A used car salesman’s ethical dilemmas leave him teetering between sealing a money-making end-of-the-month deal and getting the sack in network playwright Bill Jepsen’s sharp new comedy, “Cadillac,” now playing at Chicago Dramatists. Smartly directed by Edward Sobel, this is a solid portrait of workplace realism, with crisp dialogue and fleshed-out, believable characters. Craig Spidle is wonderful as the conflicted nice-guy finance manager, Howard, struggling to make good on his reputation as the go-to guy everybody can count on, whose past comes back to haunt him when an slick young cutthroat co-worker (Ian Forester) provokes his simmering temper. Forester and Rob Riley as Art, the seasoned pro with sage advice for every situation, may be responsible for most of the laugh-out-loud moments, but Jepsen has created a true ensemble piece—Kathy Logelin charms as Robin, the sole saleswoman struggling to make her quota, and Gene Cordon is well cast as Fred, the man desperate to finally own his dream car. Steve Ratcliff and Laurie Larson round out the tightly knit cast. (Valerie Jean Johnson)
At Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago, (312)633-0630. This production is now closed.
A Story for Everyone: A Review of "1776" at Broadway in Chicago “1776” took our Founding Fathers off their pedestals and revealed them as clay-footed human beings who passionately squabbled over something as fundamental as American independence. Directors Diane Paulus and Jeffrey L. Page have a fresh take.
