Displaying items by tag: Jess Hutchinson
It’s Mad, Beat, Hip, & Gone, and Here’s Why It’s Worth Watching
Promethean Theatre Ensemble has brought to stage a very good production of Mad, Beat, Hip & Gone, a play that is a riff on the Beat Generation literary movement – specifically drawing from Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel, On the Road.
The script by Steve Dietz (Private Eyes) adopts aspects of the free-form writing style Kerouac called “spontaneous prose." Some of Kerouac’s works were drafted in days-long, Benzedrine-fueled writing jags. He famously typed on paper rolls fed continuously through his Underwood typewriter.
Kerouac’s On the Road tells of two young guys thumbing westward in the late 1940’s, on the make, and in search of themselves – aiming to join the Beat’s congregating in San Francisco. (These two guys would be the real life Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassaday, his buddy and fellow writer.) Like Hemingway before him, Kerouac also brought a macho flair to the pursuit of writing – he was a college football star and outdoorsman.
Mad, Beat, Hip & Gone similarly tells of two buddies who have recently graduated from high school in Nebraska – Danny Fergus (Pat King) and Rich Rayburn (Michael Vizzi), who end up on a similar sojourn, but for very different reasons. We meet the boys on their return from a local bar, where Danny was thwarted in his effort to pick up a girl when the real Jack Kerouac (unseen in the play) wows her with some spontaneous poetry – and gets her phone number. "What's the deal with guys like that," asks an astonished Danny.
On the Road is widely considered a seminal work of 20th Century American literature. Artists including Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and The Doors credit Kerouac as a significant influence. And successive generations continue to rediscover Kerouac’s accomplishment in this and other writing such as Dharma Bums. Kerouac incorporates stream of consciousness, but with a sufficiently structured plot to bring us along on a story line.
Dietz trades on Kerouac’s tone, but delivers an interesting plot line to hold our attention – working in the back story of Danny and Rich to create a motivation as they depart on a road trip very much paralleling Kerouac’s, but for more personal reasons. (We’ll avoid a spoiler here.) Dietz also captures the post-World War II world where young American’s were hungry for purpose, and seeking themselves.
You don't need to know Kerouac at all to like this play. Dietz has mined the times and developed characters who express the views Kerouac would recognize.Danny's father, Albert Fergus (Ted Hoerl) who runs a gas station, hold's forth on automobiles and their role in the American dream. He sounds poetic, like Kerouac, calling the gas and car a sacrament.
"A car was a little house you could take along with you," he says. "In a house, your window is your fate. In your car, your window is your vision."
Kerouac, along with poet Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and William S. Burrough’s The Beat Generation were the seminal literary expressions of non-conformist movement that came to life after World War II, accompanied by free-form jazz, drug experimentation, and sexual liberation. This evolved into the hippie movement, and the continued streams of social change (and reactions to these changes) that brought us to our charged contemporary social landscape.
Dietz uses poetic language that harkens to Kerouac’s style, which doesn’t always provide literal clarity. But it works.
He also injects (a welcome anachronism given the period of Mad Beat Hip & Gone) a strong female character - Honey Vance (Hilary Williams) – who like the boys is searching for personal answers by hitchhiking to San Francisco. In Dietz’s storyline we are faced with the unconscious machismo that characters like Kerouac (and anti-heroes of the period like James Dean) represent. We also get some choice "Mrs. Robinson" moments between Danny’s mom, Mrs. Fergus (Elaine Carlson) and Rich – well played by Vizzi and Carlson. I especially liked Ted Hoerl as Danny’s Dad; and Hillary Williams’ peformance was excellent.
Strong performances and a script that channels Kerouac make this worthy show, definitely recommended to get a flavor of the period and a sense of how the Beat Generation was greeted by middle America. Promethean Ensemble’s Mad, Beat, Hip & Gone runs through June 1 at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, 1133 W Catalpa in Chicago.
PrideArts to present newly expanded version of Kayla Boye's CALL ME ELIZABETH May 8-10
01 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreCALL ME ELIZABETH, a one-woman show about the life of Elizabeth Taylor, will be presented May 8-10 by PrideArts at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre…
At Writers Theatre, a Tech “Job” Too Toxic Shatters an Employee
24 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewA psychotherapist is held hostage by a gun-toting patient demanding he certify her as stable enough to return to work.…
Curious Theatre Branch Announces Beau O'Reilly's TALKING ABOUT GODARD, May 29 - June 28
24 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreCurious Theatre Branch, launches its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly, May…
Midsommer Flight to stage Shakespeare’s comedy AS YOU LIKE IT free in six Chicago parks June 27 – August 2
24 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFor its 13th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU…
Intuit’s New Exhibits Spark Verve Through Art
23 April 2026 in BCS SpotlightGatecrashers. That’s the term newspapers nearly 100 years ago called the works of self-taught artists when they began “crashing the…
safronia soars at Lyric Opera
22 April 2026 in Theatre in Reviewsafronia at Lyric Opera of Chicago emerges as a deeply personal story of the Great Migration - one that resists…
At Steppenwolf, Windfall Doesn’t Cash In on Its Promise
21 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSteppenwolf Theatre Company’s, Windfall arrives with all the promise its pedigree suggests. Written by Academy Award–winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin…
Redtwist’s Sobering ‘night Mother Asks Us to Look for the Unseen
21 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMother-daughter relationships are somehow deemed different. More seminal than the bond between a father and son. More instinctive than between…
THE GREAT GATSBY is Now Playing at Cadillac Palace
21 April 2026 in Now PlayingBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce that the smash hit Broadway musical and global sensation, THE GREAT GATSBY, based on the beloved…
AstonRep Productions to stage US Premiere of Liisa Repo-Martell's new adaptation of Chekhov's UNCLE VANYA, June 18 – July 5 at the Edge Off-Broadway Theatre
21 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAstonRep Productions, the theatre and film production company that has produced over 30 stage productions in Chicago, has announced it…
