A Night at the Theatre with Perfect Seasoning

Last night had been the Midwest premiere of Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s The Night Season, as performed by Vitalist Theatre.

I went in not knowing any information about it. Okay, I’m lying. I knew the set. And a few bits of “theatre magic” that would happen. Oh, also that Yeats factored in somehow, as per watching Sparrow’s (as always) stunning and intricate theatre entrance installation going up. But as for the plot and story… just what the poster teases.

Short review: Go. It’s a true delight. I know for sure that I will see it again. At least once.

This play truly has it all. You will laugh outright, feel a tear forming in your eye, have your heartstings tugged (both romantically and emotionally) and be swept away into the delicate and heavy lives of the characters.

In fact, the characters are what struck me first about this heartwarming tale. Right from the start it’s clear that the personas who play out their lives on stage are people you want to get to know. Wacky is not the right word. Lovingly and compellingly screwed up, perhaps?

The Night Season will carry you along the personal journeys of each member of an Irish family who take in a boarder. Each of them has a personal demon to exorcize. Each has a place they want to be in their lives which seems far beyond their reach. Luckily for us, these complex and wonderful characters are not beyond the reach of the actors. As can be expected from a Vitalist show, top notch performances come from each member of the cast.

The set and lighting are remarkable. With just a quick wash of color, or subtle but dazzling projections and some moving (folding, even) constructions, we are easily and convincingly transported from the Irish home to a beach to a library.

As you watch this play you will find it difficult to absorb all of its many layers, given how charming and tender the unfolding events can be. That’s meant as a compliment. And it will be a pleasure to revisit the story in order to pick up on the nuances. If not for the story itself, then for the marvelous personas that comprise it.

On the way home, Laughter, Bart and I found ourselves discussing various aspects of the play. That’s always a good sign, isn’t it? To be so very interested in exploring the depth of a story/show further? We wondered about the parts that were never fully explained. Don’t take that as a detrimental comment, for the incident we wondered about merely led to a deeper understanding of the story as a whole. There’s always room for the audience to bring its own food for thought to the table. And this one produces quite a feast. This Irish tale is no small potatoes. (Sorry, sorry, couldn’t stop myself.)

Vitalist Theatre’s The Night Season is everything a night at the theatre should be.
If you’re in the Chicago area, be sure and attend.

Information on the show's run can be found here.

Life Imitates Art, again.

Sometimes Life throws you a mix of random events that turn out to be seemingly orchestrated. This past evening I experiened this phenomenon again. I'll try and keep it organized as I explain. It's chart-worthy.

Earlier in the day, I 'texted' our friend Banky, to see if he wanted to do the proverbial "something" later that night. He wrote back that sure, that would be fun. Clara would also be coming by... and they had planned on playing Scrabble and watching Bill Maher. Banky rather enjoys Maher and turned us on to him. (I liked him previously, but Bart and I don't have HBO so we don't see his show. Thus, it's a good excuse to hang out at Banky's.) Well, Bart isn't fond of Scrabble but knew he'd have fun just being there, so... we headed on over later.

Clara, to clarify, is a sheer delight of a woman who is Banky's 'lady friend.' We'd met her before and instantly took a shine to her, wondering where she's been all our life. When we first met her, she told of us her various theatre gigs. She mentioned a famous theatre here in Chicago. Our friend Dragonfly worked as a public relations and fund raiser manager there at one time. Yes, Clara met him, loved him. (It's hard not to love Dragonfly.) Small world.

About to get a little bigger.

Clara phoned and said she'd be bringing a friend. Banky had never met this guy, but he's very fun loving and happy to meet new people. (Thank goodness, or else he'd not be in our life. A conversation struck up on the El* when he rode with Bart one evening. We've been getting together ever since.) Okay, so eventually Clara arrives with Cowboy. [Note: This psuedonym is not based on his attire.] Before she came over with him, she apparently had asked him if he knew Bart and Peter. Nope. Didn't ring a bell. So, we met in the usual way, shook hands, exchanged pleasantries.

We never made it to Scrabble, but a decanter of wine (Banky's first use of it) flowed copiously. Not so very long into the night, we discovered Cowboy also knows Dragonfly. Clara knows who he is and has seen him around, so to speak. But Cowboy hangs out with him. We'd not known about Cowboy (or so we thought) but it's not surprising, for Dragonfly has a plethora of people he partakes of, as he is a social Dragonfly, both personally and professionally. Okay, so Cowboy mentioned that he's the one who accompanied Dragonfly to the So You Think You Can Dance! Tour. Neither Bart nor I are fans of that show (not not fans, just never watched it) and it seemed like something to tease him about. He must have mentioned Cowboy. But he certainly mentioned Bart and me to Cowboy, as now that bell rang. "You're that Bart and Peter?!" Yep.

I couldn't help but wonder about this group of people. Suppose, for instance, that Bart had not met Banky on the train. We then wouldn't know Clara. Nor Cowboy. But wait. Obviously, Dragonfly could have navigated his friendship to introduce me and Bart to Cowboy. But Cowboy knew Clara from college. Thus, we could have met her through him, and if Clara's meeting of Banky remained intact, it could have been Bart and me going to a stranger's house and meeting Banky for the first time. In other words, would 'Great Spirit' have stacked the cards so that this group of individuals would have met in this configuration no matter what? It's almost Dickensian.

