RECOMMENDED
Bruce Norris’ “Domesticated,” now playing at Steppenwolf, paints a grim future for the battle of the sexes, one void of any reconciliation beyond disdainful tolerance. Language seems to be the one to blame for the stalemate; language and the human inclination to use it to build fortresses that muffle out the sounds of others talking.
Throughout the play, we watch Judy (a blistering Mary Beth Fisher) excoriate her gynecologist-turned-politician husband, Bill (Tom Irwin), while they weather the storm of a sex scandal. No big surprise there: like Judy’s best friend Bobbie (Beth Lacke) says, “What did you expect? You married a gynecologist… a gynecologist and a politician.” When Bill does try to speak at the dinner table, Judy raises her hand and says, “I’ll be doing most of the talking.” He nearly makes it through the first act without saying anything more than his initial, fumbled press conference apology. Instead he hangs his head ignominiously while Judy lights into him or rants about him to a therapist or completely ignores him at fundraising events where she thoughtlessly hands her purse over to him as if he was no more than an ignored servant. We start to feel sorry for the fellow, taken hostage by his wife’s angry, verbose sentiments.
But then Bill starts talking and any pity we had for him vanishes.Using language, he has built a world with equivocations wherein he has done nothing wrong and his infidelities are just occurrences natural to an animal. Predictably, he finds language to be cheap, claiming that the word “love” doesn’t mean anything or that it’s just a word that has been used by women to enslave men in marriage. He can’t even apologize since, to him, “an apology is just a series of words.”
But for all of the talking that takes place, none of it is heard and, of course, talk is cheap when no one listens. As the play progresses the characters don’t. Instead, they become more entrenched in the words they’re saying. While it all seems very funny from the distance of the audience, it’s disturbing to think that such bloviating is familiar to most of us. (Joy Miller)
Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 North Halsted, (312)335-1650, steppenwolf.org, $20-$89. Through February 7.
Related Stories
Growing In: A Review of You Got Older at Steppenwolf Theatre Company Steppenwolf's Chicago premiere of Clare Barron's play doesn't so much tread water as sink to the bottom of the shallow end.- I Believe You, Bruce: A Review of Downstate at Steppenwolf Theatre Company In this world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Bruce Norris attempts to redress the power imbalance between the disenfranchised and those who wield influence over their livelihood, though not in the direction you might expect.
- This Is "us": A Review of columbinus at The Yard and Steppenwolf Theatre Company In collaboration with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Yard returns with their most ambitious and urgent project to date.
- Tender and Sweet: A Review of The Rembrandt at Steppenwolf Theatre Company Steppenwolf's season opener sends unclear signals of the road ahead while offering memorable performances from two of its most celebrated ensemble members.
- The Little Things That Keep Her Alive: A Review of La Ruta at Steppenwolf Theatre Company This Steppenwolf Theatre Company world premiere from local playwright Isaac Gomez serves as a promise to keep alive the true stories upon which this play is based.
- Live and Belong: A Review of BLKS at Steppenwolf Theatre Company Aziza Barnes' world premiere is the play that black audiences deserve and white audiences need.
