Items filtered by date: November 2007

At The Ready, a small theatre on Chicago’s Northside is currently hosting the classic parable play “Round Heads and Pointed Heads”. Penned by Bertolt Brecht in 1936, its current Chicago run is being brought to you by Red Tape Theatre - a fine theatre company I would urge one to become familiar with. The play is a sardonic anti-Nazi tale that takes place in in the made-up land of Yahoo where its leaders explore maintaining and strengthening their control by pitting “round heads” against “pointed heads” which replaces racial relations for their aggressive class relations.

Composed of 11 scenes in prose and poetry and 13 songs, the story unfolds in two acts that include an intermission. I found the play a bit long-winded but very well done. Multiple plot lines intertwine throughout and is sometimes quite a bit to digest in one sitting, but its overall message is quite poignant. Having said that, the play is very entertaining.

Several actors in this extremely well-acted production successfully take on more than one role, showcasing a wide variety of talent. Despite the fact that “Round Heads’ is not really a musical per se, there were a good handful of interesting songs that helped tell the story in a unique way.

Social issues like racism, revolution and prostitution made up some of the plot lines. Like I said, it was a lot to digest. As much as I enjoyed the play, the fact so many serious topics are brought to the table and are condensed into a couple hours, can overwhelm one’s attention span at times. However, the story ties together nicely.

Directed by Max Truax, the cast features Maryam Abdi, Ambrose Cappucio, Ben Chang, Casey Chapman, Nora King, Peter Laughlin, Diana Lee, Felix Mayes, Emily Nichelson, Brandon Rivera, Caleb Roitz, Kelsey Shipley, Stephanie Shum, and Ann Sonneville.

What I really like about productions like this set in intimate settings, is that the audience feels they become part of the scenes taking place. I guess having a powerful play so rich and meaningful presented up close and personal is not much of a surprise with a group like Red Tape Theatre. I felt some on the audience consisted of fellow thespians who were there to support the theatre community. Works for me. I like that idea.

Small theatre in Chicago has a lot to offer. There is much to see, and the price of admission is generally reasonable…in this case, free but they do appreciate donations. This production is well worth your time to see, and I look forward to checking out more Red Tape productions. These actors are not doing this to be rich, although it may be a stepping stone to greater things. So, go give them the lift they need…it all comes back to you.

Red Tape's “Round Heads and Pointed Heads” is being performed at At the Ready (4546 N Western Ave, Chicago) through April 21st. https://redtapetheatre.org/  

I was 16 years old, digging through a used record bin at a flea market. I came across an album by a Fusion band named Return to Forever. I had heard of the guitar player, Al DiMeola, so I bought the used LP for a dollar. It was money well spent. At that time, I was a relatively new guitar player and I was already getting onto Progressive bands like Yes. At first that is how I saw Fusion. It was kinda like “Prog Rock” sans vocals. It was at that time I first heard Stanley Clarke. The man’s name translates to the word bass in some language. I am sure of that. I know of very few players that have the kind of command over the instrument the Clarke does.

Stanley Clarke just hit Chicago on his latest tour and his performance at City Winery was top notch from beginning to end. His lineup included two keyboardists, drums, electric violin and Clarke on electric and upright bass. What, no guitar player? Blasphemy! I was devastated. Not exactly. There was no void in the music by the lack of having a guitar player that evening. With such a large ensemble of musicians, I’m not sure that there would have been room on the stage anyway. Needless to say, Clarke was already playing through one of the largest bass rigs I have seen in a venue of that size. It really wasn’t even all about that bass either, all the musicians were of the highest caliber.

Beka Gochiasvill and Cameron Graves were the two keyboardists, and both were outstanding. Beka is from Georgia, not the state, the nation that formerly belonged to the USSR. Only 22 years old, his playing reflected someone with much more maturity. Graves is a West Coast cat who has a reputation of his own and is also known for a lot of his own music.

Drummer Mike Mitchell was a solid groove machine, really holding down the fort with Stanley’s melodic monster bass lines. I love jazz drummers, they are never boring, and Mitchell was no exception. The art of being creative without showing off is another level of performance that takes time to achieve. There is an old joke: “A drummer is a person who follows musicians around”. When the drummer is really a musician, it makes all the difference in the world. It really does.

