Review: Chops (Dashnight Productions)

Strong leads, brilliant set place you in the middle of the action

Review by Lauren Whalen

In the 1950's and 1960's, jazz was alive and well on Rush Street. The music was hot, the people attractive and the liquor plentiful. But what happened when that all went away, and where did the jazz freaks go? Playwright and Chicagoan Michael Rychlewski answers this question in Chops , his first full-length play, in which three older men struggle to reconcile their glamorous past with their rather dingy present. The story and characters are there, but Rychlewski's script tends to drag and Richard Shavzin's plodding direction doesn't help. Thankfully, three of the four cast members are appropriately grizzled, gifted and well worth watching.

It's 1984, and ex-Rush Street bartender Vince (Larry Neumann Jr.) is well past his prime. His own joint is struggling, and he's battling illegal activity from nearby watering holes while trying to keep the action (mostly) straight in his own. Enter Vince's old friend Walt (Randy Steinmeyer), who drops by late on a Sunday night to take advantage of Vince's jukebox with the gorgeous Kaki (Clare Cooney) in tow. Though Kaki's much younger than the men, she displays an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz and a wisdom beyond her years. However, the night takes a dark turn when Philly (Daniel Patrick Sullivan) shows up with a snappy suit and a dastardly scheme.

Both script and direction are more than a little clunky, with no real transitions between beats and far too much yelling. The concept and story are interesting, but the execution largely fails to deliver. The stakes could be much higher, the jazz-noir feel the playwright was going for, more established. evokes a definite time period, mood and location, but throughout the show's 85-minute running time, I found myself wanting more and left the theater largely unsatisfied with what I'd just seen. Shavzin's staid staging sometimes placing all four actors in a straight line.

The most talented member of ' production team is most definitely set designer Grant Sabin, who creates a replica of an aging bar so realistically that I could practically smell stale beer the minute I walked into the space. Sabin obviously did his research, leaving no detail overlooked. From the sad Cubs pennant on the wall to the period-appropriate postcards, Sabin conjures both a celebrated era gone by and the dismal current situation we see.

All three actors bring their extensive experience and impressive skills to Chops ' script. Steinmeyer's Walt is all blustery bravado, and he displays lovely dance moves as well. Neumann, the collective conscience of the piece, injects gravitas and dark humor into every beat. And Sullivan's Philly is a showman from beginning to end, a sociopathic Harold Hill type whose considerable charm eventually melts into desperation. Only Cooney seems out of place here: she's a good actress but a less-than-convincing femme fatale, and seems uncomfortable the entire time. The character of Kaki, and those like her, must possess a confidence and sexual magnetism, both of which are missing in Cooney. She tries, she just doesn't quite get there.

Chops has a lot of potential, and despite 36 drafts of the script (according to the show's program), said potential is never fully realized. Fortunately, the three male actors are accomplished enough to direct themselves, resulting in intense, character-driven performances, and the brilliant set places the audience right in the center of the action.

runs through August 14th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $35 (students/seniors: $25), and are available by phone (773-975-8150) or online through TheaterWit.org (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More information at Chops2016.com. (Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission)

Larry Neumann Jr. (Vince), Clare Cooney (Kaki), Randy Steinmeyer (Walt), Daniel Patrick Sullivan (Philly), Alicia Ciuffini (Kaki understudy), George Spelvin (male understudy)

behind the scenes

Richard Shavzin (director), Grant Sabin (set design), Brenda Winstead (costume design), Benjamin L. White (lighting design), Barry Bennett (sound design), Christopher Neville (props design), Alicia Ciuffini (choreographer), Sarah Knoke (stage manager), Clare Cooney (dance captain), Joseph Dolmon (assistant stage manager), Wendy Schmidt (graphic design), Heron Agency (PR, marketing) Anthony Aicardi (photos)

Tags: 16-0722, Alicia Ciuffini, Anthony Aicardi, Barry Bennett, Benjamin L. White, Brenda Winstead, Chicago Theater, Christopher Neville, Clare Cooney, Daniel Patrick Sullivan, Dashnight Productions, George Spelvin, Grant Sabin, Heron Agency, Joseph Dolmon, Larry Neumann Jr., Lauren Whalen, Michael Rychlewski, post, Randy Steinmeyer, Richard Shavzin, Sarah Knoke, Theater Wit, Wendy Schmidt

Category: 2016 Reviews, Lauren Whalen, New Work, Theater Wit, World Premier