Items filtered by date: November 2007

Thankfully, there is another side to this season of giving, one that doesn't seem to make FOX News headlines as often, but is pervasive nonetheless. I was very heartened this year, as I was signing on for volunteer work over at the Greater Chicago Food Depository (a non-profit food distribution center dedicated to feeding the hungry), to discover that so many of the shifts for seasonal warehouse duty were filled up well in advance. As with so much of the good work that goes on year-round in the non-profit sector, many people throughout the city (and country) are donating their time, talent, and money to various toy drives, shelters, elderly care, etc... While the mass media continues to pummel us with the worst examples of human behavior on display, many others simply carry on exemplifying the true spirit of the season.

It's not always an easy thing. Many of us are so caught up in our own day-to-day pressures, it can become difficult to recognize, much less care about, the challenges that face the community at large. Particularly in this current climate of fear and diminished hope, it can be very hard to extend a helping hand when, at heart, so many feel powerless about their own life situation. And of course, if you are like me, there is always simple laziness sabotaging even the best of intentions. Yet, as I've gotten ol...um, more life experience under my belt, I've also gained greater faith in people's capacity for compassion and goodwill (obviously, I do not watch much reality TV).

There is no denying the sorrow and pain woven into the tapestry of everyday life. None of us has to search far to witness suffering. But as with our potential for selfish and sometimes evil actions, there is also tremendous potential to alleviate, even if just in some small way, the suffering of others. There is a side to people that wants to do good. Even for those not following through or taking action, there is a yearning to make a difference somehow. There is so much underutilized potential in the world waiting to be tapped into. Everyone has it in them to give something this holiday season, aside from the latest "bling," iPad, or luxury vehicle (will someone please tell me when purchasing cars for spouses entered the realm of reasonable gift expectations?).

Christmastime in Chicago is a perfect opportunity to not only give to those less fortunate, but also to reflect on giving as a state of mind. Something about the dramatic seasonal change and semi-hibernation that takes place, along with the underlying melancholy of the holiday itself (which, for me, further underscores the differences between the haves and have-nots) can impose contemplation even among the most unsuspecting souls. It's a good time of year to be grateful for even the simplest of blessings and to also take notice of those around who could use a helping hand. There are so many great organizations to choose from (within your own neighborhood, through local churches, and even a basic Google search can provide many excellent options). There are opportunities that can accommodate pretty much everyone's schedules (and/or budgets) and in most cases the only requirements are will and heart, which most Chicagoans already have through braving so many ugly winters.

The spirit of giving is contagious and can be fun. Many non-profit organizations have group activities that can be accomplished with friends and family members. And it's not just about giving money or time, but also of your spirit and allowing that goodwill to pervade your consciousness heading into the New Year. Find something inspiring for yourself this season, stay inspired, and share your inspiration and talents with others heading forward. Oftentimes, the only thing providing solace in this world are those tilting the balance by sharing their light with others.

"Each small candle lights a corner of the dark"

-- Roger Waters

Some suggested websites:

www.chicagosfoodbank.org

www.inspirationcorp.org

BAH HUMBUG! Ebenezer Scrooge's famous line from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."  It's a story all too familiar to most of us and (I hope) we all still remember it from our childhood; I know I do.   It's one of the most memorable Christmas tales ever told and I was particularly pleased to hear it was playing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.  Now still being particularly new to theatre, I was unaware that this production is done nearly every year.  However, had I known, I would have certainly seen it sooner.

After seeing this production I can certainly see what attracts so many people year after year to this play!  Whether you're a child, an adult or even an elderly person, I want to make one thing clear; you WILL enjoy this play.  You would have to be real Scrooge to not enjoy this show; seriously.  Of all the plays I've had the honor of reviewing for Buzz Magazine, this was by far my favorite.

