PicksInSix Gold Review: Octet - Raven Theatre

Raven’s ‘Octet’: “Infinite In Both Directions!”
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

It is easy to see why the brilliant Raven Theatre production of Dave Malloy's stunning a cappella masterpiece "Octet" so captivated audiences at the initial run earlier this year at the theater on North Clark that the Goodman Theatre has planted the show in the Owen Theatre for a run that has already been extended through Aug 2.

It is the best of times for Goodman Theatre, the Regional Tony Award-winning non-profit anchor of Chicago's theatre district, now abuzz with two critically-acclaimed productions that, frankly, could not be more different in style, substance and presentation and yet appeal to virtually everyone. When you add in Dennis Watkins’ The Magic Parlour” and the immersive production of David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar’s “Theatre of the Mind,” the Goodman, celebrating its’ centennial season, is firing on all cylinders right now.

On the Albert mainstage, the world premiere of the hilarious musical "Iceboy!" features the star power of Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and a wacky cast of characters whose unhinged, comic trajectory has no foreseeable bounds. It is a work in progress that has every indication of evolving into a mega-hit a la Mel Brooks' "The Producers" or Monty Python's "Spamalot." (Stay tuned!) In addition, the Goodman has a long history of successful local transfers, like TimeLine’s “Relentless.” that enjoyed successful runs at local theaters before making a move downtown.

Last night for a time, the Goodman lobby was buzzing with patrons on the way to "Iceboy!" even as another distinct throng was gearing up for, arguably, the most monumental event in Raven Theatre Company history—the opening of their first musical production in Goodman’s Owen Theatre where the audience first discovers a mostly empty stage area with a few ‘Raven’ branded chairs, banquet tables up stage and the kind of flats and other scenic pieces you might find in any empty theater after a strike or between shows.

 What happens next was simply extraordinary. 

 The eight members of the ensemble converge on the space that evolves into a support group for those with a series of addictions to modern technology. They each park their cell phones in a box and embark on a story richly told in exquisite musical harmonies, syncopated rhythms and seamlessly stylized choreography. Together, the ensemble gives shape to the vast, emotional landscape that includes our personal anxieties, hopes and fears in the search for connection, love and purpose within the collective framework of our online activity.

This fascinating production—artfully directed by Keira Fromm with exquisite musical direction by Nick Sula and seamless choreography by Laura Savage—unfolds over one 90 minute act with the terrific original cast members: Neala Barron, Elliot Esquivel, Joryhebel Ginorio, Jordan Golding, Teressa LaGamba, Ryder Dean McDaniel, Sam Shankman and Grace Steckler. These are gifted actors and superb vocalists playing out their individually divergent personalities here coping with their technologically challenged lives through Malloy’s complex musical score. This is a stunning musical odyssey, richly performed and perhaps the finest ensemble performance of the year.

Milo Bue’s streamlined scenic design is framed in the wildly impressive lighting design of Maximo Grano De Oro’s with Chelsea Stebe and Wynn Lee and the flawless sound design by Christopher Kriz and Hannah Kwak that allows the nuance of the ensemble harmonies to be fully realized.

For anyone born after 1985, the internet has always been a part of life. That fact struck me deeply as I watched how each character coped with the intrusion of technology in our lives. For all the rest of us, it has been a process of adapting and incorporating new technology, social media and now artificial intelligence with a memorable foundation of experience of how things used to be. But for the generation of “Octet,” it is much more of a complex journey of discovery through their own experimentation, the assimilation of information and emotional stimulation which often leads to much darker and more ominous outcomes. In the end, Malloy points positively forward and suggests there is hope that in searching for a connection, we will find common ground with each other and, ultimately, a heightened sense of fulfillment for ourselves.    

PHOTO|Joe Mazza

Raven Theatre
presents
Octet
Goodman’s Owen Theatre
Dearborn Street
EXTENDED through August 2

RAVEN WEBSITE

GOODMAN WEBSITE

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PicksInSix Review: ROYKO: The Toughest Man in Chicago

ROYKO: “Always, always say it now.”

PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

In his exceptional one-man show “ROYKO: The Toughest Man in Chicago” that opened Friday in a limited run at the Chopin Theater, writer/actor Mitchell Bisschop brings the life and career of Mike Royko into sharp focus. Using Royko’s own words, the show is culled from nearly eight thousand columns spanning four decades that were syndicated nationally at a time when everything was not a click away. It is a remarkable historical archive—epic in nature—on topics ranging from Chicago politics and personalities to Picasso and pizza from the early 50s to his untimely passing in 1997.

Much of what Royko has written is still available thanks to his own foresight to reprint much of his writing in numerous books, the committed nature of his family to preserve his work in print and online, and to the publications themselves who have made them publicly accessible. Ask anyone over fifty living in Chicago about Royko’s work and you will understand the enormous impact that he had on daily readers through the years.

Bisschop and director Steve Scott deliver a compelling, and at times, deeply moving portrait of the man who was by his own account equally beloved and despised but never pulled a punch on a point he believed in. Whether it was the 1960s Daley political machine or recollections of Jackie Robinson’s first day at Wrigley, the stories flow effortlessly.  Scott’s influence can be seen all over this work, in Bisschop’s superbly-paced delivery and the sequential transitions of the storyline aided by the timing, placement and impact of Smooch Medina’s projections and stylized musical underscoring by Christopher Kriz.

In the center of it all is Bisschop weaving together a tapestry of Royko’s early career, not so much in a linear sense, but through the varied topics of his columns—Frank Sinatra’s city sponsored security detail, his mother’s dry cleaning and tailoring store, Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods, RibFest—each punctuated with personal details and wry commentary.  There are frequent trips to the Billy Goat Tavern, which stands as a living testament to Royko’s roots.

For the record, I was a Royko neophyte when I first moved to Chicago in 2002. What I could not gather from many of the references at the time, others helped fill in the gaps. With so much material to choose from, Bisschop wisely concentrated his efforts on a balance between the serious and sublime, equally framed in the brazen insight and searing satire that Royko used to highlight public injustice. The sensitive, emotionally-charged choices are evidence of the appeal that drove readers to his column first whether in the Chicago Daily News, the Chicago Sun Times or the Chicago Tribune.  Royko’s touching tribute following the unexpected passing of his first wife Carol is one of the night’s most powerful moments. There are tributes to Martin Luther King and John Belushi. And Royko’s passionate struggle with the Chicago Cubs plays out here as well.

“Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago” will serve to introduce a new generation to this remarkable life. There is a helpful historical timeline in the show’s program and a note where Bisschop states that he is trying to “allow people to feel the same magic that I felt when I read Mike for the first time.” Take a look for yourself and you will certainly agree that it is a staggering accomplishment. See this show and you will know that only a gifted actor of Bisschop’s unique skills and rarified commitment to the source material could succeed so well.  

PHOTO|Sarah Larson

Toughest Man Productions
presents
ROYKO: The toughest Man in Chicago
Chopin Theater
through September 29, 2024

WEBSITE

TICKETS

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PicksInSix Review: Rasheeda Speaking - Shattered Globe Theatre

The Power of Tactics and Toxins
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Scott Gryder

Shattered Globe Theatre manifested a guiding value of their mission statement, leading with stories of historically marginalized communities, with their striking production of the late Joel Drake Johnson’s “Rasheeda Speaking” at the Theater Wit stage. It’s devastating how, after almost 10 years since its Chicago premiere in 2014, this play feels like it was pulled from a HR casefile of today. Is it the toner from the Konica Minolta causing Jaclyn’s stomach to turn, or could it be the noxious contagion of systemic racism?

Although the house is at first filled with positive, pre-show club-like beats, the comedy/social commentary of “Rasheeda Speaking” plays out in anything but a steady rhythm. The story focuses on Jaclyn, the only black woman working at surgeon Dr. Williams’ office. Along with her coworker/unexpectedly-turned-Office Manager Ileen, the twists and turns of each character’s emotionally-fueled tactics only further decay communication and fester fears, making it almost impossible to know who’s telling the truth at any time. And the audible gasps and vocalized confirmations from the audience infused the performance with a raw ‘live studio audience’ energy throughout.

