Sometimes in the immediate wake of a tragedy it’s difficult to make sense of all the noise. Such is the case for the characters in Sean Farrell’s play set in the year following 9/11, few of whom were directly affected by the event but nevertheless felt their lives thrown into chaos by it. But the connection between the individual issues and the broader trauma remains obscure for the audience, which is a hurdle for this remount of the hit 2002 play.
Set largely during couples therapy group sessions between two couples and one mysterious man who claims he can’t wake up from a dream, the play scratches at ideas of loss, betrayal, religion and tragedy.But none of those scratches quite goes deep enough, although the many moments of alternately acrid and absurd humor illustrate the confused state of the characters. Director Bill Ryan and his cast and crew still manage to get a bittersweetly moving production out of an unfocused script. (Neal Ryan Shaw)
Oracle B-Sides at Oracle Productions, 3809 North Broadway, (252)220-0269. Through September 25.
A Fan’s Gotta Do: A Review of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog at Black Button Eyes Productions “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” the quirky three-part musical web series about the sad machinations of a supervillain, displayed an early example of what entertainment on the Internet could look like. Now, with Black Button Eyes Productions that 2008 “classic” has hit the stages of Chicago to benefit Season of Concern.
Fugue State: A Review of Life After at the Goodman Theatre The brilliance of this musical about the family and circle of a self-help guru manifests from so many directions that the show sweeps one magically, whimsically, sometimes tragically, in a wonder-ride that seems to fit all of life on stage.
Sometimes in the immediate wake of a tragedy it’s difficult to make sense of all the noise. Such is the case for the characters in Sean Farrell’s play set in the year following 9/11, few of whom were directly affected by the event but nevertheless felt their lives thrown into chaos by it. But the connection between the individual issues and the broader trauma remains obscure for the audience, which is a hurdle for this remount of the hit 2002 play.