Last but not least in the lineup was the electric violinist. I feel terrible that I cannot recall his name and was unable to find out at the time of this writing! Ugh! I’ll just say that his performance was fantastic and that he was a very animated person. He gave the music a serious melodic boost, and almost upstaged Clarke yet his name is not listed in the band line up.

I say this in all my reviews, but go see live music! I am especially adamant about this when it comes to jazz. Clarke at age 66, is one of the younger players from back in the day. The newer generation does have the talent, no doubt about it, but it’s very educational to see the legends that were so influential in the genre. Thanks to venues like City Winery, this is still a tangible thing that is greatly available for people to seek out. City Winery also gets a great review from me, once again. They have a great staff and the sound there is always amazing. The wine is also fine.

Cheers!

"In real life, you're exploited by the moneyed class and then you die." says Petra in Robert Falls' new production of 'An Enemy of the People' at Goodman Theatre. His adaptation of Ibsen's 1882 play, spends two and a half hours exploring the theme of freedom.

"An Enemy of the People" is set in an ambiguous time and place but the highly conceptualized world in which this production exists is familiar. In it, idealistic small-town Doctor Stockmann (Philip Earl Johnson) discovers the water supply is poisoned. Hoping to save the town, he's politically thwarted by his brother the mayor (Scott Jaeck).

Robert Falls adapted the script from a translation by Eleanor Marx-Aveling and it's got some teeth. As Arthur Miller adapted Ibsen's play in 1950 to fit the McCarthy era, Falls aims his at Trumpism. Despite some occasional lapses in subtlety, this version chugs along at an urgent pace. Some liberties are taken with Ibsen's script but, given the current political climate, the topical dialogue fuels the thrilling intensity. Even 130 years later, this play is still a warning.

The square-off between Philip Earl Johnson and Scott Jaeck for the town's soul is all too relevant. Johnson physically exhausts himself trying to scream the truth while a calm and dignified Jaeck lulls the townspeople into submission. They're both so convincing you're almost able to see both sides, which is precisely the danger. Many of the most provocative lines come from Petra played by Rebecca Hurd. Her performance is sincere and brings more depth to the character than just what's in the dialogue.

It's an event when Robert Falls produces a classic at Goodman. 'Enemy of the People' lives up to the hype. As he's done with Chekhov, Falls has a vision for these plays that is far from the faithful productions of yore. It's essential for directors to reinterpret these classics for new eras. It's how a younger generation will connect with Ibsen. This version is well designed and brightly colored. Almost too cheerful for the subject matter. The costumes will leave you unsure of the time period, but that's the point. Whatever the era, the costumes are chic and the sets are memorable. This isn't your average period piece melodrama.

This production is exciting from beginning to end. There's not a moment of dead air. The dialogue is fresh and mirrors the absurd hypocrisy of our times. There's a lot of lightness in this play, and it's not until afterward that the darkness of its themes settle in. That might be one of it's strongest assets, it's so engaging you forget how bleak the conclusion is. If you don't leave this play angry, there's probably something wrong with you.

Through April 15th at Goodman Theatre 170 North Dearborn. 312-443-5151

Each week as I sort through the invitations to theater and concert events taking place in Chicago, it’s rare that I find a title as intriguing and inviting as this one - "The Brink or Nobody's Ever Kissed Me like That". 

Walkabout Theater Company described this show in their press release as "experimental cabaret" set in "a cafe at the edge of the world." And that would be a very accurate description.  

“The Brink” contains a variety of beautiful, recognizable songs, like “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows,” "Beyond the Sea” and "You Don't Own me," along with some classic Jazz and Motown standards. Colorful, erotic and avant-garde, each number is performed with a uniqueness that makes this play a true original. What the company does with some of the songs is quite amazing and sometimes a little scary to watch. Many of the songs are slowed down or sped up mid-number, as one of the ensemble members appears to control the delivery of each song with an old radio tuner. 

