Playwright: Robert Schenkkan
At: Infamous Commonwealth Theatre at The Old Speakeasy, 4139 N. Broadway
Phone: ( 312 ) 458-9780; $18-$40
Runs through: July 3
By the end of the first scene, we know that whenever there are two men onstage, the one left standing will be a lying, thieving, greedy murderer. Mind, the one left dead is also likely to be, or have been, a lying, thieving, etc. The women, on the other hand, are usually innocent—but capable of devising their own revenge. 'There is no truth—only stories!' a shyster admits during a momentary burst of conscience, and even the stories are ugly.
But if Robert Schenkkan's story is to hold our attention for six hours, we must always anticipate the triumph of good over evil. And Infamous Commonwealth Theatre's production of his historical drama ascertains that we do: first, we have the narrative's operatic scope and epic-sized characters. Then we have the compact playing space at National Pastime's Old Speakeasy theater, allowing actors and furniture to be whisked on and offstage, as well as ensuring the audibility of every word and visibility of the slightest facial twitch. We have a brisk pace that never flags, even when the crimes turn corporate, and performances intensified by the intimacy to put the extravagant emotions, literally, right at our feet.
The list of successful elements continues: Laura Ciresi's delineation of the regional dialect's evolution from immigrant speech and Native-American idioms. Endless varieties of violence that never cease to shock and startle, staged by Geoff Coates. Laura Forbes' museum-accurate properties ( like the banking contract we can almost read over the shoulder of the actor holding it ) . Dustin Efird's custom-fitted set and Kevin Carney's period music that locate us instantly and effortlessly.
More than all of these, however, is the author's compassion for the injustices suffered by eastern Kentucky's Cumberland Plateau. Its progress comprises a microcosm of our nation's painful birth and growth to the present day.
The Kentucky Cycle is divided into two full-length plays, each comprised of two 90-minute acts. Audiences may attend Parts One and Two on different evenings, or see both on Saturday from 4 pm to 11 pm, with dinner nearby included in the ticket price. No matter what option you choose, once Schenkkan begins his intricate yarn, you'll want to hear more.