Newcity Stage

Theater, Dance, Comedy and Performance in Chicago

The Invisible Costumes of “Catch as Catch Can” In this production at Steppenwolf Theatre, three gifted ensemble members transition between genders and ages to tell a family story in a new way.

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by Mary Wisniewski
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Three people stand in a living room. One wears an apron and gestures, another in a striped shirt and puffy coat looks on, and a third in a Santa hat holds a festive vase. Holiday decorations and gifts are visible.

Steppenwolf Theatre’s “Catch as Catch Can,” with Gary Cole, Tim Hopper and Audrey Francis/Photo: Michael Brosilow

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“Catch as Catch Can,” a comedy-drama of family life now playing at the Steppenwolf Theatre, opens with two older men chatting at a kitchen table. They talk about their sons’ romances, church and other family news—a neighborly catch-up over tea.

It becomes clear that these aren’t men—men of this generation aren’t brought up to talk like that. These are male actors (Gary Cole and Tim Hopper) playing women—who will soon be playing the sons of these women, without a costume change. A female actor (Audrey Francis) plays both a daughter and her father. The transitions can be so rapid that Francis will say one line as a young woman—with easy, youthful gestures—and then turn around and deliver her next line as an old man, slow and deliberate, pulling up his pants.

This sounds confusing, but it isn’t. What’s on stage at Steppenwolf is a triumph of performance—three gifted ensemble members transitioning between genders and ages to tell a family story in a new way.

What makes it more than a gimmick is that the transitions tell us something true both about being in a family and being human—we are more alike than we like to admit. I see this in my own family: I watch my brother talking and suddenly see my mother, same gestures, same eye rolls. No matter how hard we try to set ourselves apart, we are part of a continuing story. And despite stretches of high comedy, “Catch as Catch Can” is a serious story about mental illness, and how racism and sexism spread their poison into the next generation.

Written by Mia Chung and directed by Amy Morton, the story involves two working-class New England families, one Italian and one Irish, who are longtime neighbors and friends. Tim Phelan (Hopper) has returned from a ten-year sojourn in California. His mother Theresa (also Hopper) hopes the move is permanent. He says he has a serious girlfriend, who is Korean.

A woman stands in front of a blue couch, shouting with emotion and gesturing, while a man in the background looks on with concern, covering his mouth with his hand in a dimly lit living room.

Steppenwolf Theatre’s “Catch as Catch Can,” with Audrey Francis and Gary Cole/Photo: Michael Brosilow

Neighbor Roberta Lavecchia (Cole) warns Theresa Phelan (Hopper) that her own son Robbie (Cole) also had a relationship with a Korean woman and it hadn’t gone well. Her racist cracks cause the audience to gasp, with lines like “There’s gotta be a reason you can order them by mail.” Theresa doesn’t disagree.

We then get to see the relationship between the three kids—Tim Phelan, and Robbie and Daniela Lavecchia (Francis). Robbie has both anger and drinking problems, seemingly connected to his failed romantic relationship. Daniela is struggling with how to communicate that she doesn’t want to get married and settle down yet, if ever. She is fond of Tim but can’t fully connect with him. Tim seems out of place, and it becomes clear that he is losing his grip on reality.

All three actors do amazing work here, though I found Francis more convincing as a man than Cole and Hopper as women. The actors use their body language and vocal delivery to convey different genders and ages. Cole and Hopper suggest older women with tight, bird-like, fluttery gestures, rapid speech and closed legs. Their body language and speaking styles as men are more free, though Hopper’s Tim tightens up as the play progresses. Cole’s Robbie has a macho, swinging presence—a wounded man trying to be bigger than he is. There is rarely any question which character is speaking.

Francis’ transitions between Daniela and her father, Lon, are magical. When she becomes Lon, she seems to acquire forty pounds—she gets heavy and slow, soaking up the weight of both age and patriarchal dignity. There’s a great comic sequence where Lon is setting up a folding table for Christmas dinner—Francis lets out an “oof” every time she pulls out a table leg.

This is a risky play and well-suited to Steppenwolf’s reputation for high-wire confrontations and family drama. Seeing it makes you wonder about how much of your own gender and generational identity are real, and how much is an invisible costume you put on every day.

“Catch as Catch Can” is on stage at the Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 North Halsted, through July 12. Tickets available here.