“The Brink’s” talented cast includes Nigel Brown, McCambridge Dowd-Whipple, Cooper Forsman, Dana Murphy, Katie Mazzini, Thom Pasculli, Alex Rodriguez. The three women in the cast have accomplished singing voices, yet each of these standards is sung with the most interesting variety of twists and turns. For example, "You Don't Own Me" is sung by a female ensemble member who begins by standing in a tin water tub while another male member of the troupe pours water over her head from a tin garden watering can until her long, shiny black hair is wet and her beautifully applied makeup and mascara are running down her face like black tears.  She then dance/ crawls her way over to a piano and sings the rest of the song in halting bits to an invisible suitor warning him not to try and change her with the following lyrics, but then tells him to kiss her over and over again. 

You don't own me
I'm not just one of your many toys
You don't own me
Don't say I can't go with other boys
Don't tell me what to do
And don't tell me what to say
Please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display
You don't own me
Don't try to change me in any way

The full effect of this number is stunning and sexy, yet sad and lonely all at the same time. 

The play is fair to both sexes when it comes to describing how hearts are easily toyed with and broken, yet there is a decidedly feminist and therefore humanist bent to the whole piece which I enjoyed immensely. With original text by Nigel Brown, quotes from renowned feminists Gertrude Stein and Ann Carson are scattered about like prose poetry and fall off the lips of the ensemble like rose petals off a dying rose instead of being shouted at the audience rally style.

At one point a female cast member says something to the effect of: All men lie, they cannot stop telling lies. I must leave this place as I am becoming bitter and hard from the thought that the basis of a woman's entire life is only about enduring humiliation. I will run and skip to find a new place to escape this one.

This is a feminist statement that really rings true with many women and got a lot of sympathetic nods of recognition from women and men in the audience.

I really enjoyed studying the delicately made and cut costumes and makeup in this show. Each costume is fitted to each ensemble member to perfection and is made of a variety of beautifully colored silks and linen, which grace the whole show with a decidedly French couture or, at times, Italian couture feeling. The brilliant costumes by Myron Elliott-Cisneros undoubtedly enhance the many, many beautiful images created by the cast in each scene or vignette. 

I highly recommend this bewitching and enchanting ensemble production for anyone seeking a night of thought provoking romantic idealism, dance and song in a surrealistic atmosphere that will allow you to explore new places in your own minds memories of love you have lost or found with new insight. 

The production is coming off previews in Cricoteka Centre in Krakow, Poland, and continue its journey to India for the 8th International Theatre Olympics in Mumbai and New Delhi following its three-week Chicago run. 

"The Brink or Nobody’s Ever Kissed Me Like That" is being performed at Links Hall through March 31st. More information on this amazing show can be found at http://walkabouttheater.org.

It’s an unsettling opening scene: actor Gregory Fenner silently dons a noose strung from a tree in as he steps into the role of Darnell. When the spotlight hits him, he lifts his head to speak, and Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s Hang Man takes flight as a play.

Darnell is hanging from a tree in rural Mississippi - a repugnant image that has been seared into our national consciousness. But he is really two characters: Darnell, the corpse, and, when he lifts his head and opens this mouth to address the audience, he becomes Darnell the commentator, letting us know that there is more to this story than what we might surmise. Along the way, he hands out clues to keep us off track. “Can’t a black man just commit suicide?” he suggests at one point. (But it’s not that, either.)

Hang Man can touch this “third rail” image because of Osei-Kuffour’s fearless artfulness. The character Darnell and Fenner’s performance are among the highlights of the play. Notably, Darnell speaks sparingly, occasionally addressing the audience, and carrying on lengthier conversations with his young niece.

At one point, opening his eyes, Darnell lifts his head and says, “I like living in Mississippi. It’s pretty.” Then he resumes his corpse-ly repose. I wished that we had heard even more from him.

In fact, Darnell is on stage throughout the play – though the spotlight is not always on him. He goes back into the character of corpse after he has his say, or speaks lovingly to his favorite young niece, G (Mariah Sydnei Gordon is excellent). And G is the play’s Everyman.

To avoid a spoiler, we won’t want to give more away on Darnell’s story, but suffice it to say Osei-Kuffour has packed this character, and the play, with ironic commentary, giving us characters that are parodies of types, some of them ripped right out of the news pages. Because they are largely inept, we don’t take them too seriously.

