- The Annoyance's CHUMS + OWLS
- Aston Rep's WIT
- Broken Nose Theatre's FROM WHITE PLAINS
- The Chicago Mammals' ASSKICKING AMAZONS
- The Chicago Mammals' MY DINNER WITH DIVINE
- Cock and Bull Theatre Company's VOOLF
- Dog & Pony Theatre's BREACH
- Duplicity Ensemble's FOLK BOUND
- The House Theatre's ROSE AND THE RIME
- Harold Mendez's TEXTS FOR NOTHING
- Improv Olympic's WHIRLED NEWS
- The Inconvenience's LOVE TAPES
- Interrobang Theatre's IBSEN IS DEAD
- Oracle Production's THE MOTHER
- Prologue Theatre Company's TRAFFORD TANZI
- Promethean Theatre Ensemble's THE LARK
- Redtwist Theatre Company's 44 WAYS TO END YOUR SEX LIFE
- The Right Brain Project's SALOME
- The Ruckus' THE DEER
- The Rum & Coke Collective's ENDLINGS
- Sideshow Theatre Company's THE GOLDEN DRAGON
- Steppenwolf Theatre's THE WAY WEST
- Strawdog Theatre's CHARLES IVES TAKE ME HOME
- Two Tongues Theatre Collective's ALCHEMY OF DESIRE/DEAD MAN'S BLUES
its july which means four in four is halfway through the year! now its time for a "reset" button wherein i allow myself to see another show by a company i've reviewed before, but keeping in mind that variance is key - i'm positive you'll see new companies and new works in the remaining six months of 2014. click below to see my reviews so far, and join me over the next few months as i see more shows.
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last thursday evening i had the pleasure of seeing strawdog theatre's CHARLES IVES TAKE ME HOME.
what: charles ives take me home by jessica dickey where: strawdog theatre's space in lakeview accompaniment: becky + her slew of gentlemen drinkability: great little bar in the space, perfect for a glass of cab sav for the show. show length: 75 minutes, no intermission out of four: three and a half/four here's a pro tip for you: when your longtime friend messages you and offers you comp tickets for a show, especially one at strawdog, you take it. worry about what its about later. that's exactly what i did leading up to last thursday evening, where i found myself in strawdog's home yet again, last time visiting to see the production of BIG LOVE. as this was only my second visit to the space, i was immediately surprised at how they morphed the same room that felt so huge for BIG LOVE into a small, intimate space for this show. becky and i were lucky enough to be seated in the front row- in which our seats were spots on coach starr's (stephanie chavara) bench. we open with a greeting from the jolly charles ives (company member jamie vann) who casually greets the audience and eases us into the show. from there we follow the story of john and laura starr, a father/daughter team who are wildly passionate about vastly different things. for him: its violin. her: basketball. the war rages on as passions don't always align appropriately. laura is a women's basketball coach who is loud, tough, tells it like it is, and pushes the young women towards their success. chavara had me convinced from the moment she stepped on stage that these were the shoes she was filling. she moved with strength and confidence, and throughout the show transformed in age without the help of costume or makeup, and did so flawlessly. she ran, she dribbled, she yelled, she breathlessly beats her way through the seventy-five minute show, all while filling audience members with a love for her and her love for basketball. her father john, played by the multi-talented dave belden, gave me goosebumps upon his first appearance. vann introduces us to him, as we hear a violin playing offstage. for a fleeting moment i worried that we wouldn't get to witness him play on stage in front of us, and as he walked out, grinned, declared he studied at julliard and touched the bow to the strings, my heart swelled. i could have watched him play for the entirety of the show, and i admired the way in which he worked in emotion through his violin that didn't need to be spoken aloud. the violin was such a magical addition to the show, and i was consistently blown away by the poise and accuracy of belden's performance. vann's interpretation of charles ives lived as the threads that tie the story together - both as storyteller and john starr's biggest influence and idol in the musical realm. he also serves as a sweet breakthrough for john and laura, one of which i won't spoil here. vann was a delight to watch as ives, especially as he and belden played together in a piano and violen duet. three worlds collide into one, a true showcase that while music and sports may not be the same language, deep, longing, unending passion for something translates across all boundaries. this show is not to be missed. i caught a preview performance so luckily you have plenty of time. CHARLES IVES TAKE ME HOME runs through june 21st. ___________________________ upcoming may shows: -saturday may 17th: aston rep's wit TBD join me, will you? |