How is the Theatre in Chicago?
Bustlin'. Obviously, Chicago is a huge theatre city and, while District of Columbians like to say the title goes to them, one could argue it's second-biggest theatre city in America (first being New York City).. I must say, however, that I saw a couple of stinkers in Chicago. This, however, makes me think it would be easier to break into theatre there and, considering at least two shows currently on Broadway are Chicago transplants, as well as the biggest hit of last season (
August Osage County), Chicago could also be a gateway to New York. Wishful thinking.
I saw my first production of
Death of a Salesman, and it didn't make the impression on me that
Virginia Woolf did. The set was heavy and masterfully built -- at curtain, it was the front of a house, which Willy Loman pulled open like barn doors, each side rotating on a turntable, revealing the interior of the house -- but the set eclipsed the performances in a truly acting-driven play. However, with a sparse set, the performances would have fallen flat on their own. The actor playing Biff pulled off some nice moments in the climax of the show, but it felt mostly miscast over all. Willy Loman was a grinning little wiener, and played the role as completely nuts from open to close.
An original adaptation of the novel
The Man Who Was Thursday was another problematic production I saw. Presented mostly in one room, where two cast droogs had the audience rise at times to reset the benches to accommodate the staging of the subsequent scene somewhere else in the room. The innovative staging was interesting, though slow and sloppy at times, and many of the scenes, pressed against walls in the small space or in direct contact with the the light and sound table made me wonder if it was worth the adventurous staging. Another problem in the production was the forced combination of high-minded, often philosophical text, and silly, light-hearted whimsy. The clever script was written entirely in heightened language, much of which was lost by some of the weaker performers, one terrible British accent, and the guerrilla-attack nature in which the show began (in the lobby, before we were seated). If there was subtler humor or wordplay in the script, it was eclipsed by performances ranging from dead-serious realist to cartoonishly over-the-top silliness and by era-spanning costumes ranging from Cyrano de Bergerac-ish to Al Caponesque. They all wore Converse All-Stars. If these motley costumes were an artistic choice, the reasoning of the designer was not clear. From beginning to end, I never knew how seriously I was supposed to take the performance. Usually, if the entire cast donned Chuck Taylors, I'd think
not too seriously, but the script suggested otherwise. In the end, the most engaging part of this production was the story, which is to be credited to novelist G. K. Chesterton, assuming the playwright remained mostly true to the original story. However, it was engaging enough that I would happily see another production, in the hands of another company.
The playwright who combines high language, philosophical thought, and very silly humor with unmatched mastery is Tom Stoppard, whose 2005 translation (
Heroes) of Gérald Sibleyras' play (titled in its original French
The Wind in the Poplars) had all the wit, heart and charm of any Stoppard original. It was a fantastic production, with two outstanding performances, and despite cheesy set and sound designs, and a very perplexing stagehand in a nun's habit who did the scene changes in low light, the production stood out as one of the finest I've seen so far.
What about Chicago comedy?
Chicago is the top of the list of cities to go to for improv and sketch. Both Second City and iO (the birthplace of longform improv comedy) are centered in Chicago, along with several other venues specifically geared towards sketch and improv, including the Playground, the Annoyance theater, and Chemically Imbalanced Comedy.
How is the deck stacked for Chicago?
It's all in Chicago's favor, I've come to realize. On the Theatre Scene/Comedy Scene matrix, I think Chicago is number 1. Maybe New York is number 1, but when you add the third dimension of cost of living, Chicago very easily takes the lead over New York.
Then still once you venture into the fourth dimension of convenience, it's a cheap train ride back to Michigan, I have one, count 'em, one sister living there, and I've already got an oral contract with a friend who will find a place to live with me.
...
I'm in San Francisco, it's 62 degrees, and I'm talking about moving to Chicago.
Rock over Chicago, Rock over Frisco
United Airlines, It's Time to Fly (this is not an endorsement of United, they're terrible)
Also, I have one sweet picture from Chicago that I'll post soon
