Glimmers of hope amidst two hours of
privileged people with problems
Review by Lauren Whalen
Even when society is in a state of chaos, plays about the privileged and their problems can work, and work well. The trick is at least a shade of self-awareness and/or satire. It's what's made filmmaker Whit Stillman such an underground favorite, and why the early films of Woody Allen have staying power. This seems almost devoid of self-awareness or satire, with little room for character growth - but contains plenty of privileged people with problems. Three of the five characters are fairly despicable, and are unpleasant to watch. Comparatively, Windy City Playhouse presented a highly-recommended "privileged people with problems" story earlier this season, Neil Simon's Chapter
begins with a dinner party in the home of exhausted new parents Tom (Stephen O'Connell) and Marrell (Tania Richard). Marrell's two best college friends are in attendance: Alan (Joe Zarrow), who enjoys a modicum of fame thanks to his photographic memory, and Jane (Amy Rubenstein), a poet who is now raising her daughter alone after her husband's recent death. Marrell is hoping to fix up Jane with the fifth guest, dashing and philanthropic doctor Jean-Pierre (Brian Grey). The day after the party, Tom shows up at Jane's apartment. Something happens. And much whining and navel-gazing follows.
To say has insufferable characters is like stating that Phoenix is hot in the summer. Indeed, the only character that is likable throughout is Jean-Pierre: he works for Doctors Without Borders (much is made of Jean-Pierre being a "doctor without borders," and it isn't funny the first time, or the tenth), and as the play progresses, adopts an increasingly frustrated attitude toward his friends. Perhaps the worst is Alan, who constantly annoys and antagonizes the others and straight-up harasses Jean-Pierre for his job so Alan himself can feel less selfish. Watching Alan, I wondered whether playwright Melissa James Gibson has any LGBT friends, or has ever met a gay person. Merrell perfectly embodies the nagging wife stereotype and Tom has no impulse control or remorse (not to mention his actions with Jane come out of nowhere). Only Jane displays any real character growth toward the end, and even that is too little, too late.
It's hard to see past such a terrible script, and director Carl Menninger's awkward staging doesn't help matters. Set designer Katie-Bell Kenneypopulates the stage with doors - meant to be both literal and symbolic, I assume - which only make action and transitions even clunkier. Though the play moves quickly, the story plods along, sometimes progressing in a cause-and-effect motion, other times a series of vignettes about people so selfish that you feel sorry for their progeny.
The cast all have impressive bios and resumes, but by the end Rubenstein was the only one I could stomach. Two moments late in the second act resonated: one where Jane, having forgotten the first anniversary of her husband's grief, calls her friends out on their judgment of how she "should" mourn, and the second a heartfelt monologue to her sleeping daughter. At these points, I wanted to tell Jane to make new friends, or perhaps head out on the road with Jean-Pierre. These two moments of This were indicators of what the play could be, and I clung to them, wishing the rest of the play were either that genuine, or far more satirical.
continues through August 28th at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park (map), with performances Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $25-$55, and are available by phone (773-891-8985) or at PrintTixUSA.com (check for half-price tix at Goldstar.com ). More info at WindyCityPlayhouse.com. (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)
behind the scenes
Tags: 16-0652, Amy Rubenstein, Brian Grey, Carl Menninger, Chicago Theater, Donald Claxon, Jamie Karas, Jared Gooding, Jeffrey Levin, Joe Zarrow, Katie-Bell Kenney, Kristy Leigh Hall, Lauren Whalen, Marc Chevalier, Melissa James Gibson, Michael Brosilow, post, Sammi Grant, Stephen O'Connell, Tania Richard, Windy City Playhouse, Zachary Johnson
Category: 2016 Reviews, Lauren Whalen, Windy City Playhouse