There are black types: Sage (Jennifer Glass), hard bitten and tough (and G’s stern but loving mom) who has adopted a cowgirl persona and dances in a local country bar. And Jahaad (Martel Manning is terrific), recently converted to Islam, and just released from incarceration (he was jailed for stealing Beany Baby’s!). Jahaad, is tracking down Darnell to collect a gambling debt, falls for Sage, who holds him at bay: “I ain’t bringing no ghetto Muslim to a honty tonk with me!” she tells him.

There are white types: Paul D’Addario, as Archie, displays the mean-spirited emotional and physical cruelty through which white racism is expressed. Andy Fleischer, as his sidekick Wipp, a deputy sheriff, is an unrestrained send-up of white yokels. Archie and Wipp also share both a bro mentality, and a love interest in Margarie.

And finally there is an outlier, a trans-racial type, Margarie, played with complete abandon by Angela Morris. Margarie is a bit unhinged, and becomes progressively more so as the action progresses. Embodying white guilt (“Sorry!” she says in recompense  for slavery), Margarie is redolent of a real life character, Rachel Dolezal, who rose to prominence two years ago when she was outed as actually white, despite posing as an African-American woman in her role as an as a regional NAACP director and an Africana studies director.

With this stew, the Hang Man provides rich terrain for farce, and we get a lot of that. But as the mayhem escalates, something unravels, and playwright seems to be struggling to tie up the strands. We eventually get to the curtain, but a gun is discharged multiple times. And I couldn’t help thinking of comedic writer Michael O’Donohue’s advice to authors struggling with an ending: "Observe how easily I resolve this problem: Suddenly, everyone was run over by a truck." 

The string of scenes forms a cohesive, if loosely knit, plot, and a lot of worthy ground is covered in the skit-like parodies. But at a certain point, I found myself hoping it would end soon, and not sure where what could or should have made that happen. 

Nonetheless, serious followers of the theater will want to see this provocative work. Hang Man runs through April 29 at The Gift Theatre.

On a beautiful plantation in the modern day South, a mother asks her three daughters what they would change in the world, if they could. After rattling off some Miss America-esque answers – including "giving a croissant to a homeless person" – the girls go back to their own self-interests, i.e. taking recreational painkillers and prepping for a reality show audition.

Their world gets turned upside down when their mother announces that they will be hosting, and gifting the deed of the family plantation to, three black women, women who are descendants of a slave who worked on the plantation and had relations with the family's great-great-grandfather. Although with very different backgrounds, upbringings, and access to privilege due to skin color, these seven women are family.

Not to get all "Webster's Dictionary defines..." but I have to say it a little louder for the All Lives Matter folks in the back: A privilege is a special advantage or benefit available only to a particular person or group of people. A benefit, for instance, like a big, beautiful plot of land that your family forced slaves to maintain. Or, for instance, a thriving business that has clothed, fed, and housed generations of white descendants for centuries while providing nothing to the black descendants of the people without whom there wouldn't be a business. The slaves did the work, yet it's the family of the slaveowners who reap the benefits.

This 21st century answer to reparations is inspiring and brilliantly funny, with a fast-paced and clever script by Kevin Douglas and superb directing by David Schwimmer. Plantation! is both a conversation starter and high quality entertainment. Chaos and comedy ensue while the six girls try to make nice and get to know each other, all while griping beyond each others' backs about who really deserves the plantation. The play is a hilarious send-up of well-meaning white people; who sincerely want to help, yet do nothing when presented with the chance to do so; who swear up and down they aren't racist, yet date a member of the KKK because he doesn't go to "all" of the meetings.

In one scene, the girls are all Southern-Belle'd out in big, old-fashioned dresses for a fancy dinner on the estate. When the black girls turn on some music and start dancing, one of the white girls yells that it's like they have Beyonce in the house. Her sister admonishes her, "That's racist."

"No, it's not. That's a compliment," one of the black girls replies, high-fiving her sisters. The white sister who thought she was rightly calling out racism shakes her head, "You people are confusing." The black sisters share a glance. "That's racist," they say. Case in point, maybe listen to what people who experience racism have to say about it before defining racism for them. (Also, rule of thumb, don't make black people explain Black Lives Matter to you – which, naturally, plays out onstage here. Google is your friend.)