The ensemble, made up of mostly Shattered Globe Theatre ensemble members, makes your heart ache, while your blood boils, as they inject each scene with duplicity and deceit. Deanna Reed-Foster is a force, applying a well-maintained wall of defense mechanisms, while also skillfully maneuvering office politics. Daria Harper’s Ileen agonizingly attempts to please ‘the doc,’ while squirming not to expose her spy-like intentions before her coworker of color, eventually backfiring and fracturing her once managerial disposition. Drew Schad plays Dr. Williams with such cutting ignorance and bigotry it’s nearly regrettable that one of the many office plants is not eventually smashed upon his head. And Barbara Roeder Harris’ fumbling patient Rose Saunders is disarmingly oblivious, proving that even a patient can be a pawn in the game.

Playwright Joel Drake Johnson, previously a member of Victory Garden’s Theater’s Playwrights Ensemble, recreates an all too recognizable job scenario, setting up a powerplay between management and personnel. Using the microcosm of the doctor’s office, Johnson gives us a taste of how hidden motivations, especially those based on obtuse speculation and enacted at revolting extremes, can lead to a point of self-destruction. Additionally, director AmBer D. Montgomery has shaped the characters with sophisticated subtly, even staging the actors facing downstage, unable to witness the facial expressions exhibited by their castmates, while fully revealing hidden agendas and states of mind to the audience. For example, Ileen’s twisted seating arrangement, with her laptop to her left as she sits straight-on, symbolizes how internally contorted she is from having to play operative and confidant to the powers that be and her coworker.

The design elements layer to create an instant familiarity within the surgeon’s office, sparking their own threat of danger. Similar to an actual doctor’s office’s cool disposition, scenic designer Scott Penner’s stark white nurse’s station gleams with a chilling shine, warning us as the characters do each other: one better be careful here, or they could slip. Jackie Fox’s lighting design sharpens the frigid bite of the scenes with a vicious fluorescent wash, putting the audience ill at ease, while setting the characters under a magnified spotlight. Only when the anxiety sets in and injustices bubble does the warmer palate of light cast prison bar-like shadows through the vertical blinds of the set. Adding more icing, Shattered Globe Artistic Associate Christopher Kriz’s original music and sound design intensifies moments of discord through palpable notes of ebbing, vibrating discord.

It’s that tangible dissonance that echoes beyond curtain call. What’s most tragic about “Rasheeda Speaking” is the fact that these dishonesties and ploys are oftentimes actively at play in the workplace today. These continued mind games and denials only further contaminate the plot and the workplace. So, when managing becomes manipulation, how does one break the cycle? Or, do you best them by beating them at their own game?

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SCOTT GRYDER received a Non-Equity Jeff Award for his performance in the one-man show BUYER & CELLAR. www.thescottgryder.com  

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

Shattered Globe and Chicago Dramatists will host a memorial on Saturday, April 30 at 4:00 pm at Theater Wit to celebrate the rich artistic and personal life of playwright Joel Drake Johnson. RSVP.

Shattered Globe Theatre
presents
RASHEEDA SPEAKING
through June 4

Theater Wit
1229 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657

TICKETS

773-975-8150

WEBSITE

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PicksInSix Theater Review: The Realistic Joneses

“LOTS OF UNSAID THINGS BETWEEN US.”

There are more than a few words shared in “The Realistic Joneses,” the Shattered Globe Theatre|Theater Wit co-production of Will Eno’s clever and poignant comedy about two couples named Jones playing the hands they are dealt in life. The conversations unfold a bit like a spirited, laugh out loud gin game without the cards, the twists and turns of Eno’s deftly constructed work exposing hilarious observations about the serious side of our lives that have been hiding in plain sight.

Jennifer (Linda Reiter) and Bob (H.B. Ward) are facing Bob’s debilitating condition head on, one of the reasons this set of Joneses moved closer to the best care and treatment possible. The new couple in the neighborhood named Jones – Pony (Cortney McKenna) and John (Joseph Wiens) – have rented a house nearby for the same purpose. In director Jeremy Wechsler’s capable hands, the wry humor and fragility of the situation shines through to make “The Realistic Joneses” an inventively staged, touching and uproariously funny story of aging and endless possibilities.

