regularly produced by the major players in Chicago theatre. That he has already achieved, with productions at Steppenwolf, American Theater Company and now, Writers Theatre.
For those familiar with Writers’ work, this is a somewhat odd pairing. Writers, despite its name, has hardly any history of producing new plays or working with playwrights. Furthermore, Neveu is directly addressing some pretty immediate issues as he examines the impact of the Iraq War on six people.
At the center of the story is an incident between two soldiers: the small-town, hyper Goss and the bookish, sullen Rat. Sharing a barracks in the aftermath of horrible event—the soldiers opened fire on an auto at a checkpoint and killed the parents of the family therein—they are perfectly matched to drive one another crazy. The second pairing consists of one the mother of the soldier’s and his best friend. Apparently, one of the soldiers killed the other in an incident that was initially termed an accident, but now the military is classifying as a purposeful killing. The final, and most intriguing pair are the victim’s father, Torlief, and the two soldiers’ commanding officer—now retired. The father tracks down the officer to confront him about the events that led to his son’s death.
Because of Neveu’s approach to multiple timelines the only suspense lies in the identity of the perpetrator and the victim. The most interesting couple is Torlief and Peter (the officer). Peter’s gradual disarming of Torlief’s anger is masterfully written and filled with surprising humor. Philip Earl Johnson, as the defeated Peter, steals the show, supported by Tom McElroy’s Torlief. The two soldiers (Marcus Truschinski and Steve Haggard) have their moments, but the dislike they have for each other makes their continued conversation unlikely. Why doesn’t one of them leave the barracks and not return?
The scenes between the mother (Peggy Slusher) and the victim’s best friend (LaShawn Banks) are the least satisfying. Slusher has the unenviable task of portraying a mother learning her son’s death might be murder. This reopens the still-fresh wound of his death. But in the end, these scenes have the least to contribute to the evening.
Neveu frequently examines the periphery of tragedy, studying the way horrible events resonate with those closest to it. But there aren’t many insights to be had in Old Glory. Tragedy tears us apart, but this dynamic has been examined many times before. And despite a strong cast, and a beautiful—if somewhat incongruous—set (what’s with the giant pillars?) William Brown’s production doesn’t hold the audience’s attention. The only surprise lies in the identity of the victim and the perpetrator, and that’s not enough to sustain the evening, no matter Neveu’s skill.
Old Glory, Writers Theatre
Chris Jones, Tribune—“With Old Glory, a collective artistic investment in human capital pays off. This is far and way Neveu’s best script to date. (It slightly recalls Four Murders, another Neveu piece I greatly admired). And in William Brown and this top-drawer Writers’ Theatre cast, Neveu finally has found a director who knows how to deal with his unusually cryptic and elliptical dramatic universe.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—“Neveu has constructed a fascinating ‘multiplex’ view here. But while the scenes between the two soldiers have a truth, beauty, feverishness and sense of panic that never strike a false note, his writing for the other two pairs of antagonists too often feels mannered and contrived, even if the exceptional actors who play the roles come very close to camouflaging this. Director William Brown, who brought such a revelatory anti-war subtext to Shakespeare’s As You Like It last season, deals with this far more direct story in an equally masterful way. A stunning minefield, to be sure.”
Tony Adler, Reader—“I understand that these speeches are calculated to be nonsequiturial, even irrelevant to some extent—the outpourings of minds in disarray because of stress, fear, anguish, anger, alcohol, inhibition, or all of the above. Neveu is brave to push the dramaturgical envelope by so ardently exploring the uses of such dialogue, but he doesn’t generate the skewed revelation I think he hoped for here. In this instance, the result is confusion, tedium, and the sense of an experiment gone wrong.”
Kris Vire, Time Out—“The three duets in Neveu’s new play are interrelated, and piecing together the hows and whys is part of its pleasure, so we won’t spoil the connections. That the puzzle reveals itself earlier than the playwright intends, and without quite reaching a satisfying solution, doesn’t take away from the bracing and unsettling enjoyment to be found in Brown’s remarkable production.”
Dennis Polkow, New City—“As you would expect from Writers Theatre, the ensemble acting is absolutely first-rate, and under William Brown’s direction, your heart will pound and then break during some of these emotional confrontations of helplessness in the face of utter destruction and seemingly senseless loss; some go through the motions of life trying to move on until they fall apart, others are simply so numbed by the shock that they drown themselves in beer.”
