Lucky Chicagoans

[+ Lucky]

Today's Wall Street Journal reviews a play being performed in the suburbs of Chicago, in a theater seating only 108 people. Yet they give it a rave review, saying "No matter where you live or what you are doing this summer, I urge you to go to Chicago and see Writer's Theater's [production of] Steetcar. Yes, it is A Streetcar Named Desire that is gathering the good review.

 

This production is directed by David Cromer, who gained fame for his revamping of Our Town, showing in New York at the Barrow Street Theater.

His new Chicago show plays in a small theater in the round, with the audience feeling almost a part of the play. This worked well at the Barrow theater, and apparently is a big hit again. (I saw Lost in Yonkers in a similar setting at the Old Globe in San Diego, and it does make a difference to have the audience surrounding the stage.)

 

The Journal calls Cromer "the foremost stage director of his generation." He had been set to direct the two Neil Simon plays last fall on Broadway, but poor ticket sales caused an early cancellation of both. Apparently he hasn't wasted any time mourning the closures as his name is now in the lights again, albeit a little smaller wattage.

 

Here's the review. I am tempted to go, but then they don't have that non-stop to Chicago they have in the wintertime. But I do like good theater...

 

(It's the second review in the article): http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703957904575252834266044178.html

[+ newatthis]

The WSJ has raved about several such small productions in Chicago. They touted a local "The History Boys" as better than the original London production. While I didn't see the London show, the local one was superb. Posner was played by a theater student who won a Jeff (the local Tony) for his performance. (By the way, this production was in a theater that seated about 70.)

 

They also liked "Killer Joe". Haven't seen that yet, but there's no rush; the closing date has been pushed back several times.

 

Chicago is without doubt the best place for theatre in the country (IMO, of course ).

[Guest greatness]

Lucky indeed..

 

I love SCND. Vivian Leigh is one of my favorite actresses. Maybe Lucky, you and I attend the show together? It would be so fun.

[Diverdan]

Chicago Theater is Tops

 

I used to live in Chicago and loved the theater there. Most of the theaters are smaller than the grand houses in NYC and there is much originality and experimentation. A number of my friends who are directors and actors believe that Chicago has surpassed NYC as the incubator of great theater. I know colleagues on this message forum from NYC will not agree with that assessment, but I encourage you all to take some vacation and head to the Windy City for immersion in the theater scene in the city and suburbs. You will be amazed, plus you will have a great time for other reasons too...

 

A warm midwest welcome awaits you and Chicago this time of year just can't be beat...

 

For those of you in California and the desert it would be a welcome relief with the clean air, beautiful sunshine, hunky midwestern guys just waiting to make your acquaintance... Think of it as theater plus....

[+ Lucky]

http://www.theatreinchicago.com lists all of the shows playing, including which ones offer discounts. I was surprised to see how much theatre action is going on in Chicago.

[raulgmanzo]

Without a doubt Chicago has for sometime had an enormous experimental theater scene.

 

There are a couple hundred venues.

The below website doesn't even list it all.

 

That is essentially why I have stayed in Chicago all these years. Before moving here I lived in the Bay area and made a bunch of visits to NYC. Both places I like very much, however, here on the fresh coast away from the ocean and the pressures of "being discovered", in the trenches of blue collar immigrant neighborhoods we are a multicultural island of experimentation.

 

Every single night in any of dozens of off-the-beaten-path yet transit friendly walkable neighborhoods I can find live interesting music, funky perfomance, and fun street art that usually doesn't make it in the main stream press or even the much of the alternative press (of which we have quite a lot).

 

 

http://www.theatreinchicago.com lists all of the shows playing, including which ones offer discounts. I was surprised to see how much theatre action is going on in Chicago.

[+ Lucky]

Since I am the one who started this post, I guess I should briefly break my retirement to follow up.

 

The Journal's Terry Teachout said in the article linked above that no matter where you are in the country this summer, you should go see the David Cromer directed version of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Writer's Theater in Glencoe, Illinois, north of Chicago.

 

Well, that just goes to show that you can't believe everything you read. The fact is that if you live within 1000 miles of Glencoe, you should go see this show. Since I am in California, that would leave me out, so I conveniently planned a visit to the midwest to see my ailing mother.

 

Following that visit, I went with the bf to Glencoe. The show I had a ticket to was sold out, so the bf would be left with nothing to do. That is until Dane Scott pulled some strings to get him to the top of the waiting list, where he was then able to move into a front row seat with 107 other patrons. (He got the up close and personal scene of Stanley fucking Stella.)