Bob is a pragmatist, one of those patients who is not fond of spending any amount of time trying to rationalize the future. He chooses to leave the specifics of treatment and the weight of that trying decision to his wife. Through the emotional highs and lows, Jennifer, as caregiver, interprets Bob’s intent and softens his impulsive observations which may or may not be caused by his medication or deteriorating condition. We are never quite sure.

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The ‘other’ Joneses are younger and somewhat freewheelers. Pony sells greeting cards online but no one is buying. John claims to be in the heating and air conditioning business. They appear to be the more normal couple, eager, perhaps too much so to be neighborly. By the time someone says “there are lots of unsaid things between us,” we are already well along the way in knowing that things are not as they appear. It turns out the Joneses have much more in common than living out their beautiful days and nights in the neighborhood.

The cast is loaded with talent. Reiter is superb in the delicate divide of a devoted spouse whose long-term role of facing life as caregiver is mixed with her own uncertainty opposite Ward’s delightfully crotchity, understated performance. McKenna is a bundle of kinetic energy that covers an underlying fear of the unknown while Wiens handles the whip-smart John effortlessly, exuding a confidence tinged with his own brand of mystery and confusion.

Jack Magaw has created an impressively versatile multi-scene design which works well with John Kelly’s lighting and Christopher Kriz nature-filled sounds. A lighting cue rarely gets a nod, but there is a doozy in the middle of this one that, like so much more in this wonderful show, may remind you fondly of your own backyard.

PHOTOS|Evan Hanover

SHATTERED GLOBE THEATRE
and THEATER WIT
Present
THE REALISTIC JONESES
through March 9, 2019

THEATER WIT
1229 W. BELMONT AVE.
(773) 975-8150

WEBSITE
TICKETS

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PICKSINSIX Review: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

AMBITIOUS CRIME AND PUNISHMENT EXPLORES RETRIBUTION

Ambitious and absorbing … Shattered Globe Theatre launches their 28th season with an ambitious and absorbing ensemble production of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment now playing at Theater Wit. Adapted by Chris Hannah and directed by ensemble member Louis Contey, the crime-thriller is set in mid-19th century St. Petersburg and features the compelling performance of Drew Schad as the tormented anti-hero, Raskonokov, whose murderous acts and retribution are central to the story.

The perfect crime … In the quietest moments of Raskolnikov’s contemplation, an inner voice reasons that life is no longer worth living. Consumed by poverty and clinging to a long and sordid financial arrangement with a pawnbroker which is his only source of income outside of the money his mother sends, Raskonokov plots the perfect crime to rid himself of her hold over him, rob her, and gain some small amount of financial security.

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Superbly intense … With the deed done, Raskolnikov’s conscience rages as he alternates between taking steps to cover his tracks and emboldening authorities to arrest him, spiraling into the dark state of denial of a guilt-ridden man. Schad’s superbly intense, driven performance explores the full range of fear, pathos and manic delusion of a man on the edge of madness.

Outstanding ensemble … Among the many desperate and flawed characters in Rasholnikov’s world is Marmeladov (Darren Jones) whose daughter Sonya (Ilse Zacharias) has become a prostitute and broken his spirit. Rasholnikov is also troubled by the news that his sister Dunya (Christina Gorman) has accepted an ill-advised marriage proposal and enlists his comrade, Razumikhin (Joseph Wiens) to help break it off. As the investigation proceeds, Rashonikov’s relationship with Sonya flourishes and he must face the consequences of his actions. Rounding out the outstanding ensemble who alternately play multiple featured roles are Rebecca Jordan, Jazzma Pryor, Daria Harper, Christopher Acevedo, Brad Woodward and Patrick Thornton.

