what: chums by greg ott + owls by bryan duff
where: the annoyance's new space in wrigleyville
accompaniment: emily
drinkability: great! full bar at the space, takes cash and credit. gin & tonic for me with a post-show pbr.
show length: 50 minutes, 5 minute intermission between shows
out of four: two and a half/four
i know i often gush on four in four about how it gets me out to see things i wouldn't normally make the extra effort to go to- but this tuesday brought me my very first experience at the annoyance! chicago is known and loved for its comedy, and i've mostly spent most of my comedy experience time and money at improv olympics. when i heard my friend aj was in a show at the annoyance on an off night from rehearsals, i grabbed my gal pal emily and off we went to see some cheap and funny theatre on a tuesday night.
the annoyance recently opened a brand new space in wrigleyville, practically at the hot mess that is the intersection of belmont and clark. once inside and upstairs the space is vast with cafe tables, couches, a full bar, and two theatres. while i sadly never got to experience the annoyance's previous space, i was impressed by the crisp newness of everything, and so was everyone around me.
this particular paring of shows was in the 'small' theatre, a simple room perfect for sketch or improv. CHUMS led the night's bill - their story taking place around a tiny cafe table. three friends out to dinner who are suddenly alerted by their waiter that the restaurant is closing for the evening- while the diners realize they've yet to receive their meal. hilarity ensues as the story progresses in search of the "missing asian plate". ott's script gives the audience a slow decent into realizing the failed dinner and missing plate are simply mirrors for the missing malasian airplane and the reactions by both leadership involved and family members of passengers on the flight. the 20 minute piece brings light to a heavy subject and does what comedy does best- allows the audience to laugh at how ridiculous life can be, and even during the most tragic of mysteries.
we experienced a brief intermission between CHUMS and OWLS as the second show set up. the attitude at the annoyance is ultra-casual, someone sauntered to the front of the room and announced the changing of the shows and slunk away while chairs were rapidly set up and lights shifted. quickly enough we were into the next show.
OWLS is a short play in two parts- the first begins as we're dropped into an argument between rachel and her boyfriend who is trying to desperately get her to let him into his apartment. we watch the argument bounce back and forth before we're introduced to the reason behind the title- as he gets attacked by owls (three puppets manned by actors including playwright bryan duff) outside of her building. this pleading and attack drags on a little too long as we see the chances of rachel and her beau making up decline in front of us.
phase two of OWLS finds our focused couple running into each other at the airport, waiting for their current spouses to arrive- conveniently on the same flight. they quickly fall into a "what if..." conversation, admiring past happy thoughts and inevitably falling into blameful reasonings on why the love never stuck. this second portion of OWLS was nice, touching, and quite realistic. it stuck out in the annoyance space though, seemingly having an overly-slapstick first half that comfortably was at home in the new funny space, but diving into a deeper subject tone for part two - which felt like a play lost in the woods that ended up in wrigley at the new space that night.
both short plays we saw at the annoyance were light and fun and exactly what should be viewed on tuesday evenings. both pieces could be polished and rehearsed with higher production elements, but then again- cheers to both playwrights for putting up lighthearted ideas for a cheap price of quick entertainment.
OWLS/CHUMS will be running tuesday nights through july 29th!
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upcoming june shows:
saturday june 21st, 10:30pm: the chicago mammals' my dinner with divine
saturday june 28th, 7:30pm: the inconvenience's love tapes
join me, will you?