The play of course, tells the classic tale of a greedy old man (Ebenezer Scrooge) whose love for money and success eventually consumes him to the point that he is nearly void of all humanity.  He is then haunted by three ghosts who take him on a journey in a last ditch effort to save him from himself, his greed and lack of love for others.  It's a story about equality, love for one another, and change.  Over all, I think that everyone has a lesson to learn from this classic and once you see it brought to life on stage, you may even find yourself humming a Christmas tune or two as you'll be gleaming with holiday cheer.

The most impressive aspect of the show was the productions visual appeal.  The stage scenes were obviously made to look absolutely perfect, and as you sit there watching the show, you almost forget that you’re at the theater.  Of all the Christmas Carol movies there have been throughout the times (and I've seen most of them), this play was certainly the most enjoyable one I have ever seen.  It's lively, it's exciting, and it leaves you feeling that holiday cheer that many of us seem to have lost as we've grown older.  I was so pleased with the production that I was smiling and talking about it for hours after it was over.  I could only imagine how exciting this show would be for a child to see.  It really brings something to the viewer that TV or movies cannot.

A Christmas Carol will be playing November 18 - December 31 at Goodman Theatre in Chicago.  Prices vary depending on the seats and box seats are also available.  Please visit www.goodmantheatre.org for ticket/venue information. If you've got kids, nieces or nephews, taking them to this play would be a perfect gift.  Forget the gift cards, video games, and itchy wool sweaters.  Everyone should be familiar with A Christmas Carol and seeing this production live is sure to make a memory that will last for many years to come.  Don't be a Scrooge and see this play!

Jukebox musicals have become as common as dancebreaks in the past decade. Popular songs of yesteryear are strung together with a loose story to create a Broadway show that feels more like a scrapbook of memories than something memorable in its own right. Given this musical landscape, it’s a rare treat top find a show with all new songs that feel as if you’ve magically tuned into a 1950s radio station. Joe Dipietro and David Bryan (of Bon Jovi keyboard fame) have penned such a treat. Powerful songs that channel the tone and changes of the early years of rock ‘n’ roll are driven by a surprisingly emotional book in their Tony Award-winning musical Memphis.

Huey Calhoun, an irreverent DJ played by the talented Bryan Fenkart, falls in love with “black music” and a black woman – Felicia (played by the sultry Ms. Boswell of the same name). Loosely based on real-life Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips, Huey’s passions wouldn’t pose a problem had he been born in the past 30 years. But Tennessee in the 1950s kept black and white separate, and Huey’s graying passions weren’t apropos. Of course, Huey was never one for conforming; with a wardrobe that pairs plaid, tie-dye, and Hawaiian prints, he lives to mix things up.

With his own radio show, Huey plays the music he adores on the radio, and gets the whole city dancing.  While integration laws were essential to enacting racial change, minds aren’t changed in Congress; they’re changed in dance halls and concert houses. Huey plays his part in racial integration by getting white folk singing and dancing to the songs of black folk, but in many ways, he was a bit ahead of his time.  He catches the attention of TV execs who like his style, but not the company he keeps. They’ll give him his own primetime show on black-and-white TV (wonderfully dramatized on stage) as long as the performers are all white. 

Not to spoil the story, but Memphis doesn’t fall victim to the happily-every-after, clichéd Broadway ending. The show doesn’t let the pieces come together perfectly for our hero, which makes it much more real and that much more heartbreaking.  Light-on-his-feet and easy-on-the-ears, Huey possess the power to be heard and the rare youthful energy that makes you believe anything is possible – whether it’s falling in love, becoming a star, or changing the world. But believing and achieving are two separate tasks.

Memphis is not a jukebox musical, but don't be surprised if you hear its songs on tomorrow’s jukeboxes.  They be blaring loudly and irreverently as young couples like Huey and Felicia dance, kiss, and cry to the beat.

Memphis plays at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through December 4, 2011. Additional information and tickets available at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

After a 12 year run at Bailiwick Repertory, The Christmas Schooner sails again in a wonderfully revamped form at The Mercury Theater.

The Christmas Schooner relates the true story of German immigrants who risked their lives on the freezing waters of wintry Lake Michigan to bring Christmas trees to Chicago back in the 1880's.

