THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Chicago audiences probably want to get as far away from the cold after the recent winter we've had. But there are wonderful rewards in store by visiting the polar cold of The Royal Society of Antarctica, now having its world premiere at Gift Theatre in a very engrossing, thoughtful and funny production directed by John Gawlik.

A large part of what makes playwright Mat Smart's drama so entrancing comes from the aura of authenticity in the way he depicts his characters that seems so specific to their day-to-day lives at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. As well it should, since Smart once worked there himself.

But rather than making the play about him, Smart concocts a compelling central character named Dee ( soon be dubbed "Jano Princess D" by the nickname-generous staff ) who returns to the place of her birth to work as a janitor and to walk in the footsteps of her parents. But Dee's story is tinged with tragedy, since her mother died 24 years ago in an Antarctic storm—no one knows whether it was bad luck or suicide.

Smart surrounds Dee ( freshly played by Aila Peck ) with a number of amusingly eccentric characters, including the adrenaline-pumped Navy man Miller ( the super-fit Brian Keys ), the sexually pushy collector Ace ( creepy and comic John Kelly Connolly ) and the self-aware nerdy researcher Jake ( a low-key Kyle Zornes ).

But Smart also explores the psyche of the people who in a sense leave the real world to work in Antarctica. For instance, the kitchen worker Tamara ( a delightfully loopy Brittany Burch ) has her own dubious reasons for striking up a relationship with UT ( utility technician ) Tim ( an intense Jay Worthington ), while Pam ( a brusque Lynda Newton ) and UT Tom ( a protective Paul D'Addario ) who both knew Dee's parents have conflicting reasons why they keep returning.

Now some might complain that Smart's three-act play is too long, or be disappointed that there's no real solution to the mystery of Dee's late mother. But these are minor qualms to have with Gawlik's masterfully intimate production that takes you away to an exotic frigid world filled with quirky characters played by astute actors who also display a wealth of depth and anguish, too.

And despite the Gift Theatre's bowling-lane intimacy, designers like Megan Truscott on sets, Mikey Moran on sound and Michael Stanfill on lighting and productions all do their part imbue an expansive and cooped-up frigidity to the look and feel of The Royal Society of Antarctica.

So as much as you may be longing for warm weather, The Royal Society of Antarctica rewards audiences as a warmly welcoming embrace to the people who live and work in perpetual cold.