Natalie DiCristofano, Dave Belden, Tony St.Clair/Photo: KBH Media
RECOMMENDED
A playwright friend and I were recently discussing the problems we had with shows that were collections of short plays. While these shows are often promising in theory they usually suffer in either consistency, quality or both. And at a deeper level, they often lack a unifying artistic vision that makes for a satisfying evening. The parts remain just parts, never cohering into a whole.
By chance, I took this friend to see Wildclaw Theatre’s “Motel 666,” which just so happens to be a short horror anthology; and we were both pleased as (probably poisoned) punch to find that the failings listed above were nowhere to be found. Consisting of seven plays by different playwrights, “Motel 666” nonetheless shares a common cast and a single director, Scott Cummins. The plays, which vary wildly in tone and aesthetic, are also united by a common location, a dingy room in the titular establishment, as well as by the continued presence of the motel’s off-putting and possibly otherworldly proprietors, played by Natalie DiCristofano and Tony St. Clair. There is indeed a whole here, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
Three plays stand out in particular. Brett Neveu’s “Chair of Death” employs screwball rhythms to unsettling affect as a man (Dave Belden) attempts to wiggle his way out of a centuries-old curse. “The Bridal Suite” by Ele Matelan stages a bachelorette party that seeks to answer the age-old question of which is more terrifying: blood sacrifices, eighties fashion or Midwestern housewives. And “The Fourth Wall” by Christopher Hainsworth, tells of a husband and wife (Mike Rice and Katie McLean Hainsworth) whose sniping and bickering grows worse as a disturbing painting on the wall slowly unlocks a memory deep inside her. Its infusion of domestic deterioration with subtle supernatural dread makes it the evening’s highlight.
Cummins performs a mad scientist’s job, sewing all seven shows into a cohesive Frankenstein’s monster of a whole and then shocking it to life. Eerie stylized transitions help, as do generous helpings of blood and gore provided by Aly Renee Amidei. Horror fans will surely check in to “Motel 666.” Theater fans should too. (Alex Huntsberger)
Wildclaw Theatre at the DCASE Storefront Theatre, 66 East Randolph, wildclawtheatre.com, $15,. Through June 28.
Related Stories
Impressive Arrival: A Review of Yerma at Theatre Y and Red Tape Theatre This co-production with Red Tape Theatre marks a mature and invigorating new phase for Theatre Y.
A Long Time Coming: A Review of Caroline, Or Change at Firebrand Theatre & TimeLine Theatre Company Firebrand Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company co-produce this stirring revival with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and music by Jeanine Tesori.
Good History: A Review of A Home on the Lake at Piven Theatre Workshop and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Piven Theatre Workshop and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre co-produce this place-based world premiere about Evanston's racially-charged history.
Once Again And Better Than Ever: A Review of Once at Paramount Theatre The Tony Award-winning musical gets its regional premiere at Paramount Theatre in Aurora.
Them/Us/All: A Review of Self-Accusation at Theatre Y Beyond the window, the show is happening.
Nearly But Not Quite: A Review of She Loves Me at Marriott Theatre Miklós László's play “Parfumerie” continues to give birth to charming, heartfelt comedies where the leading characters are of an everyman quality, allowing audiences from the multiple social strata of life to see a reflection of themselves as the leading lady and man fall in love with each other, despite obstacles presented by fate and the miscalculation and manipulation of others,…
