Dirty
Written by Andrew Hinderaker
Directed by Jonathan Berry
at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee (map)
thru Nov 18 | tickets: $20-$30 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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A dark satire bathed in moral consequence
The Gift Theatre presents
Dirty
Review by Keith Glab
The Gift Theatre has been very careful not to divulge what Dirty is precisely about in any of their promotional materials, though they do hint at it with a photo of Mouzam Makkar clothed only in an American flag on their posters and postcards.
Matt (Michael Patrick Thornton) excels at performing risk analysis in private sector finance. He has long been able to justify the heartless, cut-throat nature of his job due to the money he makes and the security that provides for his family. But when his supervisor Terry (Paul D’Addario) gives him an ultimatum to take a morally ethical case, Matt quits in an aspiration to be “dirty without being gross.”
I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a play blend comedy and drama so well. The plot probably sounds a little far-fetched as I have outlined it here, but while you are watching it unravel, you can’t help but believe that these events could happen. That is partially attributed to Andrew Hinderaker’s perceptive script and partly to director Jonathan Berry staying true to the pacing. It might have been tempting to try to rush through certain scenes of a piece that runs for two-and-a-half hours, but the actors never do.
Despite the play’s length, not once does the action drag. The chemistry between the three primary actors boils over, and they all bring terrific comedic instincts to a script that is already teeming with humor. The Gift Theatre provides an intimate setting that allows the nuance in the actors’ facial expressions to reach every seat in the audience. Courtney O’Neill’s clever set slides from an office setting into a domestic one effortlessly, despite their space limitations.
The stakes – which are fairly high to begin with – continually rise throughout the play, while audience expectations keep flipping. Amazingly, this is generally achieved without resorting to the devices of thrillers or melodrama. There is one point at the end of the play when Mikayla Alvarez, the company figurehead who is portrayed with stunning authority by Mouzam Makkar, makes a naïve and amoral decision that is at odds with the strong, intelligent, and morally fit character Makkar establishes for the rest of the performance. This is truly a shame, because up until that point, having a porn star exhibit stronger ethics than the other characters is an interesting play upon expectations, and in this case staying true to the character was sacrificed for a plot requirement.
The other characters are also compelling. Michael Patrick Thornton makes Matt someone whom we’re not positive we like but root for anyway with subtle humor and charm. Hillary Clemens brings a welcome earnestness to the role of Katie, and she gets to display a great range of emotions. Paul D’Addario makes for a great antagonist before he eventually shows some humanity and is trumped in his villainous ways by Tom Hickey.
One of the great triumphs of this production is the meta-theatrical layering it features. In one such instance, Matt and company determine that a film teaser giving a taste of typical hardcore porn will draw in a wider consumer base just as the Gift Theatre staff show the titillating poster promo without actually saying, “here’s a 150-minute show about the porn industry,” knowing that such a revelation will ward off some audience members. It’s a wonderful case of life imitating art.
But make no mistake, Dirty is a show that you should not hesitate to see. It is incredibly prescient in its understanding of people’s motivations for their actions. How do we weigh a selfish decision made with good intentions versus a good decision made primarily for one’s own self-interest, and all of the gradients in between? Come to The Gift and judge for yourself, but leave your Whole Foods canvas bag at home.
Rating: ★★★½
Dirty continues through November 18th at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays 2:30pm. Tickets are $20-$30, and are available by phone (773-288-7071) or online through King-Cart.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More info at TheGiftTheatre.org. (Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes, includes two intermissions)
Photos by Joshua Longbrake
artists
cast
Atra Asdou (April), Hillary Clemens (Katie), Paul D’Addario (Terry), Tom Hickey (Jacob), Mouzam Makkar (Mikayla), Darci Nalepa (Mrs. Dalton), Cyril Smith (Billy), Michael Patrick Thornton (Matt)
behind the scenes
Jonathan Berry (director); Courtney O’Neill (set design); Michael Stanfill (lighting); Sally Dolembo (costumes); Christian Gero (sound design); Rita Thornton (props); David Preis (technical director); Taree Chadwick (stage manager); Joshua Longbrake (photos)
12-0940