Richly textured landscape … The brooding original music and ensemble vocals by composer Christopher Kriz add a powerful element to the work. Nick Mozak’s period, rustic bi-level set, with Shelley Strasser’s dynamic lighting and Hailey Rakowiecki’s costumes all intersect to create a richly textured landscape for the audience on both sides of Wit’s Theater Three.

Master classes … Shattered Globe Theater continues to develop new talent with its 2018-2019 Protégé Program. The program, now its ninth-year trains young artists in all aspects of Ensemble theater, including master classes with Ensemble members, with a goal of guiding protégés into the Chicago professional theater community. The program is free to participants and is headed this year by Nate Santana and Drew Schad.

PHOTOS|Michael Brosilow

Shattered Globe Theatre
Presents
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Theater Wit – Theater Three
1229 West Belmont
through October 20th
(773) 770-0333

WEBSITE

SGT Protégé Program

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PICKSINSIX Review: HOW TO USE A KNIFE

"SEARING 'KNIFE' LEAVES DEEP, HAUNTING WOUNDS"

A pivotal reckoning … The stark and haunting wounds of civil strife that lay at the center of playwright Will Snider’s searing drama How to Use a Knife directed by Shattered Globe’s producing artistic director Sandy Shinner are now nearly 25 years old. Coincidentally, news reports have surfaced recently about ongoing efforts to identify the staggering number of more than 800,000 victims of the genocide in Rwanda, a defining event for one of the two main characters whose personal coping methods begin to emerge as the pivotal reckoning for his boss, Chef George, who has a thousand-yard stare all his own.  

What’s it about … Michael worked on the line for Michelin star Chef George years ago. Not very talented, George recalls, but, smart enough to parley meetings with George’s patrons, raise capital and launch his own restaurant.  Meanwhile, after George invented the “12/12 Pairing Menu” his fast-paced lifestyle took a gut-wrenching turn. So now George “needs to get his wings back” and Michael has hired him as the new chef in his trendy Wall Street restaurant.

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Everyone has a story … Peter DeFaria delivers a fine, multi-layered performance as the complex and tortured chef who suffers from drug and alcohol addiction.  Helping George find his way out of the darkness is Steve – Anthony Irons in a powerful, measured performance – whose willingness to learn quickly moves him up as a confidant and mentee. As Steve's past comes back to roost, it is the impassioned, deeply personal, interplay that brings them together and ultimately drives them apart.

A terrific pairing … Snider’s frank statements about accountability and loss permeate this story and there is a depth chart running through each character. Michael (a solid role for Shattered Globe ensemble member Brad Woodard) appears to have completely lost touch with the business and those he works with, so must rely on someone he can trust in the kitchen. The line cooks, Miguel and Carlos, a terrific pairing of Victor Marana and Dennis García, share the responsibility of keeping things running at the restaurant but also need to protect their jobs. Everyone is seemingly trying to stay ahead of Kim (Michelle Bester) from the immigration authorities while Jack, the busboy/writer that Dillon Kelleher splendidly embodies as the voice of the playwright, is happy to just get a paycheck.

Precise detailing … the precise detailing of the set design by Jeffrey Bauer, elaborate props by Abigail Cain, costumes by Hailey Rakowiecki, sizzling lights and sound by Shelley Strasser and Christopher Kriz is so striking that you almost smell the steak coming off the grill. One can imagine what’s happening just outside the swinging doors as the activity on stage heats up and more of this heart-wrenching story unfolds.

A lot to be learned … recreating a busy, fast-paced kitchen environment requires the kind of ingenious staging that Shinner has fashioned with the audience on two-sides in Theater Wit's Theater Three. There is a lot to be learned about the inner workings of expeditors, line cooks, and busboys but not everyone is who they appear to be - particularly when they are holding the knife, which adds an effective and chilling element to the dark side of this play full of manic, unhinged emotions, and mind-searing life experiences that are hauntingly familiar.

PHOTOS|MICHAEL BROSILOW

SHATTERED GLOBE THEATRE
Presents
HOW TO USE A KNIFE
Written by Will Snider
Directed by Sandy Shinner
through June 9th
Theatre Wit
1229 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
773-770-0333

WEBSITE   TICKETS

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