War veterans and their loved ones pay the cost of war long after truces are signed; the debt rises generations after conflicts are “finished.” Mary Scruggs’ new solo effort, “Missing Man,” is a funny, evocative attempt to come to terms with these losses. At a colleague’s urging, Scruggs (sort of) masters the motorcycle and subsequently becomes the oral historian of The Run for the Wall, an annual bike trip from California to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. While Scruggs fails as a hog rider, she succeeds in capturing the stories of her motley companions. The show drags at times, bogged down by the trip’s logistics; a reference to Scruggs’ depression seems out of place. But those missteps don’t diminish her rich sensory record of a day on the road, or a moving examination of vet memorabilia. “Missing Man” is a winning effort to remember and honor those we’ve lost. (Lisa Buscani)
At Live Bait Theater, 3914 N. Clark, (773)347-1375. This production is now closed.
Funny Man from Chicago: A Preview of Damon Williams at Riddles Comedy Club Damon Williams has spent the past twenty-eight years building a reputation as one of Chicago’s smoothest funnymen, able to rock the house in top venues with predominantly Black audiences while also earning spots as a frequent guest on shows ranging from radio legend Tom Joyner's to WLS-TV’s long-running, recently cancelled talk show “Windy City Live.” These days, he’s best known…