Finally, the cast of eight women knocked it out of the park with their chemistry and comedic timing. Besides the fabulous poofy dresses, it seemed to me that this play could've been cast with either men or women and the story would be the same. Props to Lookingglass and Douglas for not setting the default to "male." And for not being afraid to have a mixed race cast discuss race and make everyone in the audience, to use the playwright's own word, a little "funcomfortable".

Plantation is playing at Lookingglass Theatre Company through April 22nd. Tickets on LookingglassTheatre.org.

Got to admit I was floored to arrive to find Sweet Tap Chicago, a tap dancing show, was packed for its Sunday matinee at Chicago’s City Winery.
The promise that had lured me - jazz and tap dancing together – was borne largely out of curiosity. In fact, the show delivered so much more than jazz – venturing into uncharted territory for tap dance arrangements to a broad survey of musical styles, and all of it rooted in Chicago.

The Sweet Tap Chicago Band (led by bassist Kurt Schweitz, with Bob Parlier, Corbin Andrick, Cole DeGenova, and with singers JC Brooks and Taylor Mallory) delivered fresh arrangements well suited for tap dancers, from Muddy Waters, father of Chicago blues, to Chicagoan Billy Corgin’s Smashing Pumpkins (Today); from CTA (Saturday In the Park) to Wilco (I’m Trying to Break Your Heart). The dance troupe trotted out classic tap routines for some sets, and performed improvisations at other points, delivering percussive footwork retorts to drum and sax solo lines.

One highlight of the performance was versatile singer Taylor Mallory, a music stylist and personable impresario, who was just at home singing a Styx medley, as he was rapping Wanna Be Cool by Donny Trumpet and Chance the Rapper. Rap really pairs well with tap, it turns out. Mallory delivered a rather inspired mash-up of Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up and Kanye West’s Touch the Sky. (Chicago native Mayfield was a denizen of Cabrini- Green.) And singer JC Brooks was an infectious presence on the stage, especially in a preview of “Get Into the Groove,” from an upcoming Chicago Tap Theatre review based on Madonna songs.

The event also spotlighted the versatility of City’s Winery’s venue, a cozy room seating 300 for great food, fine wine, and vintage acts that fit the space The Zombies  play next week; Joan Armatrading plays there June 9-14 City Winery also curates rising talent, an invaluable service to audiences and the local music scene.

Before Sunday’s show, it had been awhile since I thought about tap dancers – like back to Savion Glover, who singlehandedly resuscitated the form on Broadway in Jelly’s Last Stand (1992) and Bring in Da Noise (1996). Tap dancing hadn’t gone away, really – it had gone a little underground. But in 2002 the Chicago Tap Theatre was formed to nurture and develop it.

Mark Yonally, artistic director and the driving force behind Chicago Tap Theatre, set out with the dance group’s music director Kurt Schweitz to choreograph new pieces set to music from, or inspired by, the city of Chicago, and the musicians associated with this city. The concept was to resurrect the idea of a jazz dance club, and to prove that all music is tap music. Well, mission accomplished. www.chicagocitywinery.com

About Face Theatre’s Time Is on Our Side is a wonderful play that carries a LGBTQ theme throughout. This might make some people uncomfortable – and for those it does, this play is a must see. The subject matter is very open. The characters are very open. I found it simply charming. The story is truly timeless.

Sexuality has been one of the biggest topics of discussion since the beginning of time. Actually, in many cases, it is the topic of no-discussion. Fears and phobias run amuck when you start talking about sex. The fact that there even needs to be an LGBTQ community is ridiculous. Labeling is only counterproductive to the evolution of our species.

The play starts with two people, Curtis and Annie, producing a podcast to “queer history” that ultimately has them stumble upon a secretive family journal belonging to Annie’s Grandmother that prompts an investigation into the history of the LGBTQ movement. Their examination takes them on a journey down many roads from Rosa Parks to the AIDS Quilt as more and more past events are brought to the open.

