A Touch of the Poet
Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Kathy Scambiatterra
at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont (map)
thru Nov 6 | tickets: $28-$32 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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Artistic Home captivates with timeless themes
The Artistic Home presents
A Touch of the Poet
Review by Katy Walsh
Life is a lot of work! Shelter, food, survival are the results of hard labor. The upper class believes they are above the daily drudgery. They embrace a lifestyle of privilege. Their every comfort is someone else’s responsibility. And if they can afford it, more power to them. Entitlement comes at a cost.
Playwright Eugene O’Neill penned a thought-provoking play. O’Neill tackles classism from the outside world and inside the home. Under the steady hand of Director Kathy Scambiatterra, the drama unfolds organically and amusingly on stage. There is mounting tension between father and daughter. But, there are also snippets of comic relief in the boozy buffoonery. The set, designed by David Vogel, is a quaint three-walled wooden room. All the action takes place in this main gathering room. Three doorways lead to the illusion of activity. One goes to the outdoors, one to the upstairs lodging rooms and one to the adjacent saloon. Throughout the show, Scambiatterra has the opening of the tavern door cue up loud bar banter. The instant pub soundtrack makes me giggle each time. Scambiatterra effectively uses the real and pretend spaces to build intrigue and mystery.
 
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In the lead, Frank Nall (Major Melody) is the perfect combo of arrogance and ignorance. Looking in the mirror and quoting Byron, hitting on guests, abusing his wife, Nall just nails it! A smug Nall pontificates lunacy with drunken confidence. He sporadically erupts going from elegant to wild-eyed. Nall and Elizabeth Argus (Sara) argue over the household control. For most of the show, their game playing is ongoing defiant angst. In the final scenes, their reaction to each others’ transformation startles. Argus is the in-your-face-back-talking daughter. An energetic adversary, Argus delivers long rants of superiority and bursts of hysterical laughter. Sally Eames (Nora) is beautifully poignant as the victim of love. Eames is worn-out trying to keep peace between her husband and daughter. An uptight Katherine Swan (Mrs. Hartford) enters the establishment with controlled crazy. She is an unsettling outsider. The rest of the ensemble is dynamic in colorful rowdiness. Their antics will intoxicate to ‘drive out dark thoughts and rheumatoid.’
A Touch of the Poet captivates with timeless themes. Long after the curtain, I continued to contemplate the characters’ outcomes. Pretending is powerful stuff!
Rating: ★★★
A Touch of the Poet continues continues through November 6th at Stage 773 Black Box Theatre, 1225 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $28-$32, and can be purchased by phone (773-327-5252) or online at PrintTixUSA.com. More information at TheArtisticHome.org. (Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes, which includes an intermission)
All photos by Tim Knight
artists
cast
Elizabeth Argus, Victor J. Doylida, Frank Nall, Katherine Swan, Sally Eames, Kevin D’Ambrosio, Larry Garner, Kevin Gladish, Jimmy Ronan, Joe Wiens
behind the scenes
Kathy Scambiatterra (director); Lynn Sandberg (costumes); David Vogel (sets); Lindsay Monahan (props); Jess Harpenau (lighting); Adam Smith (sound); Loretta Rode (stage manager); Peter Connor (asst. director), Tim Knight (photos)