The entire cast is excellent with lovely voices. 12 year old, Daniel Coonley (Karl Stossel) is very good in his role and not too saccharine sweet as some child actors can be.

Jim Sherman, (Gustav Stossel, Karl's grandfather) holds down the fort with his solid character study and really choked me up during the scene when he laments his dead son with a strangled cry of

“I miss him!”

Cory Goodrich (Ana Stossel, Karl's Mother) has a really rich, beautiful singing voice. Goodrich performs the role with grace and a great sense of humor.  Goodrich’s character Ana Stossel, really is the heart and center of the entire production, the schooner, if you will, that propels her son, husband, and father in law to become a part of history by attempting these dangerous but much lauded heroic voyages to Chicago.

This is a really lovely holiday production to bring your family to, as it makes you feel a part of the true history of Christmas in Chicago.  The Christmas Schooner also elucidates the history and magic of the Christmas tree itself as one of the things that helped families get through the long cold Chicago winters inspiring well wishes with it's beautiful shining lights and hopeful meaning.

At the end of the show the cast passes a branch of a Christmas tree hand to hand, right into the audience who continued to pass it along with the wish that each who touches it find love this holiday season.

The theater space at Mercury is really perfect for this show, as it is both intimate and expansive at the same time. I also loved that they served cookies, hot chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps in the lobby at intermission and that you can step straight out of the play and slip straight into the cozy confines of Cullin's Pub without going out in the cold.

I highly recommend making The Christmas Schooner at The Mercury Theater a new tradition in

Christmas Theater going for the entire family to enjoy together. For more information, visit www.mercurytheater.com.

Yuri Lane was a child actor, almost cast as Doogie Howser until the producer decided to go blond.

Lane has performed on the stage with Matt Damon and has many commercials under his belt but fame eluded him until one of his videos showing his amazing beat box skills went viral on YouTube with a million hits. Yuri was flown around the country by Google, Yahoo and many other corporations came calling with offers, some paid, some not. After a while he says he “kind of lost himself” in the process of trying to make the phenomenon of his number one YouTube video profitable at 1/20^th of a penny per hit.

Lane has made an interesting and funny one man show about his wild run with YouTube, which showcases his unbelievable vocal skills as a beat box artist as well as his sense of humor.

Yuri plays his own father by projecting himself as his dad on a video screen above his head and it was a very effective and funny way to illustrate their relationship. Yuri's recollection of his own Jewish artist father, a painter who is living precariously on Social Security, is revealing. Yuri's dad tries   to help by making suggestions like “Just walk into advertising agencies and sell yourself!”  The way Lane's father constantly plies Yuri with guilt trips about why Yuri isn't making more money to help support him and questions about how much “art “Yuri is creating in the meantime, really hit home with me.

Lane brings up many interesting points about the process of becoming a star on YouTube and also how very difficult it is to make any money on YouTube even with a video that gets over 2 million hits.

“MeTube” also shows that a performer like Lane who is obviously multi talented as a vocalist and writer/ producer but in such a unique and unusual ways that it sometimes it is very difficult to get a lasting break in Hollywood.

Judas Priest was Unleashed in the East once again last Saturday night. Well, at least east of Chicago, that is – Hammond, Indiana – home of The Venue inside of the Horseshoe Casino. Getting big time support from Thin Lizzy and Black Label Society, Judas Priest bulldozed their way through a two and a half hour set in what the band is calling the “Epitaph” tour – their final farewell. Sold out, The Venue proved it can handle even the mightiest of metal shows hosting a monster stage and laser light show and providing superb acoustics so that every bone-crushing crunch from the guitars were clearly heard as intended by the band.