Well-written and superbly performed, Time Is on Our Side is a very entertaining play filled with several hilarious moments while also bringing to the surface many thought-provoking topics. The first act set up the second very well. It was full of surprises even though there was some serious foreshadowing taking place. A well-conceived production, director Megan Carney and writer R. Eric Thomas should be proud of their achievement.

“This is a hilarious and deeply personal story,” comments Director Megan Carney. “It brings together rich characters of different generations who share a longing to connect, which makes it such a perfect play for us at About Face Theatre. The play weaves a range of stories in which younger folks uncover their roots and elders pass on what they know. Altogether, a powerful story emerges revealing acts of resistance and queer magic through the decades.” 

Rashaad Hall as Curtis and Maggie Scranton as Annie are outstanding in their roles. Riley Mondragon plays Claudia and plays the role amazingly well. I thought she stole the show until we are introduced to Rene played by Esteban Andres Cruz, who is a true scene stealer. Cruz also shows his versatility by playing another character in the play, as does Mondragon.

I believe the LGBTQ labeling needs to stop so that one day we can just refer to everyone as people. We come in all varieties. What people do is their own business and not and not anyone else’s. The fact that there needs to be a community based on being “different” is unfortunate. What is different? The more you dig, the more you realize how similar we are, not how different.

I wholeheartedly recommend this funny and highly-stimulating play.

Time Is on Our Side is being performed at Theater Wit through April 7th. For more information on this play, visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com.

I went to see "A Story Told in Seven Fights" at Neo-Futurists Theater on my birthday for two reasons. One, I wanted to have a fun, exciting interactive theater experience and two, because my dear friend and college classmate, actor, comedy writer Phil Riddarelli was one of the original members and founders of the theatre’s longest running hit, "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.” 

I am happy to say it was a very happy birthday experience indeed. 

Even if you know nothing about the play's stories regarding the rift that occurred between the ensemble members and original founder Greg Allen in 2016, which prompted the company members to change its most popular production's name to "The Infinite Wrench," or the seven real life historical fights between Arthur Cravan, or his contemporaries Tristan Tzara and Andre Breton and boxing champion Jack Johnson, you will STILL totally enjoy this show! If unfamiliar, worry not. You'll catch on quick and, in the process, learn amazing stories such as the time when Cravan, a poet and philosopher in the early 20th century who ushered in the birth of Dadaism and Surrealism, actually fought the unbeatable Jack Johnson in an exposition match that he publicized to raise money for himself. This is just one of his many fights.

"Seven Fights" is the epitome of what this theatre stands for as it holds true to that from the Neo Futurist company’s website info: 
"From our namesakes, the Italian Futurists, came the exultation of speed, brevity, compression, dynamism, and the explosion of preconceived notions (although not the warlike fascist tendencies). From Dada and Surrealism came the joy of randomness and the thrill of the unconscious. From the theatrical experiments of the 1960’s came audience interaction, breaking down all notions of distance, character, setting, and illusion. Finally, from the political turmoil of the 1980’s came a socially conscious voice and a low-tech, “poor theater” format. This aesthetic would eventually become the guiding principle of all work produced by The Neo-Futurists".

"Youth in revolt!" If it's a system, it needs to be smashed. The safety bubble created to protect us from the system has now become a system - so let's smash it. 

Trevor Dawkins and director Tony Santiago have created a 90-minute long format play that is socially conscious, exciting to watch and full of "poor theater" energy that keeps the audience both laughing and thinking at the same time for every minute of this super funny and thought-provoking production. "Seven fights" is Oracle Production's Tony Santiago's Neo-Futurist debut and it appears he's a good fit for the progressive theatre company. Dawkins also gets a huge assist from his surrounding cast members that include Jen Ellison, Rasell Holt, Arti Ishak, TJ Medel, Kendra Miller, Stephanie Shum and Jeff Trainor. Holt is exceptional as legendary Jack Johnson (not the guitarist!) who became the first African-American World Heavyweight Champion in 1908. Ellison also stands out in a surprise role, infusing her own unique blend of humor into the production, a talent that has been enjoyed in past productions by both Neo-Futurist and Second City fans.  

