Review: Rightlynd (Victory Gardens Theater)

Ike Holter premiere is predictable but solid

Review by Lauren Emily Whalen

Ike Holter is on a white-hot streak.

The Chicago playwright's just opened in New York at the Stonewall Inn. Victory Gardens Theater's Rightlynd is the first of three premieres of Holter's work this season - the next two will be at Steep and Goodman. Holter is also a writer on the upcoming FX show Fosse/Verdon.

All good things for a talented writer who deserves every success. And of course, artists know to strike when the iron is hot, to say yes to jobs and commissions that may be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. However, sometimes the saying "too much of a good thing" is accurate. That's not to say Holter is overexposed, but burnout may be on the horizon. Rightlynd is part of Holter's Chicago cycle, the story of a newly-minted alderman who's in over her head from day one. The story is predictable but solid, the characters compelling, the setting quite literally close to home. Unfortunately what could be great is merely good, thanks to several unnecessary and drawn-out sequences and production values, along with a general sense of both Holter and director Lisa Portestrying much too hard.

Nina Esposito (Monica Orozco) is a lifelong resident of Rightlynd, a Chicago neighborhood that's seen much better days. Businesses are failing, the CTA stop has shut down and the area is on the verge of gentrification thanks to the Applewood Corporation. Incensed, Nina runs for election against the (white) incumbent and wins, thanks in part to help from local drug dealer Amena (LaKecia Harris). But as Nina struggles to balance her new duties and falls in love with gentle ex-con Pac (Eddie Martinez), she finds that even the most idealistic politicians are not immune to corruption.

Holter's writing and Portes' direction shine the brightest in 's more intimate scenes. As Nina bargains with local mechanic Robinson (Robert Cornelius), navigates a tentative connection with journalist Benny (Anish Jethmalani) or lovingly banters with Pac, Rightlynd's spirit of community comes rushing to the surface. The results are emotional and achingly real, especially to Chicagoans who are all too familiar with gentrification or in many cases have experienced it firsthand. Holter's characters speak in a rough yet poetic language all their own, beautiful to the ear. Orozco's Nina is charismatic yet cunning, increasingly aware of underhanded deals at City Hall and willing to save her home at any cost.

If Rightlynd were only this, the production would have shone brighter than the Chicago skyline.

Instead, neither Holter nor Portes seem capable of editing their grand ideas. Instead of letting the characters tell their story, both playwright and director overstuff the production with gimmicks. Though a dancing-in-the-street sequence with Nina and Pac is incredibly charming, Rightlynd's other musical numbers (yes, there are more than one) detract from the play's inherent poignancy and dark humor. A climactic fight sequence is too bloated and fantastical to take seriously and so many of the play's one-liners, though witty, seem out of context. One of Rightlynd 's loveliest moments takes place early on: when Pac, newly released from prison, tells the guard to forget the bus ticket because he's "already home." As he looks around at the devastated, much-changed neighborhood, face full of wonder and regret, the audience sees what a pared-down, less over-the-top could truly be.

continues through December 23rd at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln (map), with performances Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 3pm & 7:30pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $27-$55, and are available by phone (773-871-3000) or online through their website (check for availability of ). More information at VictoryGardens.org. (Running time: 95 minutes without intermission)

Jerome Beck (Applewood, Denizen 1), Robert Cornelius (Robinson, Denizen 5), LaKecia Harris (Amina, Denizen 2), Anish Jethmalani (Platt, Denizen 4), Eddie Martinez (Pac), Monica Orozco (Nina), Sasha Smith (Manda, Denizen 3)

behind the scenes

Lisa Portes (director), Collette Pollard (scenic design), Samantha Jones (costume design), Jared Gooding (lighting design), Mikhail Fiksel (sound design, additional composition), Eleanor Kahn (props design), Skyler Gray (dramaturg), Jaq Seifert (fight director), Breon Arzell (fight choreography), Mara Sagal (production stage manager), Charlie Coffeen (original songs), (photos)

Tags: 18-1129, Anish Jethmalani, Breon Arzell, Charlie Coffeen, Chicago Theater, Collette Pollard, Eddie Martinez, Eleanor Kahn, Hit the Wall, Ike Holter, Jaq Seifert, Jared Gooding, Jerome Beck, Lakecia Harris, Lauren Emily Whalen, Lisa Portes, Liz Lauren, Mara Sagal, Mikhail Fiksel, Monica Orozco, post, Robert Cornelius, Samantha Jones, Sasha Smith, Skyler Gray, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, Victory Gardens Theater

Category: 2018 Reviews, Biograph Theatre, Ike Holter, Lauren Emily Whalen, New Work, Victory Gardens, World Premier