Legendary frontman Rob Halford teams up with originals Glen Tipton and bassist Ian Hill on this tour along with Richie Faulkner on lead guitar and Scott Travis on the drums. While keeping the crux of the sound intact, Faulkner also brings his own style to the band, which is more on the young at heart side, to a band that could use a youthful infusion when it comes to the visual part of the performance. Even though Tipton seemed a bit fragile and Halford a bit less mobile, make no mistake about it – Judas Priest still gets it done. The fact of the matter is that the band flat out rocks with authority.

Halford showed off his high-pitched vocals with relentless fervor, sounding as good as ever, while his showmanship was still that of top caliber. Changing from one metal-studded jacket to another from song to song, Halford patrolled the stage with a mighty presence as the band took the audience on a memorable journey of metal nostalgia. Taking a stop or two on many of the band’s albums, Halford included a little history lesson with most and shared fond memories. The set list was vast and included such favorites as “Victim of Changes”, “Diamonds and Rust”, ‘The Sentinel”, “Heading Out to the Highway” and “The Green Manalishi”. The band also played “Breaking the Law” but let the crowd sing the words from beginning to end as Halford stood by directing and admiring loyal Priest followers.

With already more than a full night of music in the books, Judas Priest went into their first encore with a power-packed version of “The Hellion” and “Electric Eye” before bringing the Harley Davidson onto the stage for “Hell Bent for Leather” followed by “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” led by a British and American flag clad Rob Halford. The band then took their bows to roaring applause and walked off stage only to return to do their party on classic, “Living After Midnight”.

We’ve heard the words “Farewell Tour” many times only to see a band resurface down the road. However, if the “Epitaph” tour (expected to run through 2013) is really it for this band from Birmingham, England, then they left on a powerful note. Producing metal since 1969, Judas Priest has influenced so many bands that since followed as well as generations of fans. To see them perform at the high level they have maintained for over four decades was nothing short of special.

I am always amazed by experiencing Sting performing live in concert. Sting has an incredible knack for creating an infinite number of new and compelling variations on his rich 25-year catalog of hit music. He never just rehashes his hits or performs them by wrote, he actively uses the fantastic musicians around him and his own life experience to innovate hip new arrangements that take each song to a whole new, truly new, level of intensity and meaning.

Sting appears on the stage for his Back to Bass Tour casually stripped down, with shaved head, zero body fat and wearing sheer gray T-Shirt and jeans. Sting appears relaxed yet energetic and completely in command of his band and the audience.

Sting has chosen such a small and an interesting group of players for this tour. Sting's right hand man, longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller, is on this tour, as well as Dominic's' 26 year old son, Rufus Miller. Rufus is a very good rhythm guitarist and already displays some of the handsome, pouty, nonchalant stage presence of a more seasoned player like his dad.

Drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, is dynamite on the sticks, serving up some really great and tricked out yet solid rhythms for these arrangements.  On backing vocals Jo Lawry, has a rich, dramatic vocal presence, and also provided fiddle and additional percussion, which is doubly impressive. The show stealer is another young musician, Peter Tickell, who brought our house to a roaring standing ovation with his fiddle solo during “Love is Stronger than Justice”. Tickell really is an amazing player, like a Stevie Ray Vaughn on the violin. I've seen other young people solo with great skill like Peter, but in that boring, cold and speedy,  “music school” showing off sort of way. Tickell has the soul and rhythm to really feel out the emotional crescendo of his solo and it's catharsis and is a surprisingly mature, dead on rockin' and passionate player for his age.

I love that the Back to Bass Tour is utilizing smaller more intimate venues this time around. Sting has no difficulty projecting a great performance to a roaring outdoor crowd of 40,000, like with the Police Reunion Tour at Wrigley Field. However, I personally find that enjoying the superior quality of his voice and intricacies of his arrangements is so much more affecting in a smaller indoor venue.

Sting really is a master of transforming- or  “trance- forming”- musical performance. The combination of his detailed, lyric story telling, ultra-rhythmic bass lines and intensive Yogic training over the years   come together perfectly in a shaman like fashion, drawing the willing listener into a musical “trance” that is both entertaining and healing at the same time. I enjoy walking around after his concerts seeing the relaxed, happy, meditative looks on the faces of his satisfied audience members after the show.

