A Son’s First Hero

Queen of the Night – Victory Gardens Theater

In travis tate’s one-act dramedy, having its Chicago premiere at Victory Gardens Theater, the audience feels as if they’re listening in on a conversation that’s occurred between fathers and sons for decades. It’s not new. A father and his son try to reconnect while on a weekend camping trip at a Texas state park. Ty, the twenty-something son, is flamboyantly gay. Stephen, his dad, is divorced from Ty’s mother, and she’s about to remarry. Although we don’t see him, Ty also has an older brother who, we’re told, feels similarly disconnected from his father. For three nights and days they camp out in the woods, where the birds, bugs and bears roam freely, and the two men try to finally come together.

The title of this play could come from a number of sources: a magically powerful character in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” a cactus that only blooms at night, and a term for gay men who cruise dimly lit bars seeking companionship. Any or all of these might apply to the two men who try to bond in this story.

The rugged, rural location (nicely designed for Victory Garden’s upstairs, intimate Richard Christiansen Theatre by Sydney Lynne) is a park that’s been a familiar camping spot for this family. In the past, Stephen and his wife tried vacationing here once; he’s brought both of sons to this forest for weekends of relaxation and some time for the men to enjoy each other’s company. Primarily set in the dead of night, Ty isn’t comfortable with this uninhabited hinterland, and he’s brought along his mobile phone and a few accessories to help him sparkle a bit and make it through this experience. Father and son establish their individual sleeping areas (a tent for Ty, a sleeping bag outside for Stephen), drive off bears, try their hand at fishing and cook their dinner (vegan hot dogs) over a campfire. But mostly they talk, delving into territory that they’ve both neglecting for a long time.

As the days and nights slowly pass by, Stephen tries to foster a friendship with his son that he’s seen gradually disappearing. With his ex-wife about to marry again, it’s important to Stephen that he still have the love and friendship of both of his sons. But Stephen’s approach is awkward and sometimes abrupt. It’s not that he disapproves of Ty’s gay choices, but Stephen’s son always seems edgy and irritable, constantly defensive of his lifestyle and his friends. Throughout the 85-minute production the two characters seem to switch sides, with the son questioning his father’s choices, as well.

With naturalistic costuming, pulled together by Rueben D. Echoles, lighting that reflects the outdoors in both daytime and night, and an excellent sound design created by G Clausen that perfectly captures the wilderness atmosphere, this production is technically sound. But travis tate’s drama, with some moments of comedy thrown in to soften the rough edges, isn’t an especially new story. We’ve seen this play before, in different guises. The cast features two competent  actors: Terry Guest, who seems pretty much one-note, as Ty; and Andre Teamer, who’s quite good and gives a beautifully nuanced performance as Stephen, subtly revealing the many levels of this father. Ty eventually comes to realize that he has a friend and a champion is Stephen, and that his dad was and continues to be really his first hero.

Somewhat Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented January 29-March 13 by Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the office, by calling 773-871-3000 or by going to www.tickets@victorygardens.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.