Displaying items by tag: Biograph Theatre

Something Clean, directed by Lauren Shouse, gives us a compelling story, very well acted, and with that touch of magic that comes from a great chemistry in the performers.

The script (by Selina Fillinger) is notable for the way it depicts real human beings who develop and change in the course of the action. Fillinger is an actor, and it shows in the dynamic, truly living characters she places onstage.

It is a story for our times, and tells of three people whose lives have been impacted by a sexual assault. One, whom we meet later in the action, is Joey (Patrick Agada), a tall, strapping, charming, perpetually upbeat counselor at a downtown assault crisis center. 

But first we meet Charlotte (Mary Cross) and Doug (Guy Massey) whose 19-year-old son Kai was involved in an assault. Gradually we learn that he was not a victim (we never meet him), but was the perpetrator. Until Kai was convicted and imprisoned, his parents lived humdrum lives, pretty much on autopilot socially and domestically. Now, they visit their son in jail each week, and their angst festers and threatens their relationship. They are unsuccessful finding couples counseling, with Doug rejecting therapists weekly after a single visit.

As we get to know these two, we sense they are estranged from each other, physically aloof, and alienated from their social circle by the shame of their son’s crime. Charlotte cleans compulsively, and Doug buries himself in his work.

Eventually, Charlotte volunteers at the sexual assault crisis center – and her process of healing commences when she meets Joey. Agada’s performance is deft, and striking. His effusive personality (he is Joey with a "Y" because "I like to end my name with a smile!") makes these two seem an unlikely pair, but they develop a completely convincing bond that seems to draw energy from their work together as actors – informing their portrayals as emotionally connected workers at the center. This relationship and performances are what sustains Something Clean. It is hard to imagine it working without this level of excellence in the roles of Charlotte and Joey. 

Under Joey's nurturance, Charlotte emerges from her protective shell to become a sweet, charming and vulnerable woman. Charlotte’s emotional recovery contributes to Doug’s healing as well – something we see in real life when one person’s therapy ends up addressing their partner’s problems, too. The neutral gray set (Arnel Sanciano) is noteworthy, as is one of the props (which are byJonathan Berg-Einhorn): a book by Jennifer Weiner, I think it was Who Do You Love, a tale that mirrors the emotional dynamics of this show. 

I have to admit I sometimes approach Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s productions with trepidation that I will end up being more edified than entertained. Something Clean does both, and in no small part because of Mary Cross ‘s great performance – she has her craft nailed, and watching her crawl out of her shell is a delight. Produced in partnership with Sideshow Theatre, (it received funding from The Eliabeth Cheney Foundation) which commissioned the work, Something Clean played to acclaim after premiering at New York’s Roundabout Theatre last month. It runs through July 21 at Victory Gardens Theater (the old Biograph Theater building).

Set in Chicago’s mythical 51st Ward, Rightlynd is an absolute lark – but with serious underpinnings. It’s a cautionary rendition of that age-old political maxim: power corrupts.

Rightlynd also doubles as a romantic comedy with a healthy dose of musical (ala Hamilton). Set in Chicago’s mythical 51st Ward, a section of the city whose governing alderman has been reelected for years on autopilot, quietly collecting his paycheck and not making waves.

The Rightlynd area has drifted into that political vacuum where city services are scarce, the L stops were closed, and businesses struggle. While the incumbent alderman appears to be asleep at the wheel, in reality he is negotiating to surrender Rightlynd to a developer group ) that wants to make it the “next neighborhood,” represented by Applewood (Jerome Beck in a breakthrough performance – he is great). That’s a familiar story to Chicagoans who are watching high-profile developments – The 78, Lincoln Yards, and the Presidential Library – part of the continuum of projects over the decades.

Regardless of the merits of these current initiatives, community activists will often be found to characterize such efforts as draining potential investment resources away from improvements for more needy areas – the Chicago’s numerous Rightlynd neighborhoods that never get a dime.

By taking an entertaining approach, playwright Ike Holter has figured out how to tell this story without being ponderous. Instead Rightlynd the play is sprightly and effervescent.

