HALF-RECOMMENDED
Most bad theater experiences are awkward for everyone involved, but this might be the first production I’ve seen with an awful lot wrong with it technically—an incredibly hackneyed plot, cheesy writing, very questionable artistic choices, harsh sound, some really bad singing—that’s massively entertaining to watch. It’s a profoundly peculiar theatrical experience, and a reminder that there might be a place for cult theater as much as cult movies. As a cult theater experience, this play might have it all: glam-rock/high-emo style (Remember emo? Director/artistic director Nathan Allen does.), glitter-covered guns (shot to express metaphorical pain, which is signified by red rose petals), and often off-key rock ballads with laughably bad lyrics. A girl sings about her virginity with “I’ve been afraid to open up all the way” and, in the final song-and-dance number, she wails “take away my sharpest toys and leave me to bleed.” The play follows a group of stereotypical high-school students as they cope with sex, drugs that almost keep them from committing homicide, and said rock ‘n’ roll. And yet it’s nothing if not amusing, either unwittingly or not—how seriously this show takes itself, and theater, for that matter, is up for infinite debate. (Monica Westin)
At the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, (773)251-2195. Through May 29.
Related Stories
Lore for Gore: A Review of The Silence in Harrow House at Rough House Theater Co. A spooky seasonal delight returns.- Lonely at the Top: A Review of Top Girls at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company This production of Caryl Churchill's 1982 play attempts to examine the present by looking to the past.
- The Body Remembers: A Review of The Leopard Play or sad songs for lost boys at Steep Theatre Isaac Gomez's latest play centers confidently and lovingly on the generational effects of colonialism and masculinity.
- I’m a Musical, Duh: A Review of Mean Girls at Broadway In Chicago This big-budget musical adaptation of the beloved film written by Tina Fey is less than fetching.
- The Mean Of Girls: A Review of The Burn at Steppenwolf for Young Adults The world premiere of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Young Adult production of Philip Dawkins’ play about bullying and victimhood may be about young people though it is not necessarily written for them.
- Erroneous Zones: A Review of Bobby Pin Girls at Nothing Without a Company This new, site-specific work shows how young artists tackle (sometimes literally) the obstacles in their lives.
