Pictured: From Flowers, Eliza Stoughton, Victoria Caciopoli
Playwright: Edward Crosby Wells
At: People's Theater of Chicago
at EP Theater, 1820 S. Halsted
Phone: 773-371-1868; $25
Runs through: Feb. 3
BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGE
Nowadays we call it "assisted suicide," and it usually occurs in either of two scenarios: in one, both the person desiring to die and the person granting their wish have given consent to their relationship in this venture. In the other, however, the proposed felo-de-se deliberately invites death at the hands of agents wholly unaware of the role for which they have been chosen.
Edward Crosby Wells' drama presents us with both kinds: In the first act, young parents Dawn and Buck Rose despair of their fortunes in the depressed economy of the New Mexico oil fields as Dawn's terminal illness spurs her to theoleptic seizures counseing her to "go before"—a departure ceremoniously planned and compassionately executed by her devoted husband. In the second act, Buck attempts to seduce a wealthy matron, planning to rob her of the money he needs for his now-motherless children. But Mrs. Daisy Winter has her own secrets, and after confessions have pushed them both to the edge, the Grim Reaper can take his pick.
A play taking 20 years to write is something significant at any stage of its gestation. Wells' narrative still hovers between the short story it once was and the drama it wants to be, the brevity mandated by modern theatrical convention frequently forcing characters to switch gears too quickly, too often. But Flowers Out Of Season ( Buck Rose and Daisy Winter, get it? ) has ambiguity built into its very plot: Is Buck as innocent as he presents himself to be? Is Daisy telling the truth about her past? And how much does a religion cobbled together from scripture, folklore and tabloid superstition contribute to guilt and confusion engendering self-destruction?
There is no arguing the care bestowed by the People's Theater of Chicago on this world premiere production. Jorge Felix's scenic design features a mural by Patricia Perez that all but shimmers with a life of its own, while Alka Nayaar and Sarah Pitard's choreography seamlessly melds grace and menace in a tango-dance hinting at the violence to come. Madrid St. Angelo directs Kristina Klemetti, Remy O'Brien and Gerardo Cardenas in performances with stamina sufficient to sustain tension even during the text's time-stepping passages, resulting in a riveting display of ensemble acting in the Cornell-box quarters of Pilsen's EP Theater. For audiences wary of the obstacle course comprising access to this remote playhouse, be advised that this is the show that will soon make the journey worth the effort.