By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
Steppenwolf's Merle Reskin Garage Theater bears the same relationship to its sponsoring parent as the Civic Orchestra does to the Chicago Symphony. The "Garage," located south of the main theater at 1650 N. Halsted St., houses some very talented young performers who gain experience under the tutelage of the more seasoned actors in the company. Ultimately, they aspire to main stage work.
The ensemble opened its newest production, titled "Theatrical Essays," in this space last weekend for a run which will continue until July 3. Created and directed by Tina Landau, the production can only be classified as experimental. Fortunately for the audience, the experiment worked. A series of sketches, some in pantomime, others with dialogue, show the range of talent and enthusiasm that can be mustered on a shoestring production budget.
Entering the theater, one sees the cast scattered around the bare space reading essays from such authors as James Baldwin, Virginia Wolff, Montaigne, and Henry Thoreau. At "curtain time" the cast assembles in the center of the stage and, using screens, an empty doorway and a few props, they create some memorable experiences. One monologue describes the evolution of sacred text from the Old Testament to the New Testament to the Koran and, ultimately, to the IKEA catalog.
Another essay explores all the clichés of film noir. From the fedora hatted private eye to the floozy blond to the femme fatale complete with red dress and veil and the overweight police detective, they're all there. Dashiell Hammett fans will delight in this put-down of the genre, though it's done with good humor and a lot of panache.
There are others—one dealing with the various implications of the basic red dress, another an essay on exit signs and still another iconoclastic political statement, sung by the ensemble, on the "right" of America. All the cast members turn in delightful performances and to credit one above the other would be a disservice to these talented newcomers.
Performances are Thursday through Sunday with a Sunday matinee. Tickets are $12 and seating is open. The box office number is (312) 335-1650. Also, tickets can be ordered on line at steppenwolf.org. |
