Playwright: Todd Logan
At: Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago
Phone: ( 847 ) 501-2986; $18-$20
Runs through: Aug. 17
There are certain experiences we all go through. When these are handled in literature, on the stage, or in some other form of artistic expression, these experiences are called universal. Todd Logan, a playwright from Winnetka, has a firm grasp of the universal in his two new world-premiere one acts, Tops or Bottoms and Persistence of Vision. Logan does what good artists do best: he doesn't tell us about these experiences or why they're important, he dramatizes them.
In the first play, Tops or Bottoms ( no, the title does not refer to sexual positions, as many in the gay community might be wont to surmise; but rather a sexual game the play's couple engages in ) , Logan sets us down in the livingroom of middle-aged baby boomers, Jack ( Scott Jaeck ) and Robin ( Judy Blue ) , where a cordless phone looms large. Although the couple has two grown daughters, they are awaiting news from Robin's doctor, who will tell them whether or not they are to be parents once again. Problem is, neither Jack nor Robin can remember with any certainty when was the last time they had sex. This situation allows Logan to riff on common themes to couples who have been together for a long time: sexual boredom, the worth of their union, and eventually, to hidden resentments. This last leads the couple to question their union and to question indeed, if they are again ready to be parents.
The answer to whether Robin is pregnant is beside the point. To the point is the state of their marriage, the state of their sexual union, and whether they are prepared for a major upheaval in their complacent life. Logan handles these questions with warmth, humor, and poignancy. This equity production allows Scott Jaeck ( a familiar face in leading roles at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre ) and Judy Blue ( an accomplished local actress and veteran of many productions ) to exercise their thespian muscle. Both are gifted and strong, inhabiting characters that, in a short time, we come to care about deeply.
In Persistence of Vision, we again have another pair, but these two are linked by vastly different circumstances. Mr. Ganz ( a subtle, understated, and near-flawless performance by F. David Roth ) has appeared at a nameless hospital, complaining of chest pains. An intern ( the appropriately stiff and fearful Cheryl Lynn Golemo ) has arrived to ask him some medical questions. As their discourse progresses, we come to understand that the intern has nothing to do with cardiology; she is a psychiatric intern and her charge has recently been a patient due to an overdose of pills. Logan skillfully limns their dance of attraction, loneliness, and despair. Through humor and an on-target analysis of human nature, we come to care deeply about another pair, this time thrown together by circumstance.
Chicago Dramatists, known for its nurturing of new playwriting talent ( Claudia Allen and Ann Noble are just two successful writers who cut their teeth here ) , has found real promise in Logan. His elegant, spare, and believable dialogue is credible and polished. Director Richard Shavzin wisely keeps the proceedings simple, letting the human truths shine through.
Tops or Bottoms and Persistence of Vision are good examples of what can happen when playwriting savvy, talented performers, and a tasteful creative team conspire to create something quiet, but great.