Playwright: Leigh Johnson. At: Saint Sebastian Players at St. Bonaventure, 1641 W. Diversey Pkwy. Tickets: 773-404-7922 or saintsebastianplayers.org; $10-$20. Runs through Nov. 23
There is no reason why Leigh Johnson's drama Lotto Fever in the Sucker State should last nearly three and a half hours. If a play is going to be that long, it had better be something epic to warrant the time demands on an audience.
Alas, director Jonathan "Rocky" Hagloch didn't rein in Johnson with a much-needed red pen to edit down his world-premiere play for Saint Sebastian Players. Johnson's storytelling often spells everything out emotionally and dramatically toward a neat and happy conclusion. Johnson also spends so much time setting the scene of a central Illinois diner in 1988 and on the comical supporting characters that the play feels hijacked by the time it finally turns its attention to the main conflicts involving the troubled Smithfield farming family.
The Smithfields are still mourning a significant death in their family. Their farm is also hanging by a thread, financiallycausing most of the family to take up scratch-card lottery games when they dine outside the home.
Meanwhile the college dropout son, Calvin ( Logan Hulick ), is secretly growing an illegal marijuana crop to save the farm. But the feds are on the case, with the bumbling ATF agent Hubert Jenkins ( Neil O'Callaghan ) and Miami Vice-loving DEA agent Luis Castro ( Raj Malhortra ) on the lookout.
When the dramatic fireworks area called for in Smithfield family confrontations, actors Pam Tierney ( as the ultra-religious mom Helen ) and Nancy Pollock ( as the grandmother Emma ) unfortunately let their end of the bargain down with stilted performances. ( Ed McGuire is much better as the Smithfield grandfather, Zachary. )
The comic performers fare far better, even if they are wacky creations. The clairvoyant Smithfield daughter, Mary ( Hannah Cooney ), develops a budding romance with nerdy diner owner Steven Rayner ( Justin Wirsbinski ). The eccentric British linguist professor Malcom Hodges ( Ned Ricks ) can be fun when he's not going over the top, while Angela Bullard is amusingly grounded as the seen-it-all waitress Noreen.
Unfortunately, director Hagloch's staging frequently defies belief, since the characters in the diner are situated so close together and often on display at all times. Whenever a conversation strikes up at one table, others at another table go inexplicably silent. Also, sometimes characters are eavesdropping to conversations at other tables, while other times important information is divulged that inexplicably goes unheard.
While there are some enjoyable moments and characterizations in Lotto Fever…, the play needs severe editing to make it more palpable and to the point. A different title that better reflects what the play it truly about would also be wise.