 

The Writer's Theater has a rectangular set in the middle of the auditorium. The audience surrounds it, giving them a much more personal involvement in the show than ever before for a Streetcar production. (They did the same recently at the Old Globe's new White Theater, where Lost in Yonkers played to a similar set.)

 

So, what's so good about this show that Teachout would urge everyone to go? In my opinion, it is Natasha Low as Blanche DuBois. She is simply a wonder to behold. Her performance is spot on, spectacular I would say. (Reminiscent of how well Judith Ivey is doing in Glass Menagerie in New York.)

Stanley is played by Matt Hawkins, who does a bang up job, using his entire body to convey the emotions of the character, especially his anger. In a way he might have overdone it, as there was no apparent reason to see why Stella stayed with him, except for the line that Tennesee Williams provided in the show about the things that happen between a man and a woman in the darkness.

 

All of the cast is good, the set is a delight, Glencoe a cute town, and parking was easy too. The show is around 2hours and 50 minutes with two intermissions, and you leave somewhat drained, but excited for the knowledge that you have seen something special on stage. For all the great acting, no standing ovation, not even for Blanche.

 

But, for me, one show is never enough when 3 will do. So the next day, with the bf en route home, I took in Endgame at the Steppenwolf, more because I wanted to see Steppenwolf than a Beckett play. (newatthis advised me to dump my ticket, not bad advice.) I thought Endgame was just balderdash. How a playwright can get a reputation for quality when he writes drivel like that escapes me. I did read several articles beforehand in an attempt to make sense of the nonsense, but to little avail.

 

But, all was not lost, for Killer Joe by Tracy Letts, Tony-winner for August-Osage County, was playing across the street in a setting reminiscent of a nice off-Broadway theater. I had a second row seat to see this vulgar, violent play about a family trying to get mom killed by Killer Joe for a share in her insurance policy. The show opens with a very naked stepmother answering the door in the middle of the night for her stepson Chris, by far the cutest actor I saw all weekend. Not only did she get naked in the show, so did Chris' sister and Killer Joe himself, who sported a boner as he was caught fucking Dottie, the sister.

 

But Chris, the real doll, showed no skin. Well, maybe a shoulder, but that didn't do it for me. (For the record. Killer Joe was hot by the standards of many here, and his engorged dick left nothing short.)

 

The effort to kill mom takes many comic twists and turns, and the final scene in the play is worth the whole price of admission. This show did get a standing ovation. Sure, it was fun and well-acted, but nothing compared to Natasha Lowe in Streetcar.

 

http://newcitystage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Cox-Johnson-Bigley-vertical-272x300.jpgDarrell W. Cox, Howie Johnson and Kevin Bigley

 

RECOMMENDED

The Smith family agrees their mother has to die.

 

Okay, I have no theater plans on my calendar, so take up the slack guys. I am seeing some Yankee games when they come out west, and I did get to see the ninth inning of Detroit's perfect game last week.

 

Now, forces beyond my control are pulling me away, saying "Enough! You quit, remember!"

[+ Lucky]

A Streetcar Named Desire, as directed by David Cromer, seems to be the "in' show this summer. Last Saturday the NY Times reviewed it favorably:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/19/theater/reviews/19streetcar.html?scp=1&sq=Streetcar%20named&st=cse

[+ sf westcoaster]

Will be in the Chicago area the second week of July - tried to get a ticket, but the run is sold out, I am on a waiting list so there is still a slight hope.

[Guest ChgoBoy]

Will be in the Chicago area the second week of July - tried to get a ticket, but the run is sold out, I am on a waiting list so there is still a slight hope.

 

Private message me....We take care of our friends......

[Guest greatness]

You are so sweet...

 

Thanks for doing that~~~

 

Private message me....We take care of our friends......

[+ Lucky]

The show has been extended to August 1st.

 

http://e2ma.net/userdata/1403272/images/e1277919068.jpg

[+ sf westcoaster]

Had the good fortune to see the Writer's Theatre production of Streetcar a couple of days ago. All I can say is wow, wow and wow again! This stageing of this prize winner is unlike any I have ever seen. It was as if I were meeting Tennessee Williams, Blanche and Stanley for the first time. The rawness, intensity and sensitivity that this cast conved was spot-on. I left the theatre drained but exhiliterated.

Combine this production with the New York production of Glass Menagerie (staring Judith Ivy) and you have a crystal clear idea as to why Williams was a genius of a playwright.