I love me some Ed Jones. The veteran drag actor, late of various Hell in a Handbag productions, is always an audience favorite. His informed-yet-naïve presence makes me giggle. But even the supremely competent Ed Jones can’t save this turkey. Duane Scott Cerny’s script has its moments (usually Jones-generated) but does its best to shoehorn irrelevant pop references in alongside brainless sexual innuendo. I can take offensive, I can’t take offensive and sloppy. Michael Miller, David Besky, Lori Lee, Craig Conover and Daniel Hickey gamely and energetically suffer through the clinkers; it’s an ensemble that deserves better.
Confidential to the owners of the Mary’s bar/restaurant complex: you can make cash on theater, but not if the actors fall off your limited stage and kill themselves. Invest in blackout curtains that completely cover your windows and risers that safely extend your stage. If you’re gonna do it, boys, do it right. (Lisa Buscani)
Even and Odd Theatricals at Mary’s Attic Theater, 5400 N. Clark, (773)784-6969, through April 23.
What’s In a Name? A Review of The Great Khan at Redtwist Theatre Michael Gene Sullivan’s new play is a lively reminder that those who came before are not just names to memorize in grade school. Their legacies, infamous or not, follow us in ways seen and unseen.
I love me some Ed Jones. The veteran drag actor, late of various Hell in a Handbag productions, is always an audience favorite. His informed-yet-naïve presence makes me giggle. But even the supremely competent Ed Jones can’t save this turkey. Duane Scott Cerny’s script has its moments (usually Jones-generated) but does its best to shoehorn irrelevant pop references in alongside brainless sexual innuendo. I can take offensive, I can’t take offensive and sloppy. Michael Miller, David Besky, Lori Lee, Craig Conover and Daniel Hickey gamely and energetically suffer through the clinkers; it’s an ensemble that deserves better.
