Review: Between Riverside and Crazy (Steppenwolf Theatre)

A leading man for the ages

Review by Lauren Whalen

In Chicago theater, 2016 may as well be renamed "Guirgis-a-Palooza." The work celebrated playwright, a favorite of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (who directed many of the world premieres at his own company, LAByrinth Theater), is enjoying a full season with Eclipse Theatre, including the superb Jesus Hopped the "A" Train and Our Lady of 121st Street, the latter of which also opens this month. Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and now has its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf, starring two critically acclaimed, beloved actors. Despite these actors' dynamic performances, a stellar supporting cast and many funny and dramatic moments, Between Riverside and Crazy has some bumps along the way.

"Pops" Washington (British actor Eamonn Walker) is an ex-NYPD cop, still fighting with the city over a racially-charged incident that left him with six bullet holes and a diminished will to live. Pops' wife died a few years ago, but his adult son Junior (James Vincent Meredith) has moved back into his apartment - one of the last rent-controlled units in this part of the city, with enough room for Junior (and his questionable business practices), his girlfriend Lulu (Elena Marisa Flores) and his ex-addict friend Oswaldo (Victor Almanzar). Oh, and a yappy dog with whom Pops has a love-hate relationship. However, things can't progress as they are. Lulu and Junior's relationship isn't the healthiest, Pops insists on using his late wife's wheelchair, and despite encouragement from his former colleagues (Audrey Francisand Tim Hopper), he's holding out on a legal settlement. Something's gotta give, but with landlords closing in and the sketchy characters that come in and out of his apartment, Pops might not be around to see a resolution.

After seeing and reviewing several Guirgis plays over the years, I can safely say I prefer his dramas ( A Train and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot among them) to his comedies (including and The Motherfucker With the Hat, which Steppenwolf produced in 2013). In the latter, Guirgis displays a unique, perverse sense of humor, with characters who hide vulnerability under tough exteriors. All well and good, but Guirgis comedies tend to go off the rails. They're always entertaining but rarely coherent, using profanity-speckled dialogue to camouflage somewhat shoddy characterization and unnecessary plot twists. Guirgis comedies are enjoyable, but lack the richness of his dramas.

Thankfully, casting director Jessamyn Fuller and director Yasen Peyankov have assembled and coached a crackerjack ensemble, whose darkly comic interpretations carry the script's weaker moments. Steppenwolf ensemble member Hopper, always skillful, and Francis are completely believable as worn-down cops, sympathetic to Pops' plight but impatient with his stubborn refusal to move on with his life. Lily Mojekwu, whose character is known simply as "Church Lady," both compels and shines in a career-making performance. Almanzar and Flores swagger through their roles with confident intelligence. But the production belongs to Meredith and Walker. Meredith, who recently played the title role in Chicago Shakespeare's , uses his booming voice and commanding presence to full effect. Junior's complex, frustrating relationship with his father is perfectly played, through subtle inflections and smart decisions on the part of both Vincent and director Peyankov. Chicago audiences may know British actor Walker best as Chief Boden on the NBC series "Chicago Fire" - you can catch his co-star Monica Raymund in Lookingglass' Thaddeus and Slocum through this week. His Pops is brilliant and unforgettable, equal parts unsavory and honorable, a man firmly caught in the extensive gray area between right and wrong. I can only hope that Walker returns to the Chicago stage sooner rather than later.

Between Riverside and Crazy isn't for everyone: it's gritty and at times over the top, with a script that promises much but doesn't always deliver. However, Steppenwolf's Chicago premiere is worth seeing for the strength of its cast, an experienced and eager crew who dive into the complicated motivations typical to Guirgis characters. Pops may not be everyone's hero, but Walker is a leading man for the ages.

Between Riverside and Crazy continues through August 21st at Steppenwolf Theatre's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted (map), with performances Tuesdays-Sundays at 7:30pm, plus Saturdays/Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $20-$89, and are available by phone (312-335-1650) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More information at Steppenwolf.org. (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)

behind the scenes

Yasen Peyankov (director), Collette Pollard (scenic design), Natasha Dukich (costume design), Scott Zielinski (lighting design), Josh Schmidt (sound design, original music), Jessamyn Fuller (casting), Laura D. Glenn (stage manager), Cassie Calderone (asst. stage manager), Tanera Marshall (dialect coach), Aaron Carter (artistic producer), Cody Estle (asst. director), Yeaji Kim, Lauren Nigri (asst. set design), William Kirkham (asst. lighting design), Kirk Anderson (fight choreography), AJ Burkart, Ryan Luwe, Jake Palmer, Mark Vinson (carpentry), Lacie Hexom, Elizabeth Zevin (properties), Vanessa Rundle (run crew), Karina Kim, Sarah Lewis (painters), Alison McLeod (stage management apprentice), Leean Torske, Derek Matson (artistic engagement associates), Anna D. Shapiro (artistic director), David Schmitz (managing director), Michael Brosilow (photos)

Tags: 16-0713, Aaron Carter, Aidaa Peerzada, AJ Burkart, Alison McLeod, Anna D. Shapiro, Audrey Francis, Cassie Calderone, Chicago Theater, Cody Estle, Collette Pollard, Cyd Blakewell, David Schmitz, Derek Matson, Eamonn Walker, Echaka Agba, Elena Marisa Flores, Elizabeth Zevin, Jake Palmer, James Vincent Meredith, Jessamyn Fuller, Josh Schmidt, Karina Kim, Kirk Anderson, Lacie Hexom, Laura D. Glenn, Lauren Nigri, Lauren Whalen, Leean Torske, Lily Mojekwu, Mark Vinson, Michael Brosilow, Natasha Dukich, Phillip Edward Van Lear, post, Ryan Luwe, Sarah Lewis, Scott Zielinski, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Steppenwolf Theatre, Tanera Marshall, Terence Sims, Tim Hopper, Vanessa Rundle, Victor Almanzar, William Kirkham, Yasen Peyankov, Yeaji Kim

Category: 2016 Reviews, Lauren Whalen, Pulitzer Prize, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Steppenwolf