Sting mentioned that he enjoys a great sense of “continuity when playing in Chicago, that it always feels like coming home to perform here.”

I feel a sense of continuity when Sting plays here as well because I have so many great memories of his concerts, meeting him and interviewing his band mates Dominic Miller and Chris Botti over the years.

In a way, Sting and Dominic gave me one of my very first breaks as a journalist when they allowed me to come backstage to do a live interview just 15 minutes before they ran out on stage in front of over 10,000 excited fans during the Sacred Love Tour.

I did not have my own Chicago magazine or PR firm established. Back then, I was writing for a teeny,  tiny newspaper in Brookfield Illinois. My cameraman and I drove six hours from Chicago to Grand Rapids but we were a full hour late for the scheduled interview because we forgot about the time change in Michigan, but they still had the ushers lead me back into the dressing area to conduct the interview with only minutes to spare before curtain.

I remember I had undergone a disastrous tanning booth experience the day before hoping to look good for the meeting wherein the entire back of my body ended up with 3^rd degree burns from double exposure and my front remained untouched and completely white. Now, I always make a point of giving my celebrity interview guests a big hug when we finish and I remember thinking, I don't care if it hurts- I am hugging Sting and Dominic for doing this interview- no matter what!

Then there was the wonderful, encouraging, 50 minute plus, phone interview that Chris Botti gave me just moments before taking the stage that night at Carnegie Hall. Chris Botti called me for the interview from Stings' condo in Manhattan, which Chris had just purchased from Sting and had barely moved into.

There are many wonderful and synchronistic events that I have experienced seeing Sting but the best has to be when he provided two wonderful seats to a rehearsal concert in Miami for my mother and I.  My mother was having major health problems at that moment and I flew to Miami to help her.

For my mom, attending Sting's concert that night turned out to be a miraculous, healing, dream-like, turning point for her and I really am indebted to him on a soul level for reviving her.  After that concert, Danny Quatrochi, Sting's personal bass assistant since The Police, hung out with my mom and I in the hotel bar and made her feel like the Belle of the Ball at the age of 73. The entire evening was amazingly generous and sweet.

Well, I could wax rhapsodic about more of my Sting-chronicity's over the years but I am sure with the shape Sting is in, there will be many more great concerts and mysterious dreams come to life in years to come.

I'll leave you with this about the show last night. Sting has a great practice of really allowing his players to shine and temporarily take the spotlight away from him on stage, but just in case you were starting to get distracted by all the bells and whistles of his band, Sting takes his last of three encores alone, with only his voice and an acoustic guitar filling the excited space.

When he does this, the energy in the room stays strong and climbs even higher, proving without a doubt that Sting's voice and compositions alone are the reason we have congregated here and that Sting's magnificent voice and songs really need no adornment whatsoever.

I highly recommend seeing the Sting, Back to Bass Tour. When it comes to your city in 2011.

The performance of Back to Bass that I attended here in Chicago at The Rosemont Theater was sheer concert perfection, a “must see” concert event of this season for any Sting fan.

For Tour dates through December of 2011 visit www.Sting.com.

www.Buzznews.net

www.kimberlykatzpr.com

A metropolis during the Great Depression, a beachfront home in California, and a chic upper class apartment in New York City are the settings for the three plays developed in this year's Steppenwolf First Looks series.  United in their focus on desire and pain, the frugally titled "Man in Love," "Want," and "Oblivion" feature memorable characters that are bold, engaging, and fundamentally unhappy. They hunt, crave, and search for meaning and joy, turning to others, within, and above. If and how they find it is addressed differently by each playwright, but together they reavel multiple quests for the same goal of sincere meaning in an insincere time.

A Killer Accomplishment by “Man in Love”

Set in a segregated metropolis during the Great Depression, “Man in Love” twists between six characters pursing their desires during a time of social and economic turmoil. A man released from prison searches for work, another pines for the attention of a beautiful, young student, and another man – a book stacker at the University of Chicago library – hunts for something much darker: squares of Black, female flesh.

Paul Pare, Jr., a soft-spoken Black serial killer, is the creation of Christina Anderson, a playwright schooled by Brown and the Yale School of Drama. Her goal for the play was to pen a period piece that follows these murders and tracks the society’s reactions to the deaths of Black women. Over the course of the play, Paul Pare, frighteningly played by Namir Smallwood, grows his numbers from 4 to 5 to 6, as squares of flesh appear in a stack on his wall. We’re offered a glimpse into the psyche of the disturbed, violent man during killer monologues, delivered under a piercing light and over a tense soundtrack.

Despite the importance of the murders in the play, it is not a television crime drama, but a more complicated exploration of desire and secrets in a time of raised tension. Perhaps the most fascinating character is Bernice – a woman who today might identify as transgendered – who throws parties for money and attention while only having a loose connection to the killer. Brilliantly embodied by Ryan Lanning, Bernice is a tall woman who seeks belonging even though she is not, as her friend remarks in a war of words, a “real woman.” In the post-show talkback, Artistic Director Martha Lavey remarked that everyone in the work is passing. Bernice passes as a woman, Paul Pare passes as an innocent man, and other characters pass as wealthy or as white. It is this shifting of identities – secret and public – which thematically connects the characters in a stronger way than plot can. In fact, the piece might be stronger if the killer never interacted with the other characters, letting their connections be solely those of setting and situation.

“Man in Love” tackles much – race, gender, class – and does so while remaining true to a collection of messy, complex individuals desperately searching for love in a flawed world. With historical accuracy and a gentle nuance, it is a bold new play that all the while feels somehow familiar. And that is a killer accomplishment.

 “Want,” a Funny Social Critique, Needs More

David, a charismatic “tough love” therapist (although he’d never answer to the title and doesn’t have any sort of license) has assembled a group of former addicts in a beachfront California home. The five residents live communally, working to overcome their addictions to food, drugs, and/or sex and put an end to suffering. They seem happy, having left behind their former lives for this separated paradise, but their comfortable rhythm is disrupted when a wild, young woman arrives and affirms that desire never fully dies.

Zayd Dohrn, a playwright, screenwriter, and teacher, was inspired to write “Want” after watching close friends struggle with addiction and flip-flop in and out of rehab. He witnessed their searches for happiness, belonging, and acceptance, all the while growing cynical about our capitalistic, consumer culture. “Want” is his fast-paced critique of that culture, as he unravels the authority of the leader David, perfectly realized by Mark L. Montgomery. An especially strong cast of talented veterans make the work engaging from the initial scene – Audrey Francis, as a tightly-wound ex-wife who craves meaning, Kendra Thulin as a former addict who craves sweets, and Mick Weber as a man questioning his profession and sexuality while craving acceptance. Weber’s Henry, the former attorney whose savings bankroll the operation, ends up being the most dynamic, engaging character – changing from a humorous, jovial house-ex-husband into an angry, bitter man by play’s end. The cast’s chemistry and commitment is palpable, although newcomer Janelle Kroll as the home’s newest resident misses several comedic moments and doesn’t carry the show as strongly as another might.

With such a sharp-edged critique, one might expect Dohrn to offer a solution to our contemporary, continual unhappiness. But an open-ended ending – which was still undergoing drafts up to the performance – doesn’t offer an easy answer, but also doesn’t quite feel true to the play. There’s a stronger ending hiding just beneath the surface that could be teased out by a “tough love” session or two. In truth, there’s something fascinating about struggling find the right ending in a play titled “Want;” perhaps embracing that struggle – maybe through abandoning realism – might give the piece a more satisfying close.

The characters in “Want” are engaging and strong, even when their wills aren’t. Their struggle for happiness is one every human endures, making the play linger long after craving fades.

