Katrina:
Mother-in-Law of ‘Em All
Written by Rob Florence
The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee (map)
thru Oct 4 | tickets: $20 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
Inspiring stories overcome imperfections
Interrobang Theatre Project presents
Katrina: Mother-in-Law of ‘Em All
Review by Lauren Whalen
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the citizens of New Orleans are still rebuilding. Worse than any disaster the city had ever seen, Katrina was rife with physical, mental and emotional devastation, and handled most poorly by those who could have helped the most. Like any disaster, natural or unnatural, Katrina exhibited shocking acts of humanity – and random kindnesses that resonate a decade after the fact. While it could have benefited from a few more rehearsals, Interrobang Theatre Project’s Katrina: Mother-in-Law of ‘Em All is both extremely disturbing and incredibly touching, as playwright Rob Florence preserves oral tradition to illuminate six darkly beautiful, true stories.
The magnificence of this play lies in its stories, which celebrate the human spirit and remarkable ability to survive. As the stories are told in tandem, each player cheers, boos and jumps in accordingly, leading to a camaraderie that the audience can’t help but feel too. Playwright Rob Florence skillfully exhibits the stories’ universal themes while always respecting their unique qualities. Maybe not every city could survive this, Florence seems to say, but this gritty, almost otherworldly place, and those who have chosen to make it their home, could and did.
Scenic designer Greg Pinsoneault lovingly supplements playwright Florence’s excellent sense of place, recreating the Mother-in-Law Lounge as an intimate, self-contained unit that’s also warm and welcoming to visitors. Anyone who’s visited New Orleans can attest to the art and history that infuses every detail of the city, and Pinsoneault captures it in the Den Theatre mainstage. Chris Owens’ projection design is equally brilliant, with photos of New Orleans and its people before, during and after Katrina adding to the words and action.
Florence’s script is almost perfect, but has strange pacing: each story stops at the end of the first act and picks up again in the second without any real reason for a stopping point. Katrina may have been more effective as a 90-minute one act, and a tightly-paced, better edited script would be just as engaging without demeaning the vitality of each character and story.It also doesn’t help that director Georgette Verdin doesn’t appear to have sufficiently rehearsed her cast. For a group of survivors with a “we’re all in this together” feel, the ensemble hasn’t quite gelled as of the play’s opening. At least two actors consistently stumbled over, or outright forgot, dialogue, which – as I’ve stated in other reviews – is unacceptable in the Chicago theater scene. I have no doubt the actors (most of whom are terrific) will soon locate the right individual and group rhythms, but it may take several performances for them to do so.
Imperfections aside, Katrina: Mother-in-Law of ‘Em All is vital to the modern theater scene. The play incorporates oral tradition and history that audience members will recall in startling detail. Once the cast is fully comfortable and develops a group dynamic, which I am optimistic will happen soon, this Katrina will be a must for anyone who needs to be reminded that humanity can be terrible, but as a people we are equally, if not more, wonderful.
Rating: ★★★
Katrina continues through October 4th at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee (map), with performances Thursdays-Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays 2pm and 7:30pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $10-$20, and are available by phone (800-838-3006) or through BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at InterrobangTheatre.org. (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)
Photos by Jamie Yost
artists
cast
Danon Dastugue (Judy), David Fink (Lounge Regular), Peter Goldsmith (Sonny), Darren Jones (Raymond), RjW Mays (Antoinette), Christopher McMorris (Franklin), Aaron Spencer (Rodney), Joyce Porter, Shane Michael Murphy (understudies)
behind the scenes
Georgette Verdin (director), Greg Pinsoneault (scenic design), Noël Huntzinger (costume design), Claire Chrzan (lighting design), Eric Backus (sound design), Mealah Heidenreich (props design), Chris Owens (projections design), Matthew Nerber (assistant director), Michael Rathbun (technical director), Samantha Dzirko (production manager), Rebecca Lawson (stage manager), Christopher Aaron Knarr (house manager, marketing, social media), Jamie Yost (photos)
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