We had plenty of fun that evening. Banky's a musician, so he treated us to some guitar playing which prompted some singing along. But not campfire stuff... more like "Pork and Beans" by Weezer (yes, again), some Phish, Tenacious D and The Cranberries. Reminded me a bit of my freshmyn year of college. And such spontaneous crazy behavior seemed just what the doctor ordered. We also had some references back to topics that had been brought up during the course of the day for Bart and me, but we were not the ones who instigated talking about them during our soiree. You know..."coincidences."

Much later in the evening (or morning, depending on your perception) Cowboy took his leave. Clara, Bart, Banky and I chatted away, then...bumfcht. The power went out. Banky seemed eeriely cool with it, in a refreshing sort of way. He just lit a few more candles and we continued along. (He'd said it happened once before, to the whole block and it seemed like this had been another case of that as the whole building had shut off.) The fun continued, a little more mellow and thrilling in the darker room. (We had also been diving into the "virtues" of YouTube earlier, so it also proved a nice change from the previous activity. Suddenly you couldn't look up "just one more thing...")

So there we sat, talking, playing a game akin to Mad Libs but far more creative and wacky. Banky and a friend back home invented it. At one point, nature called for Bart so he traversed down the hall by bringing a candle with him. He returned and asked Banky where he got the candle. From one of his clients, it seemed. He elaborated. A bit of a sad story: The client lost a daughter in an untimely death and the candles and other items had been part of a collection on a website to raise awareness or money, or some such goal...Banky couldn't remember for sure and did not get all of the details. He did, however, know the name of the "organization." [We'll call it Amanda's Wish] Bart's red flag waved! I didn't remember it, but apparently Amanda's Wish had a large function recently, which, yes, Dragonfly had handled all the arrangements for at his current job. Another unexpected and strange connection for the night. But what makes this funnier...

Dragonfly "hates" Banky. Note the quotes. Actually, Dragonfly has never met Banky. But Dragonfly adores being ornery, in the most delightful ways. Suddenly you and he are "in a fight" because you like, say, cucumbers over tomatoes. He's not serious, of course, but his delivery provides entertainment value. Dragonfly is a very quick wit, quite fond of pushing the envelope. Trust me, you'd want his shenanigans to occur. Dragonfly, Tall Boy, Bart and I had planned to see a movie, but it took a while before our schedules matched. By then, Banky had expressed an interest. So I texted Dragonfly and said Banky might come. (Just days before, Dragonfly, in an imaginary huff, inquired about "this Banky" Bart and I had been talking about. The sparks of the "hatred" for hanging out with "this guy" so much.) Well, Dragonfly did not take kindly to Banky trying to barge into the scene...and hoped that he didn't get into an unfortunate accident on the way to the restaurant. [Turns out Banky could not make it, but didn't mind us going without him.] So...when it's revealed that the two of them are separated only by this woman's campaign to help the ill, it's almost too much. Especially since Bart related that Dragonfly worked very hard on the project and it began to wear on him. Another reason to hate Banky? Nah... For the record, the two of them will meet for the first time, today. For it's Lage's anniversary of her birth. The Earth has gone around three decades since she's been on it, and we're celebrating with a big party.

Looking back through it again, it all seems fictional. Almost like someone wrote it up. The connections, the random events... concocted. But by whom? Well, whomever it is, I'm enjoying this chapter very much.

* The Elevator Train

Spanish Fly?

While looking for information on Bernstein’s music for Peter Pan, I once again came across this review. It’s not of Bernstein’s. It’s for Peter Pan: El Musical. I shouldn’t be making light of the plight of those who suffered by this review. But good gravy! It's "so" worth reading. For a story about believing it is, well, unbelievable. Not often are such biting words seen. And though I’m not all that fond of the famous fairy myself, you’ll find what I’ll call an incredible anecdote about her. By the way, you’ll be hard pressed to find a good review of this production.




Here’s the opening statement:

To die, Peter Pan famously declared, will be an awfully big adventure.
I wouldn't go that far myself, but it certainly seems infinitely preferable to sitting through this dismal Spanish production of J M Barrie's masterpiece, one of the most lamentable evenings I have ever endured in a West End theatre.

Click here to read the rest. Just make sure you’re not holding liquid in your mouth as you read…

An Earlier Early Years Adaptation...

The post below this one reminds me of another adaptation of the early years of Peter Pan.
Danny Pitt Stoller reshaped Barrie's The Little White Bird (which Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens had been sliced out of and re-published as such) into a musical. From all I can see (and hear) of it that he has posted on the web, I would have really liked to see this show. Check out Benjamin Starling, too. :)

The Early Years Adapted...

http://events.charlotte.com/charlotte-nc/events/show/84054116-lets-give-a-show-madd-camp

Wish I could attend. I'd like to see a show like that :)