El Stories: Holiday Train
Adapted from CTA-user interviews
Directed by Zack Florent
Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln (map)
thru Jan 5 | tickets: $15 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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CTA stories may be weird and wonderful, but this show missed the bus
Waltzing Mechanics presents
El Stories: Holiday Train
Review by Anuja Vaidya
Every Chicagoan has a CTA story. Some good, some bad and some just plain ugly, but everyone has one. It was only a matter of time before someone decided that these stories needed to be strung together and dramatized. Enter the Waltzing Mechanics with El Stories. This being the second year of the show, they now have a ‘holiday edition’, which features stories about the CTA’s Holiday Train.
El Stories: Holiday Train showcases stories about Chicago commuters and their experiences using the CTA and its holiday train. Like any vignette show, there are some lovely moments created on stage and some just fall flat. This show certainly has some unusual and entertaining stories that Chicagoans, familiar with the neighborhoods and stereotypes in the city, will enjoy. However, several of them seem to have missed the mark in terms of the feeling they are trying to invoke. At moments I certainly found myself wondering if I was supposed to sympathize with the characters or feel happy for them or laugh. I’m not sure if the fault lies with the choice of stories included in the show or the delivery of the actors. Some members of the cast were patchy in terms of their comic timing and sincerity. However, there were those who were consistent: David Guiden, Rachel Shapiro and Drew Johnson to name a few.
Two of the best moments in the show are the opening and the ‘playback’ section. As you enter, the cast is standing around the theater and chatting with each other. All of the sudden, a seemingly natural and random argument between two of them escalates and the show begins, pulling you in instantly. The ‘playback’ section is one in which an audience members name is pulled out of a hat and he or she is asked to tell her most memorable El story. The cast then promptly dramatizes the story. The ‘playback’ section story of the show I went to see was the funniest of the night.
Ultimately, I couldn’t help feeling that this was a production that hadn’t reached its full potential. CTA stories in a city full of people that have, at one time or another, had to deal with it is a wonderful idea for a play. But this production falls short of the relatable, warm and humorous must-see show that it could be yet it doesn’t fail entirely; it just needs to be consistent. If you find yourself in Lincoln Park at 11 p.m. on Saturday night with your friends or family, give it a shot – maybe you’ll get a chance to throw your own El story into the mix.
Rating: ★★½
El Stories: Holiday Train continues through January 5th at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln (map), with performances Saturdays at 11pm. Tickets are $15, and are available by phone (773-404-7336) or online through Tix.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at GreenhouseTheater.org. (Running time: 1 hour without intermission)
artists
cast
Emily Demko, Katie Galan, David Guiden, Jenni Hadley, Addison Heimann, Gary Henderson, Drew Johnson, McKenna Liesman, J.D. Ostergaard, Rachel Shapiro
behind the scenes
Thomas Murray (artistic director); Keely Leonard (managing director); Tina Frey (asst. artistic director); Zack Florent (marketing); Adrienne Matzen (casting); Shariba Rivers (education director); J. D. Ostergaard (publicist); Nick Chandler (webmaster)
12-1158
