The Sparrow. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Playwright: Chris Mathews, Jake Minton and Nathan Allen. At: The House Theatre of Chicago at Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln. Phone: 773-935-6100; $34.50-$49.50. Runs through: Dec. 31
BY SCOTT C. MORGAN
If you missed The House Theatre of Chicago's production of The Sparrow in its previous flights at the Viaduct Theater and Steppenwolf's Garage Theatre ( like I did ) , count your lucky stars that Broadway in Chicago and other local producers have given this great show a new berth at the Apollo Theatre.
How to describe The Sparrow ( other than a hands-down must-see show ) ? Call it a cross between Stephen King's Carrie with Russell Banks' Sweet Hereafter, plus a dash of superhero back-story with the in-vogue conflict of the popular girl versus the sullen newcomer outcast ( as seen in shows like Wicked that have won the hearts of tweens everywhere.
If that all sounds too derivative for you, judge not lest you miss out on a great homegrown piece of Chicago theater. What The House Theatre of Chicago does with these basic plot elements for The Sparrow is so original and emotionally compelling that you'll be dazzled by the inventive stagecraft and touched by the characters' journeys for acceptance and forgiveness.
The Sparrow is set in the fictional small town of Spring Farm, Ill., where Emily Book, an introverted glasses-wearing girl, returns to her hometown following a horrific school bus accident that claimed her entire second grade class 10 years ago. The whole town is still grieving, but they soon take to Emily—especially after she proves herself a hero when she daringly reveals her hyper-kinetic powers to rescue a cheerleader classmate.
But those same superpowers cause some townsfolk to question Emily, causing the inevitable confrontation with what happened in the past. Throw in an inappropriate teacher-student love triangle and you've got a thoroughly engaging story.
What also makes The Sparrow so special is the way that director and co-conceiver Nathan Allen creatively translates basic conventions of film to stage. Miniatures, framed photos and video projections simply establish panoramic places and suggest camera movements on stage.
The energetic cast that switches in and out of grown-up and teenage roles is pitch perfect in their portrayals, particularly the triangle of Carolyn Defrin as Emily, Cliff Chamberlain as teacher Dan Christopher and Paige Hoffman as cheerleader Jenny McGrath. The Sparrow's great production designs and other staging elements are all also on the same illuminating storytelling page.
Just like in Wicked, the heroine takes flight at the end of Act I. But instead of using a literal hydraulic lift for special effects, the stagecraft of The Sparrow allows the audience's imagination to soar even if the actress remains earthbound.
The Sparrow skillfully works its stage magic from start to finish. See it now before it flies the coop.