Citadel Theatre’s “A Jukebox for the Algonquin,” with Elizabeth Rude, Kenneth Johnson, Bob Sanders, Karla Corona, Joshua Thomas and Ellen Phelps/Photo: North Shore Camera Club
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“[‘A Jukebox for the Algonquin’ is] not a play about old people,” says Chicago/Skokie-based playwright Paul Stroili, “it’s a play about people who have just lived longer.” After witnessing the raucous, occasionally foul-mouthed and drug-fueled antics of an energetic, elderly cohort who commandeers a room at a geriatric facility, I’m inclined to agree. “A Jukebox for the Algonquin” follows a group of residents at Placid Pines Senior Care Center as they plot to procure a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox for their recreation room, called “The Algonquin.” Being on fixed incomes, they lack the funds to make it happen—that is, until they uncover another resident’s secret garden of “medicinal herbs,” a discovery both pleasurable and profitable. Running through May 18 at Citadel Theatre, this play by Stroili and directed by Scott Westerman is a superb experience, with smooth transitions from laugh-out-loud comedic escapades to somber moments of reflection, bolstered by a cast of characters who are equally outrageous and endearing.
Deep, often painful insights into the experience of aging are wrapped in a sugar coating. The play eases one into the world of Placid Pines with the introduction of the cohort. Annie, played by Citadel co-founder Ellen Phelps, is a near-sighted social justice warrior who vets incoming residents by casually slipping in bigoted expressions to test their worthiness. Bob Sanders plays Dennis, who dances while sitting in a wheelchair and fantasizes about sexual trysts with the handsome male actors of the silver-screen era. Peg, played by Elizabeth Rude, is a new resident who lost their house following a messy divorce from an abusive husband. Kenneth Johnson as Johnnie the ringleader is the only Black man in the group—a man on a mission to keep the environment hip, especially regarding choice of music: “REO Speedwagon? That’s the whitest band ever!” “How about Air Supply?” “… I stand corrected.” The cohort’s sharp, witty repartee is delivered with delightful rhythm, making doleful excursions into self-reflection in the second act hit hard.
Citadel Theatre’s “A Jukebox for the Algonquin,” with Ellen Phelps and Elizabeth Rude/Photo: North Shore Camera Club
Each character must confront the ultimate question: When near life’s end, what is the point of living? Annie, instead of growing more conservative, is just as radical as in her youth, which balks at common perceptions of the ideologies of the elderly. Johnnie, who is in hospice, seeks to recapture his youth through the magic of the jukebox. Peg’s recollection of how her thirty-year marriage became obliterated out of nowhere is a reminder that life can change in an instant, and that nothing is assured. Most touching is Dennis’ monologue about having to hide his true identity as a gay man all his life, that is, until he reached the secluded confines of the retirement community (as the performance concluded, I noticed two women stand from their seats, embrace and kiss one another, and the realization that we are now living in the world that Dennis only dreamed about is especially moving). Their answers to the ultimate question are profound and will stick with you long after the performance.
Ostensible background characters suddenly pop with philosophical intuition. Young maintenance professional Tyler (Joshua Thomas), instead of looking down on the elderly residents, reinvigorates them with enthusiasm. Placid Pines manager Josefina (Karla Corona) rebukes accusations of cold-heartedness, revealing how she can maintain her composure when death is part of the job. The new maintenance worker and ex-convict Chuck (Patrick Thornton) steals the show as he reveals his tragic past and becomes a sympathetic figure despite his horrendous crimes. Like a Dostoevsky novel, these characters are unassuming until the right moment, then alter the course of the story in unexpected ways.
Funny, thought-provoking and well-written, “A Jukebox for the Algonquin” is not just a “play about old people,” but a contemplation on how to find joy among sorrow. With this production, Citadel Theatre retains its status as a gem of the Chicago-area theater scene.
“A Jukebox for the Algonquin” has been extended through May 25 at Citadel Theatre, 300 South Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Tickets are $45 (discounts available for groups, seniors and students), available at citadeltheatre.org.
