Playwright: Robert Tenges
At: the side project at the Side Studio, 1520 W. Jarvis
Phone: ( 773 ) 973-2150; $15
Runs through: May 29
You know you're not in for an evening of madcap merriment when Sophie, a teenage girl, pontificates that there are only two emotions: fear and love. Sophie, the daughter of parents whose marriage is crumbling, makes this statement at the beginning of Strangers Knocking and the line serves as a kind-of thesis for what follows.
Father ( Michael Nowak, appropriately angst-ridden ) and Mother ( Kirsten D'Aurelio ) , at the opening of this play that calls to mind the Alan Ball film, American Beauty, are just starting their day. Mother is oh-so-happy because on the night before, she finally had sex with her husband after a two-year hiatus. She sees the love making as the beginning of a rapprochement; he, obviously, sees it as a kind of farewell and all but bristles at her happiness. Although playwright Robert Tenges is adept at limning family dynamics, has a way with dialogue, and a natural way of presenting emotion, his one slip-up here is that it's a little too obvious the husband is unhappy in the marriage. It leaves no room for surprise at the decision the play spirals down to, and causes us to have little sympathy for the mother. If she can't read the signs that her husband isn't sharing in her joy, well, it makes her appear stupid. She seems like a nice enough woman, and you hate to see her hurt, but because she's so blind to these signs that seem lit up in neon, you feel only pity for her. Pity doesn't have the same force as sympathy in a drama like this.
But that's my only quibble with the consistently fine work I've come to expect from the side project. Director Adam Webster stages his scenes crisply and digs deep for the emotional core within each. He's elicited fine work from his ensemble, far above what one might expect from a small storefront venue such as this. In particular, fifteen-year-old Bethany O'Grady, as the daughter, Sophie, gives a performance that bodes well for her future. Her portrayal of this troubled teenager, struggling with the usual ups and downs of adolescence and burdened with family problems that go darker and deeper than even what we might imagine, O'Grady creates a fully believable character and makes our heart ache for her. This is the key to what good acting is all about.
Wisely, Webster stages this production very simply, using essentially no set and just a few pieces of furniture to delineate time and place. The minimalist approach works in the tiny space, allowing us to witness accurately the emotions being laid bare for us by the actors. It's also a testament to the kind of taste and creative decision-making that marks the side project in each of their productions.
Nothing has changed … the side project ( at The Side Studio in Rogers Park ) remains the best theatrical bargain in Chicago. Don't miss Strangers Knocking. It's one of the most thoughtful commentaries on love and fear around.