Elder Gods
Written and Directed by Scott McKinsey
Inspired by novella by H.P. Lovecraft
at The Davis, 620 Davis, Evanston (map)
thru March 3 | tickets: $15-$30 | more info
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Science fiction set to stage with ‘Elder Gods’
DreamLogic Theatreworks presents
Elder Gods
Review by Melody Udell
Combine a cult-beloved science fiction story with the love-it-or-hate-it style of promenade staging, and you have the potential for a very divisive night of theater. But that’s a risk DreamLogic Theatreworks, an Evanston-based nonprofit theater group, is willing to take with its latest production, Elder Gods.
Luckily, the show’s appeal isn’t only for die-hard science fiction enthusiasts—although that certainly helps. The promenade staging draws in audience members who could feel somewhat disconnected with the material, unfamiliar with Lovecraft’s bizarre theories and over-indulged cosmic imagination. Set in a large, exposed loft space in downtown Evanston, the audience is left free to wander the set, able to choose which angle they’d most like to see the current scene unfold. The simple set design by Lauren Sweeney is transformative without getting in the way of the actors and audience; sitting on a church pew or kneeling beside a psych-ward cot helps theater-goers feel like participants in a scene rather than witnesses.
During the first scene, the audience is treated like students in a classroom, listening to geology professor Dr. William Dyer (Colin Jackson) discuss the Antarctic expeditions of his fellow professors at Miskatonic University. The audience wanders from room to room, learning that Dyer and his co-explorer, Tyler Pistorious’ haunting Riley Danforth, had survived their own terrifying Antarctic expedition and are weary for anyone to return. Professor Albert Moore, played with calculating creepiness by David Sweeney, is nervous that Dyer’s seemingly crazy ramblings will taint the reputation of the school. He vehemently denies any rumors of paranormal activity, despite his own trip to the barren continent that resulted in the mysterious deaths of at least 10 fellow explorers.
The dialog in Scott McKinsey’s adaptation flows fast; it’s at times difficult for the audience to follow Dyer’s murmured epithets or Danforth’s nonsensical screaming from his hospital bed. But it serves the show’s truly disturbing tone.
As the truth slowly unfolds, it’s clear that this isn’t an ordinary sci-fi yarn. Mythological demi-gods, the purpose of religion and devotional science interweave to create a truly scary and at times baffling theatrical experience.
Elder Gods is an unusual piece that will no doubt find its own cult following. But the staging redeems itself among theater-lovers, and with any luck, we’ll be seeing more inventive, atypical works hit the stages in Chicago theaters.
Rating: ★★½
Elder Gods continues through March 3rd at The Davis, 620 Davis Street, Evanston (map), with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets are $15-$30, and are available at the door or online here (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at their website. (Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission)