John Milton is a canonic voice in Western literature but you wouldn’t know it. He’s missing from high-school English courses and passed over in favor of other college electives. That’s why Jonathan Holloway’s update/homage is so compelling; we see how relevant Milton’s themes remain today.
Holloway intersperses segments of Milton’s epic “Paradise Lost, ” detailing Adam and Eve’s fall, within the narrative of married businessman Peter (Corey Noble) and nanny Veronica (Anna Robinson) who contemplate and then conduct an affair. The piece charts the descent of man (and woman) as they ignore morality. Thankfully, both Robinson and Noble avoid the “zombie poetry voice” trap that actors unused to poetic language fall into. Adam Webster’s astute direction encourages them to internalize the text, solidifying the torrent of feeling both Milton and Holloway examine. Webster’s use of the intimate space makes the emotional pain undeniable; it’s a fall that’s anything but soft. (Lisa Buscani)
At The Right Brain Project, 4001 North Ravenswood, (773)750-2033. Through April 7.
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…
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