Rebelling with Religion in “Oblivion”

Upper class Jewish parents Pam and Dixon want nothign more than for their only daughter to mature into an upstanding moral citizen of the world, someone who thinks for herself and always questions authority. So when their high schooler Julie repeatedly lies about sneaking away to a weekend church retreat, their open minds begin to close and their feet begin to come down.  This rebellious daughter isn't turnint to drugs or sex for fulfillment, but something her parents find even scarier: God. 

When raising a child, parents must choose which beliefs and values to pass on and how to go about that passing.  The process is made even more difficult for humanist parents, who do not rely on religious institutions to instruct their children in morality.  "How do I teach my child right and wrong?" "How do I punish them?"  "Should I?"  These questions take center stage in Carly Mensch’s newest play, “Oblivion," when two parents must confront the fear that they have failed their daughter.  Schooled at Julliard and working as a story editor for Weeds, Mensch creates a smart, humorous play which draws upon her own Jewish upbringing and disillusionment with religion and society.  Mensch writes for her generation, which she describes as “over-educated yet spiritually malnourished 20-somethings who fear they’re overdosing on the excesses of entertainment and media yet have no idea what to do about it.” Fiona Robert’s even-keeled Julie captures this duality: an extreme intelligence, yet base embracing of silly pleasures, a longing for more, and a contentment with the everyday.

Caught in the web of lies is Bernard: a quirky, Asian, aspiring filmmaker who worships a god of his own: film critic, Pauline Kael. His devotion to Pauline mirrors his friend Julie's search for meaning in a house of atheists.  Under Matt Miller’s clear and clever staging, “Oblivion” chronicles Julie’s forays into the church, as she tries on praying, baptism, and forgiveness. These explorations leave her parents behind, straining their marriage and forcing them to question just how much they believe in one another.

In the beautiful final scene, as Bernard plays his black-and-white first film for the family, there’s a quiet hope that the family will be alright. Bernard apologizes that first films are never that great since the maker has to learn as he or she goes. Perhaps that’s how we all live our lives, learning as we go how to behave, how to treat others, and how to find meaning. It's a messy exploration, but maybe we’ll perfect it the second time around. 

Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s newest play, “A Behanding in Spokane” is his first set in America. It’s still one of his characteristic black comedies – a label that means it okay to laugh at others’ pain and suffering – but it comes across the pond and centers on a one-handed man. The sweaty-headed Carmichael lost his hand to a bunch of hillbillies in Spokane, Washington, and he’s been searching for it for the past 27 years. The hillbillies he long ago found and disposed of, but his hand still eludes him. Profile’s production of the play, similarly, seems to be searching for something; it has many of the essential parts – a smart head and occasional heart – but it’s missing something I can’t quite put my finger on.

 The unfinished business of Carmichael (broodingly played by Darell W. Cox) brings him to a decrepit hotel for a promised transaction. An enterprising young couple (Levenix Riddle and Sara Greenfield tell Carmichael they have his hand, but they underestimate his intolerance for trickery and his capacity for violence. The hand-off plays out in real-time, with the young couple disagreeing on the con and ending up playing a twisted carnival game for their lives – tossing severed hands at a candle that is burning down to a bucket of gasoline. Caught in the middle is a delightfully naïve, but still flawed, receptionist, given a playful characterization by Eric Burgher.

At its core, A Behanding in Spokane is about justice and how it plays out between these four individuals – a man seeking revenge disregards the law, a young couple unethically try to swindle him, and a receptionist serves as an accidental judge with his own grievances. In the plot-heavy piece, McDonagh digs into how a grudge can consume and destroy a life, leaving it more mangled and blackened than a 27-year-old severed hand. But from a man obsessed with location (his play titles almost always include a geography: The Beauty Queen of Leenane, A Skull in Connemara, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Banshees of Inisheer), the placement of the play in America is not accidental. In his black comedy, he features a black character (the young Toby) and satirizes political correctness and confronts America’s racist past. Toby’s girlfriend Marilyn reprimands her captor, while he wields a gun, for his homophobia and use of racial epithets.  Her boyfriend is a bit more practical about the situation.  In short, he doesn’t mind being called a name if it means he doesn’t get murdered.

