Devised by: David M. Lutken and Nick Corley. At: Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: 847-673-6300 or www.northlight.org; $25-$72. Runs through: Oct. 21
Practically everyone in the United States knows Woody Guthrie's folk song "This Land is Your Land." But do they know the far-left-leaning protest verses that were originally part of the song that are not regularly taught to school kids nowadays?
These neglected verses are just one of a few illuminating tidbits about the pioneering folk songwriter and political activist revealed in story and song in Northlight Theatre's Chicago-area premiere of Woody Sez—The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie. The show is a fitting tribute for the centenary of Guthrie's birth, although some may wish that Woody Sez was structured, narration-wise, to do more showing rather than telling.
Devised in 2007 by David M. Lutken (who also performs onstage) and Nick Corley (who also directs), Woody Sez is packed to the gills with Guthrie songs, many that prompt audiences to spontaneously sing along.
Woody Sez relies on four super-talented musician/actors (Darcie Deaville, David Finch, Helen Jean Russell and Lutken), who all amaze with their extremely versatility with musical instruments and taking on a bevy of different characters who confront, cajole or comfort Guthrie throughout his well-traveled life. As the performer who takes on the guise of Guthrie for much of the show, Lutken certainly gets the down-to-earth folksiness that we'd come to expect of an influential protestor and musician like Guthrie. (Just looking at Lutken's beaten-up guitar confirms this.)
Corley keeps the staging relatively simple, with the actors taking up and setting down musical instruments on crates and benches throughout the show. Rather than revert to projections, lighting designer Chris Binder subtly highlights a series of ever-present Americana postcard tableaux that serve as a backdrop in Luke Hegel-Cantarella's folksy unit set.
While Woody Sez will certainly fill in some biographical gaps for many in the audience about Guthrie's persona and outlook, there were many times when it fell that the dramatic conflict in his life didn't get fully tapped in the storytelling (particularly the Guthrie family's struggle with the rare and inherited degenerative brain disorder Huntington's disease). And as an intermission-free show that comes in under 95 minutes, Woody Sez doesn't quite shake off the notion that it could have dug deeper dramatically, particularly with such talented actor/musicians already on hand.
So while you can be justified in suggesting that Woody Sez only skims the surface of Guthrie's complex life, the sheer simplicity and directness of the show is also fitting for a celebrated and dedicated American troubadour who was tirelessly dedicated to expressing the concerns of the common working man.