Cast members actually stage elaborate fights under Gaby Labotka's well-choreographed fight direction and do other interesting things like drawing a chalk line on the stage where they talk to each in "real life" on one side of the line and "in character" on the other side of the line. Throughout the play audience is swept along to consider their own inner battles with how to properly and safely express anger over whatever may be "seven fights' in their own lives, perhaps like the ones many of us feel we are experiencing under Trump's reign of terror in our country right now.

In most of our lives actual fighting is not the answer for normal, yet persecuted, people to pursue without making the situation worse. 

Dawkin's very interesting script, which reminds me of a famous ensemble piece about the Kennedy assassination called "The Serpent" back in the 60's, gives the audience many entertaining and thoughtful ways to channel their anger and even turn it into humor and art. 

I highly recommend this super funny, energy-packed show to people of all ages who want to have a lively and positive theater experience that they will not forget. 

"A Story Told in Seven Fights" is currently being performed at the Neo-Futurists Theatre through April 7th. For more show info visit www.neofuturists.org.

A stunning production of a striking play at First Floor Theater, Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea, has the hallmarks of a hit in the making for Chicago. This coming-of-age play by Nathan Alan Davis tells the story of a dreamer, the eighteen-year-old Dontrell, in the summer just before college.
Dontrell Jones the Third (Jalen Gilbert), we learn, is a highly successful student, advanced placement whiz, and accomplished athlete, who has earned his way into Johns Hopkins University. But with all his intellectual accomplishments, Dontrell also remains tapped into the robust imaginary world he has inhabited since childhood.
We meet Dontrell as he lies in bed, dictating a “ships log” into a pocket recorder – a la Star Trek – aimed at “future generations.” He is planning a quest, based on a vivid dream he has had of an ancestor, whom he believes leapt to his death in the Atlantic from a slave ship during the “Middle Passage.”
Contemplating this visions of this heroic journey to encounter his ancestor on the floor of the sea, Dontrell is disturbed as his annoying younger sister, Danielle (Destiny Strothers) calls him to dinner. He must come down on the double, or the two will have to deal with Mom – a force to be reckoned with (as is Shariba Rivers in the role of Mom).
Next scene finds Dontrell diving into the deep end of the pool to teach himself to swim. He nearly drowns and is pulled out, unconscious, by life guard Erika (Kayla Raelle Holder). Dontrell immediately asks his savior to further his quest, and to be his swim coach.

This pair also play archetypes: Dontrell, as innocent youth; and Erika, his mentor (and perhaps, a magical water nymph?). A sleepover at Erika’s soon leads to romance, and revealing stories.
Having mastered swimming, Dontrell decides to tackle diving to reach that ancestor. Erika in tow, Dontrell heads home, and soon enough Mom and Dad (Brian Nelson Jr. is powerful) learn of his plans. Fireworks ensue. Cousin Shea (Brianna Buckley) and best friend Robby (Jerome Beck) ably deliver key roles in this drama. Playwright Davis has thoughtfully given each character at least one show-stopping moment of delivery, offering powerful dramatic moments.
The production of Dontrell, Who Kiss the Sea has received a visionary expression in its direction by Chika Ike, with scenic design by Eleanor Khan and lighting design by Rachel Levy. This dynamic production is furthered by an original sound score (Sarah D. Espinoza) artfully choreographed scenes (Breon Arzell and Gaby Lobotka), and seven players in a movie-star-caliber cast (casting is by Catherine Miller).
The play also glides along on the magical side, with the troupe enveloping the audience in evocative chant and dance rituals, all readily resonate, especially if you have seen Black Panther (though the timing was purely coincidental).
The play has been produced previously in Indianapolis, Washington, Los Angeles and other cities, and was selected to be part of the National Rolling Premiers of the New Play Network. (That program fosters premiers of new plays in multple cities within a 12-month period.) 

Davis also tapped into a trending African-American magic realism, the creative zeitgeist seen in Colson White’s novel Underground Railroad and the current cultural movie phenomenon, Black Panther. Davis, with an MFA from Indiana University, a graduate of Juilliard's Playwrights Program and a lecturer at Princeton, along with the magic, has also brought a kind of classicism and erudition to this script. Hopefully this show will be picked up for a larger venue following its current run. But don't take a chance on missing it. 

Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea comes highly recommended. It runs at The Den Theatre through March 31.