Review: In Pursuit (Hobo Junction)

By Chicagotheaterbeat @chitheaterbeat

     


In Pursuit 

Written by Breahan Eve Pautsch
Directed by Richard Paro  
at The Second Stage, 3408 Sheffield (map)
thru Sept 11  |  tickets: $15  |  more info

Check for half-price tickets

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An unenlightening star-crossed sitcom

     

Hobo Junction presents

  

In Pursuit

Review by Larry Bommer

Well, it’s only a little over an hour—and not a minute longer than it should be. But in that seemingly brief span, this world-premiere trifle about extraterrestrials applying for an intergalactic “green card” manages to wear out its welcome and then exasperate a patient crowd.

Resembling a half-baked, uninspired knock-off of “Third Rock from the Sun” or “The Coneheads,” Hobo Junction’s sci-fi comedy focuses on the trio of One (an appropriately named Cassandra Clingon), Two (Lauren Robertson) – both immigrants from a distant galaxy (aren’t they all by definition?) – and Three (Kristi Parker-Barnhart), the bratty, earthling-abducting cousin who almost ruins their chances at respectability.

The unnamed ETs (we learn next to nothing about their home planet) are dressed like escapees from Whoville and speak in an irritatingly shrill sing-song patois. Eager to make a good impression on the Earthers who will inspect them, they serve deviled eggs and sandwiches and coach each other to be as conventional and inoffensive as possible.

Besides a hapless hostage (Spenser Davis), the other terrestrials consist of a homicidally ambitious alien researcher (Cyra K. Polizzi), a two-timing special agent (Travis Barnhart), an officious bureaucrat (Mary Jo Bolduc), and a no-nonsense, elaborately ignorant general from Texas (Christopher Rex Jacobs).

These dysfunctional bipeds proceed to make these very literal-minded aliens jump (figuratively) through hoops made of red tape, speculate about how these gender-free visitors manage to have sex, quarrel amongst themselves, perversely ignore the abducted human with duct tape on his mouth and plasti-cuffs on his wrists, and clumsily speculate about a murder in their midst.

By the end One and Two are together again, no more enlightened than we are by the silliness they saw. Richard Paro’s staging works overtime to keep the inconsequential action as manic as possible. Unfortunately, nothing can disguise the utter vacuity of everything on stage.

  

Rating: ★★

  

Hobo Junction’s In Pursuit continues through September 11th at The Second Stage, 3408 N. Sheffield (map), with performances Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8PM, and Sunday at 7PM. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased by phone (800-838-3006) or online at BrownPaperTickets.com. More information at Hobo Junction’s website.

All photos by Rachel Renee

     

artists

cast

Hobo Junction company members Travis Barnhart and Christopher Rex Jacobs, with guest artists Mary Jo Bolduc, Cassandra Clingon, Spenser Davis, Lauren Robertson, Kristi Parker Barnhart and Cyra K. Polizzi.

behind the scenes

Breahan Eve Pautsch (playwright); Richard Paro (director); Emilie Kuhar (stage manager); Tim McCalister (technical director); Timothy Lane (sets); Eric Van Tassell (lighting); Joe Griffin (sound); Jessica Dangieri, Katie Jones and Josh Zagoren (puppet design); Janna Weddle (costumes);  Dan Krall (PR, marketing); Rachel Renee (photos)