Scott C. Morgan, Windy City—“Neveu’s bait-and-switch can be a disappointment—especially since the implied conspiracy at the top of the play gets very little traction while the ‘mystery’ for the audience turns out to be which soldier will end up killing the other soldier. Still, there’s a lot to recommend in Old Glory, which receives a wonderfully acted world premiere under William Brown’s assured direction at Writers’ Theatre.
Our Town, Lookingglass Theatre Co.
Chris Jones, Tribune—“Regardless of your experience with the play or with Lookingglass, this production will, I think, touch you most of all by its liveness, its immediacy and its palpable intimacy. One wishes the play-within-a-play went just a notch or two further, even as one understands why that must have felt so dangerous. And one wishes the raw nerves of the piece had fuller exposure. But overall, you have the sense here that the Lookingglass artists wanted to open themselves up on this stage, even as they struggled to overcome all the myriad stuff in their way. Some are better at honest revelation than others. But most find their peaks among the valleys.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—“Apart from its set, the Lookingglass Our Town—co-directed by Anna D. Shapiro and Jessica Thebus and featuring 13 members of the close-knit ensemble—is a fairly straightforward, gently elegiac interpretation of the play. Comparisons are difficult to avoid, and the truth is, this version possesses little of the edgy irony, biting humor or surprise found in David Cromer’s production of the play for the Hypocrites last year—a production soon to open in an Off-Broadway edition. On the other hand, more people will probably end up seeing the Lookingglass show, and it is not without its pleasures.”
Zac Thompson, Reader—“Giving the play shadings of middle-aged regret may be an imposition, but it jibes with Wilder’s theme of impermanence. The conceit isn’t the problem; the problem is that it remains undeveloped. The production actually loses its potentially fruitful elegiac quality as it closes in on death. Though the quotidian first act is lovingly evoked, the heavier second and third acts often seem bloodless and safe.”
Kris Vire, Time Out—“Stripping away the spectacle, unfortunately, also lays bare an open secret about Lookingglass. These folks may be renowned for their skills at adaptation and acrobatics, but as a group, the Lookingglass ensemble has never been known for its acting. The marketing line on this revival is that the reunion of so many longtime ensemble members would bring with it an onstage chemistry unattainable through artificial means. Strangely, the most marked aspect of this production is a seeming lack of connection among the actors; it’s the reunion itself that seems artificial.”
Fabrizio O. Almeida, New City—“Lookingglass Theatre’s revival of Our Town has its touching moments, some fine acting and has been sensitively directed by Anna D. Shapiro and Jessica Thebus, so along with the fact that a recognizable ‘name’ (David Schwimmer) is in the cast who will undoubtedly sell tickets, I guess Lookingglass has an easy hit on their hands. But the production is so lacking in theatrical vigor, emotional involvement or intellectual stimulation that I left the theater wondering if Thornton Wilder’s 70-year old drama has dated badly, was overrated to start with or failed to move me because it doesn’t speak to my personal life experience.”
Lawrence Bommer, Free Press—“The problem lies in the overly celebratory concept of this production. It’s billed as a kind of reunion for the 21-year-old, 22-member Lookingglass ensemble. But, with only 13 actors, this family affair is too restricted. Worse, the age range is as limited as the number, creating constrictive and ultimately unconvincing casting. The worst case is David Schwimmer, easily a quarter century too old to play 16-year-old George Gibb…Laura Eason’s Emily fares better, especially in the powerful third act when she returns to her 12th birthday.”
Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City—“That being said, the Lookingglass production is earnest, respectful, unshowy, capably acted, beautifully lit and entirely pleasant. But it’s neither particularly distinguished nor distinctive except, perhaps, in certain elements of design, such as designer Janice Pytel’s natural toned linen and cotton costumes for everyone, which give the show a very summery feel.”
The Robber Bridegroom, Griffin Theatre
Nina Metz, Tribune—“From the outset, The Robber Bridegroom threatens to implode on all its homespun corn-pone goodness. But stay with it. I found myself warming to this bluegrass musical in unexpected ways. Here’s one: The show is seriously warped and absolutely Pythonesque. Who knew?”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—“A feverishly animated cast of 13, set in fast-forward motion by director Paul S. Holmquist, brings a sense of high hilarity to every outlandish character—from a Natchez-style Rapunzel, to a Mrs. Robinson-like witch on a broomstick, to a dashing fortune-hunting suitor, to an edgy pair of brothers (one of whom is nothing but a talking head in a trunk). And a splendid five-person band, directed by Timothy Ryan Fisher (with Mark Elliott overseeing the rest of the musical direction), sets the pace for square dances, reels and a whole lot of scurrilous goings on.”
Kerry Reid, Reader—“It’s mystifying that this 1975 bluegrass version of Eudora Welty’s 1942 novella hasn’t shown up on Chicago stages before now (though it began life at the Ravinia Festival). As Paul S. Holmquist’s cunning staging for Griffin Theatre demonstrates, Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman’s musical is perfect for small, flexible, energetic ensembles, and its aesthetic—Once Upon a Mattress by way of Hee-Haw—offers crowd-pleasing, so-silly-it’s-smart humor.”
Kris Vire, Time Out—“Trouble is, those repetitious subplots overwhelm the primary story of Jamie and his love Rosamund. Holmquist’s muddy production doesn’t help. Too young for the title role, Cameron Brune displays intrinsic (if underdeveloped) stage charisma, but his vocal strain is palpable; still, he’s the only soloist who’s not entirely drowned out by the onstage band. The supporting players are mostly at sea, and the absence of a credited choreographer is felt all too keenly in shapeless dance sequences. This Bridegroom seems unlikely to satisfy audiences of any age.”
Lawrence Bommer, Free Press—“A two-time Broadway sensation, Alfred Uhry’s 1975 one-act adaptation with a country-cute score by Robert Waldman just needs a hot bluegrass band and enough enthusiasm to take off. Well, it also needs a certain trust in the tale being told. That’s what’s sadly lacking in Paul S. Holmquist’s broad, loud and less than unconvincing revival. The square dances are fun, the downhome delights generous, but the portrayals succumb to dumbed-down ‘Hee Haw’ and ‘Gomer Pyle’ stereotypes.”
Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City—“Fortunately, the almost nonstop parade of melodies eliminates any necessity for attending to the story—which, for the record, involves a rich man’s beautiful daughter, her jealous stepmother, a gentleman bandit, a simpleton, a pair of ruffians and copious backcountry sorcery…With this much dazzle coming at us for 105 minutes at the close range facilitated by Theatre Building Chicago’s West Stage, how could anyone not have themselves a rollicking no-brain good time to brighten up a chilly spring?”
Rose and the Rime, House Theatre of Chicago
Chris Jones, Tribune—“This whole intensely creative show—which deals with a plucky young girl who stares down an evil witch, only to confront the ambivalence of power—is relentlessly optimistic. That’s one of the great pleasures of the House. Whatever its fiscal woes, this remarkable company pops back up like an Energizer bunny (there are even bunnies in the show), begging us to rediscover our inner college student, turn on our emotional spigots, stare into the face of our demons, and go play with them, out in the sunshine.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—“As it turns out, this latest House Theatre narrative—the work of Chris Mathews, Jake Minton and director Nathan Allen—once again taps into that faux-naive, slightly time-warped style that has become the company’s trademark, a twee tone that can wear decidedly thin. Yet the story also has inspired some wonderfully imaginative stagecraft and a unique approach to movement.”
Albert Williams, Reader—“The House Theatre of Chicago’s inventive new show puts a contemporary spin on themes from classic fairy tales and fantasies—Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings are notable influences…Director/coauthor Nathan Allen employs striking scenic and sound design and stylized ensemble movement to dramatize Rose’s quest and the surprising developments that follow from it.”
John Beer, Time Out—“Not that the production lacks for exuberance. Designer Collette Pollard transforms the interior of the Chopin into a snow globe, within which elaborate, kinetic sequences portray the perilous journey through icy wastes and forests of evil trees. And after this past winter, the cast’s frenetic swimsuit sequence comes as genuinely cathartic. But you don’t need winter to think that, for all its flash, Rose and the Rime feels like nothing at all.”
Lisa Buscani, New City—“The House Theatre’s sharp eye for design saturates its production of Rose and The Rime. The whole piece is a stylish endeavor, from Collette Pollard’s icy set design, to Lee Keenan’s lighting, to Debbie Baer’s hip, harmonious costumes, right down to the fancy-schmancy playing-card programs. But it’s difficult to cut through the gloss and whimsy to find a story worthy of the images that support it.”
Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City—“Before we are confronted with our grim lesson, however, we are permitted full measure of the carefree theatrical fun we have come to expect from The House: a seductively wicked sorceress with icy kabuki-length talons. Cuddly puppet-bunnies scampering through fluffy white drifts. Alpine acrobatics incorporating front-row spectators to represent rocky cliff faces. A quasi-Volga Boatman dirge based in the scrape of snow-shovels, and a gentle minuet played by a chamber orchestra of bottle-whistles. A shriveled forest sighing in chill winds, and a beach frolic where boardwalk red-hots are distributed to hungry-looking playgoers. Joy, courage, envy and violence, all translated into kinetic spectacle by the power of our imaginations.”