Bus Stop - Highly Recommended

What a treat! Excellent writing, set design, and solid acting combine to produce a thoroughly engaging evening of theater at the Raven.

I've said it before, but this production merits it being repeated: Chicago is home to some of the best theater I've encountered. Allow me to explain:

Set outside Kansas City in 1955, Bus Stop explores three lines of romance between six of the eight characters: a high school girl and a drunken, pedophile professor; an abandoned woman and a bus driver; and the principal story line, a rough, abusive young cowboy and a "loose" nightclub singer that he has kidnaped, stranded in a bus stop/diner due to a winter storm. In the wrong hands - in fact, in any but the best hands - this could be a disaster.

But in the hands of the excellent playwright, William Inge, the director, JoAnn Montemurro, the crew (in particular the set design by Ray Toler), and the actors, the result is a drama that finds the right notes with drama, romance and comedy. In particular, Michael Stegall as "Bo," Jen Short as "Cherie" and Kristen Williams as "Grace" deliver first-class, enrapturing performances: their transformation into their characters was seamless and complete.

Even in the face of some broad comedic moments (such as the professor's drunken stumbling and Bo's attempt to carry Cherie out over his shoulder), the moments of drama were genuinely touching. I was particularly moved by Cherie's nearly ten minutes of silent emoting as others occupied the speaking parts; Ms. Short truly inhabited "Cherie" and allowed us in for those very intimate moments.

A couple words of caution: the Raven has seats along the side, but the blocking for this play doesn't accommodate those seats. As it's open seating, arrive early and find a place in the main, center section. And, don't forego the opportunity to acquire season's tickets to this wonderful theater company: they tackle solid plays with predictable success - and delight.

"Radio Golf" at Raven Theatre Company - Highly Recommended

Radio Golf by August Wilson, which had its last performance this evening at the Raven, is another great example of what can be reached by a community theater when they have the resources of an excellent play and a dedicated company. That's not to say that the various elements - play, acting, and set - were without flaws, but rather that it was a rousing evening where I really got the sense that this performance meant something important to everyone - and the audience willingly came along for the ride.

The last of Wilson's "Century Cycle" plays, Radio Golf takes up the difficult topics of assimilation, success, and ethical behavior in a story that stumbles a bit in the beginning, but gains strength and depth as it proceeds. Ultimately, it paints the choices with less ambiguity than I might have preferred, making our protagonist Harmond Wilks (Michael Pogue) more predictably heroic than conflicted.

The characters of Elder Joseph Barrow (David Adams) and Sterling Johnson (Antoine Pierre Whitfield) are clearly and powerfully drawn - and realized by their actors. It helps that Messers Adams and Whitfield also appear to have been the strongest actors in the company, as their monologues were a joyful blend of street sense, common sense and comedy, delivered with great timing and just the right spices.

Wilson's characterizations of the wealthier characters - Wilks, Roosevelt Hicks (Warren Levon) and Mame Wilks (Demetria Thomas) seemed less nuanced, at least until the final scenes of genuine conflict. And while Mr. Levon gave a strong and enthusiastic performance, I found myself wanting to call out "Slow Down!!!" too often in all three of their performances.

The set was fine for the play - if anything, it had more detail around the edges than was called for, especially given the (appropriate) starkness of the center. The lighting cleverly implied motion in a direction opposite to the source (the shadows of the blinds on the floor), a nice rendition of the play's essential tension.

It's a pity I wasn't able to review this in time for others to get out and see it - but it speaks highly to the quality of the Raven Theatre - definitely a gem in Chicago's theater crown.

PS: I've decided to change my ratings to Highly Recommended / Recommended / Somewhat Recommended / Not Recommended, as I wanted to give tonight's play a strong review - without it being a 5 out of 5.