Premiere of OUT HERE at Court Theatre a Charming Deconstruction of Marriage and Musical
20 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewEveryone encounters many crossroads in their lives, where they make a choice that determines the future…and many people live to…
Steep Theatre Celebrates May the 4th with Reading of THE MAKING
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOn Monday, May the 4th, Steep Theatre will present the first public staged reading of playwright Dan Aibel's new work The…
Porchlight Music Theatre Announces its 2026 - 2027 Season
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePorchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season launching in September at The Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., with the…
JACKALOPE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY, MAY 28 - JULY 6
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJackalope Theatre Company is proud to present the world premiere of Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play, written and directed by Terry Guest, May 28…
Chicago Opera Theater presents concert world premiere of seventh Vanguard Initiative developed opera Trusted
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Opera Theater (COT) closes its 2025/26 season with the concert premiere of a new opera Trusted - the seventh full-length opera developed through…
Teatro Vista and Steppenwolf’s BOTH Twists Family Truths Into a Slow‑Burn Thriller
18 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewFrom the moment BOTH starts, the play demands attention. Flashing lights, sirens, and the sounds of heavy breathing build as…
Northlight’s Angel Offers Charm, Even Without Full Lift‑Off
17 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewScrewball comedy went the way of the dinosaur after the 1940s, but Northlight Theatre attempts to revive it with The…
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Gala 2026 - Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Rockwell on the River
16 April 2026 in Theatre BuzzSteppenwolf Theatre Company's acclaimed Ensemble and Board of Trustees are pleased to host Steppenwolf Gala 2026, an unforgettable evening that continues the…
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, A New Musical arrives in Chicago for a limited engagement at the James M. Nederlander Theatre June 23–July 5, 2026
16 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that individual tickets for the North American Tour of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS , A New Musical…
Marriott’s Heartbreak Hotel: The Rise, the Rebirth, the Return
16 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMarriott Theatre’s Heartbreak Hotel takes on the tricky task of charting Elvis Presley’s early ascent, walking the line between the…
New Leadership on Display at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater with Alicia Graf Mack
15 April 2026 in BCS SpotlightSustaining legacy is no simple task, especially when considering the arts. How do you preserve continuity of spirit while simultaneously…
AUDITORIUM PHILMS CONCERT SERIES continues with Rocky In Concert - May 16th
15 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe Auditorium (Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) and The Chicago Philharmonic in association with TCG Entertainment, continue the Auditorium Philms…
Promethean Theatre Ensemble to stage Anouilh's ANTIGONE at The Den, May 31 – June 28
15 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePromethean Theatre Ensemble has announced it will perform the Lewis Galantiere adaptation of Jean Anouilh's ANTIGONE, from May 31 through…
Writers Theatre announces the 29-member powerhouse cast for the largest production in its history: Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWriters Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concludes its 2025/26…
NSYNC SUPERSTAR JOEY FATONE TO JOIN THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR OF & JULIET AS ‘LANCE’ FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe producers of & Juliet and Broadway In Chicago announced today that pop music superstar Joey Fatone will join the North American Tour company of the smash…
GEE'S BEND, playing May 23 – June 7 at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFleetwood-Jourdain Theatre today announced full casting and production team for its season-opening production of GEE'S BEND, the 2008 play by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, to…
Eileen Byrne brings solo play Running with Coffee to Lookingglass Theatre's lobby for 2 performances only May 16 and 17, 2026
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWriter and performer Eileen Byrne brings her acclaimed one-woman play Running with Coffee to Chicago for two performances only, presented at Lookingglass Theatre Company's…
Drury Lane Theatre names Matthew D. Carney as Artistic Director
13 April 2026 in Theatre BuzzDrury Lane Theatre announces the appointment of Matthew D. Carney as its new Artistic Director. A longtime collaborator and key member of…
Definition Theatre Presents the Amplify World Premiere of Keerah
13 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreDefinition Theatre is proud to present the Amplify World Premiere of Keerah, a quick-witted dramedy by playwright Netta Walker and directed by McKenzie Chinn. Keerah will…
WAITRESS & THE BOOK OF MORMON return to Broadway In Chicago by Popular Demand
13 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce two fan-favorite shows are returning to our stages this year: WAITRESS and THE BOOK OF MORMON. Current…
Latest Articles
-
At Writers Theatre, a Tech “Job” Too Toxic Shatters an Employee
Written by Bill EslerA psychotherapist is held hostage by a gun-toting patient demanding he certify her as stable enough to return to work. That inherently conflictual demand is the core of Max Wolf Friedlich’s “Job” at Writers Theater. It is an intriguing work.… -
Midsommer Flight to stage Shakespeare’s comedy AS YOU LIKE IT free in six Chicago parks June 27 – August 2
Written by Buzz Center StageFor its 13th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU LIKE IT, known for its witty dialogue, pastoral setting, and the strong female lead Rosalind, is one of Shakespeare's 10 most… -
Curious Theatre Branch Announces Beau O'Reilly's TALKING ABOUT GODARD, May 29 - June 28
Written by Buzz Center StageCurious Theatre Branch, launches its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly, May 29 - June 28, at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. The opening night is Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. The performance…
-
Intuit’s New Exhibits Spark Verve Through Art
Written by Mitchell OldhamGatecrashers. That’s the term newspapers nearly 100 years ago called the works of self-taught artists when they began “crashing the gates” of the elite art world. It was then when names like Horace Pippin, Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma Moses), and…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.