The relationship between this pair is what makes the piece lose its early momentum. Once Carmichael leaves the pair alone, the piece dips in intensity, focusing on the yelling of two young folks. Their screams and banter become a bit monotonous, although I/m not sure exactly I would react in the face of impending death. The layout of the Profiles Theatre storefront puts the audience close to the actors and on both sides of the stage. The effect is Brechtian – you’re never lost in the dream of a story, you’re constantly aware that the other half of the audience– and intimate – you’re close to the characters, which can be frightening with a villain like Carmichael or disappointing when a moment isn’t properly directed.

McDonagh’s repetitive dialogue, rhythmically perfected by a talented cast of 4, is a strong source of humor, but occasionally Snyder has directed his cast toward pathos rather than the laughs the author intended. In the face of such dark and tragic comedy, sometimes the only response is laughter – aided by the fact that these are fictional characters in an imagined situation. Even still, McDonagh’s impression of the United States are as dark as his comedy – we’re a violent, homophobic, racist people that have overcorrected by becoming PC and sensitive to the point of nonsense. How far off is his assessment? I had never heard of Spokane, Washington until McDonagh’s play, but I recently received an e-mail which referenced the city three times. In a list of recent LGBT hate crimes were the following:

- September 21, 2011: Steve Pfefferle, 38, was choked with a rope and repeatedly struck with a piece of metal by a man in Spokane, Washington after leaving Dempsey’s, a local gay bar.

- September 28, 2011: Michael Jepsen, 45, was hit, pushed, and called a “faggot” by a group of people outside Irv’s, a bar in Spokane, Washington.

- October 7, 2011: Danny Hawkins, a gay rights advocate, was asked if he was gay before being beaten by an unnamed man in Spokane, Washington after leaving a local gay bar.

And that’s nothing to laugh about.

Comedians Scott Thompson and Kevin MacDonald Live at Mayne Stage in Chicago

I really enjoyed the dueling comedy sets by “Kids in The Hall” cast members, Scott Thompson and Kevin MacDonald.  There is a certain type of ripple effect laughter that really great comics can get out of an audience that I think of as a “bouncy wave” or “bouncy ball” where the audience continues to laugh and giggle to themselves in between the jokes about the last joke. Then the laughter just continues to and build and bounce like a rubber ball even when the comedian isn't saying anything!

Thompson and MacDonald really got that bouncy ball of laughter going to the point where I was actually wiping tears from my eyes.

Scott Thompson was over the top raunchy with a great story about how autographing a fan's penis turned into a full-blown sex romp and another great bit about his search for a genuine “Unicorn- the uncircumcised Jewish male.”

Thompson also covered some interesting ground when he described how bizarre it was to be a man diagnosed and treated for breast cancer- “The hospital elevators and even the medical forms are all PINK!!”

Kevin MacDonald's comedy was a little bit more tame but also very funny when he came out and told the audience that he is not really a stand-up comic that his jokes only have “middles” not beginnings or ends.

Kevin and Scott alternated sets and shared the stage three times, making for a generous, very funny, satisfying and balanced night of comedy.

Kids in the Hall' alumna, Dave Foley, happened to be in Chicago performing at the Improv and joined Thompson and MacDonald on stage at the end of the night for a little bit of funnin' around that involved Scott Thompson's' hand in Dave's pants. Foley also stuck around after the show with Scott Thompson to meet the audience.

Thompson recalls meeting a young Uma Thurman backstage early in the groups' career.

"Uma Thurman at the time was the sexiest woman in the world," he says. "We had never met a celebrity before. We all thought she wanted to sleep with us. It really was a big launching pad for us. It made us think that wow; we're in the big leagues. She was the first responder."

if you are a Kids in the Hall fan,  Thompson and MacDonald live  is a real treat , you must check out “Two Kids in the Hall” while they are on tour.