|
|
THEATER REVIEW
The Downpour
by Mary Shen Barnidge 2014-09-24
|
|
This article shared 5500 times since Wed Sep 24, 2014
|
|
Playwright: Caitlin Parrish. At: Route 66 Theatre Company at the Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets: 773-404-7336; www.greenhousetheater.org; $35. Runs through: Oct. 12
In olden days, they were called "family insanities"mental disorders seemingly handed down through generations like physical characteristics. Nowadays such fears are no longer as prevalent, but if your mother suffered postpartum psychosis so severe as to compel her to inflict harm upon herself and her progeny, wouldn't you think twice before deciding to have a child? And if you were the sister of the optimistic mommy-to-be, wouldn't you keep a watchful eye for signs of erratic behavior? And what about the husband who witnesses his beloved wife transformed into a monstrous hag governed by paranoid hallucinations?
What distinguishes Fred and Robin Kimball from the latter's destructive mom is that they don't have to face this problem alone. To be sure, Fred's best-buddy Miller lacks parenting skillsan impairment leading to his divorce and estrangement from his pre-teen daughterand Robin's sister Hazel, author of young-adult novels, greets the news of her impending auntiehood with alarmed forebodings. Still, when Robin goes batcrackers, barely a week after the birth of the eagerly awaited son, the presence of outsiders experienced in dealing with households under stresswho know to hide the kitchen knives, for examplemake for invaluable assistance.
This premise could be easily mined for hiding-in-the-shadows melodrama, but the abundance of light in the Kimballs' home, not to mention regular deliveries of fresh flowers from Fred's own garden, tips us off early that this is no cheap camp thriller. Instead, Caitlin Parrish explores her topic with the same procedural tone employed so skillfully in her breakthrough hit, A Twist of Water. Rather than wallowing in despair, Hazel and Robin's struggle to shine the aforementioned light on the darkness of their past nightmaresaided by the menfolk contributing what comfort or service they are ableis tracked slowly, step by step, from confrontation of their abusive childhood, to recognition of its enduring repercussions, and finally, to the courage necessary to recovery.
Erica Weiss directs a formidable ensemble unswerving in their matter-of-fact tone: as portrayed by Brenda Barrie, Robin's bouts of delusion arise out of lucid moments almost imperceptibly ( as such seizures are inclined to do in real life ), while Caroline Neff's Hazel, forced to take on the responsibilities of protector, never succumbs to gratuitous emoting. Peter Moore and Stef Tovar likewise find strength in patience and nurturancetraits not often associated with males, but essential to playing any useful part in domestic crises. The results forge a refreshingly intelligent reassessment of a centuries-old scourge, concluding in hope for victims of improvident lineage. |
|
|
|
This article shared 5500 times since Wed Sep 24, 2014
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
|
| | Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18 - Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...
|
| | Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05 - Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...
|
| | THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05 - Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...
|
| | Center on Halsted hosts 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show 2024-03-03 - On the evening of Feb. 29, Center on Halsted held its 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show in front of a packed audience at the Hoover-Leppen Theater. The event brought together participants of the Center's youth and senior ...
|
| | THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01 - Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...
|
| | Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical 2024-02-19 - Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...
|
| | 'West Side Story' gets a sex-positive spin with new burlesque show 2024-02-19 - In partial observance of National Condom Day, which was Feb. 14, Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) presented A West Side Story Burlesque at the Harris Theater for two hour-long performances on Feb. 17. The show, ...
|
| | Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree 2024-02-16 - In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...
|
| | Carisa Hendrix mesmerizes as Lucy Darling in Teatro ZinZanni 2024-02-12 - Since 2019, Teatro ZinZanni has gathered together amazing performers from all over the world to create an experience in Chicago under the Spiegeltent in the Cambria Hotel building, 32 W. Randolph St. Over the years, ticket ...
|
| | THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros' 2024-02-12 - Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...
|
| | Dr. Lady J explains how opera can be a drag 2024-02-10 - On Feb. 8, Center on Halsted, in partnership with Lyric Opera of Chicago, presented a lecture by historian, drag activist, podcaster and curator Dr. Lady J. The event, titled "Castrated Superstars, Cross Dressed Divas, and Queer ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Raven-Symone, women's sports, Wayne Brady, Jinkx Monsoon, British Vogue 2024-02-09 - In celebration of Black History Month, the LA LGBT Center announced that lesbian entertainer Raven-Symone will be presented with the Center's Bayard Rustin Award at its new event, Highly Favored, per a press release. She joins ...
|
| | Chicago-based production company to host all-inclusive, LGBTQ-focused Valentine's Day event 2024-02-07 --From a press release - CHICAGO — Second Glance Productions will host the LGBTQupid Soiree this Valentines Day, Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The event will be held at the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., from 6 pm to 11 pm ...
|
| | THEATER Nostalgic 'Sunsets' still offers a timely reflection of LGBTQ+ community 2024-02-07 - Nostalgia reigned on a variety of scales this past weekend in Chicago. During her Celebration tour, at a majestically packed United Center, Madonna acknowledged the last 40 years of her career, highlighting her '80s interactions with ...
|
| | The Jeff Awards announces the 50th-anniversary non-Equity theater nominations 2024-02-06 --From a press release - (Feb. 6, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announces its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater during the ...
| |
|
|