Playwright: Christopher Shinn. At: Next Theatre, 927 Noyes, Evanston. Phone: 847-475-1875; $23-$38. Runs through March 8. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
The personal is political and vice versa in Christopher Shinn's 2006 drama Dying City, now receiving a compelling Chicago-area premiere at Next Theatre. Shinn's characters are not only people grappling with their own grief, but are also emblematic of the disappointment that many Americans have felt toward their own government in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Ostensibly, Dying City is a domestic drama that focuses on Kelly, a New York psychologist whose husband, Craig, was killed in the current war in Iraq. One year after her husband's disputed death, an unexpected visitor shows up at Kelly apartment late one night: Craig's identical twin brother, Peter.
Though Peter is a self-absorbed gay Hollywood and Broadway actor, his physical resemblance to Craig ( and his not-so-subtle manipulative ways ) only spurs Kelly to uncomfortably relive the final conflict-filled night spent with her husband.
Shinn employs an interesting casting device by making the same actor play both Craig and Peter, while the actor playing Kelly has to constantly switch gears from guarded widow to a wife facing a marriage breakdown.
Though Shinn's revelation of what caused Kelly and Craig's breakup feels rushed and uncharacteristic, it does tie neatly into the sense of betrayal that many Americans have felt from the Bush administration ( especially the lies told to start the war in Iraq and the very un-American tactics employed like torture and rendition to get a leg up on "the war on terror" ) .
The folks at Next Theatre are more than up to the challenges Shinn lays out in Dying City. Former Next artistic director Jason Loewith does a great job handling the 90-minute production, spurring his two-person cast to rise to the heightened emotions and complexities of Shinn's conflicted and characters.
Coburn Goss undoubtedly has the more challenging assignment playing the twins Craig and Peter, since he is constantly rushing offstage to change costumes and switch personas from a fey and gossipy actor to a butch military man. Goss succeeds equally in both parts, bringing an authenticity that doesn't pull punches to the less-than-noble personas of Craig and Peter.
Nicole Wiesner appropriately holds in as Kelly at first, cautiously protecting her emotions with both her insensitive brother-in-law and her husband who inexplicably refused a deferment to fight overseas. But Wiesner effectively lashes out when Kelly is emotionally pushed, honestly showing her mixed feelings of loss and anger.
Though Next's efforts pay off handsomely with Dying City, the play itself can still be a bitter pill to swallow. But if you want to see great acting and a metaphorically pertinent drama, you can't do much better than Next Theatre's Dying City.