The plot follows the political awakening of Nina (Monica Orozco is a powerhouse, perfectly cast!) who begins with a modest effort to slow cars at an intersection on her street. Acting as our Everyman, we watch her journey from this simple zoning request, to passing petitions to get herself on the ballot and then elected as Alderman.

Nina finds running for office is different than running the office, and we watch as she gradually makes concessions to the reality of the streets – including negotiating with gangs and with developers. The election stopped Applewood from its development plans, for a time, but they come back and win influence over the office. "All be need is an open hand and a turned eye," Applewood says. 

Along the way, Nina meets up with a down-on-his-luck ex-con Pac, and the two go from politics to love item. Pac even refused a bus ticket when he was released from jail, preferring to stay in his old neighborhood, Rightlynd. Eddie Martinez plays Pac with sensitivity and panache, and the Martinez-Orozco pairing forms a delightful dynamic duo to energize and add dimension to the show – though at times this subplot threatens to overwhelm the main storyline.

The delightful supporting cast includes Sasha Smith as a Gal Friday for the alderman; Robert Cornelius as Robinson, who operates a garage (where Pac works); and LaKecia Harris as Amena, who lives on the streets.

Along with Anish Jethmalani as Benny, these cast members double in the roles of Denizen – forming the crowds, voters, and other singing and dancing performers that act as the Chorus – both in terms of Greek dramatic traditions, and as a singing-dancing chorus line. A shout-out to Cornelius for his wonderful baritone and to Sasha Smith, whose beautiful energy could easily power a stage all by herself.

Rightlynd is highly recommended. It runs through December 23 at the Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph.

Let's cut to the chase on this review: Queen is the best show in town. 

Having its world premiere at Victory Gardens Theater, in Queen, Madhuri Shekar has delivered a knockout script, deftly directed by Joanie Schultz, and brought to life by a strong cast. 

Two PhD students - Sanam Shah (Priya Mohanty) and Ariel Spiegel (Darci Nalepa) - have spent six years examining a true-life dilemma: why honey bees are dying – a real-world environmental crisis.

Ariel does the field research, and Sanam – a highly regarded math wonder - crunches numbers for the data, which point to a farm chemical from Monsanto as the culprit. Or so five years of data have shown. But something is amiss.

Queen is a gripping account of academic intrigue laced with ethical challenges, along the lines of David Auburn’s provocative Proof, but with a much livelier pace.

The two are working under Dr. Philip Hayes (Stephen Spencer) who is to deliver within a few days a presentation on their work to an influential scientific group. The paper based on their research has been accepted for the journal Science. Dr. Hayes is gleeful about the prospects for his program, and promising access to big funding for the University.

A crisis looms as the latest research data does not support the earlier findings. Believing it stems from a glitch in the programming, Sanam searches desperately through the code. The pressure is on to bring the numbers in line with expectations.

If this sounds drab, it is anything but. Shekar lays out the science, and describes the culture of academia, in digestible bites. The human side of the drama comes to the fore in the relationship between the two women researchers, Sanam and Ariel, as the pressure mounts to get the results required by their academic overseer. BFFs, the two struggle through this growing professional chasm.

But it is the side-story about Sanam and a potential mate, Arvind Patel (Adam Poss) that leads to some exceptionally well-played scenes that steal the show – at least for me. Sanam’s diffidence about a date with Arvind (set up by her parents back in India) eventually leads to an unexpected romance.

Patel plays Arvind with a smooth, purring, throwaway manliness of that on-the-make single guy everyone knows. Sanam, who parries Arvind’s advances with vigor as he helps her puzzle out the math (he’s a math guy too, an investment manager who works in quant theory), and debate the ethical issues. To see the chemistry between Mohanty and Poss is worth a trip to the converted Biograph Theater.

Queen has been portrayed as an Earth Day oriented story, and a story of friendship among women. But it's also a showcase of great writing and acting.  Don’t miss Queen. It runs through May 14th and it's very highly recommended. 

For more show information click here.