The High Price for Art

Southern Rapture

Tin Drum Theatre is a relatively young Chicago company who, I predict, is about to have a huge hit on their hands. Their mission statement perfectly prepares the audience for the play they’re about to enjoy. It states that the company “exists to disrupt complacency and reassert theatre’s civic purpose.” It goes on to tell us that in “moving beyond comfort to provoke conversation and critical engagement,” the company believes that “community begins where audience and ideas collide, and dramatic disturbances are created.” It’s as if their goal was directly inspired from Tin Drum’s latest production. The somewhat familiar plot of Eric Coble’s comedy, SOUTHERN RAPTURE, is unfortunately based upon true events. Through razor-sharp dialogue, fast-paced biting humor and scathing archetype character portrayals, the company demonstrates to the audience that, quite often, there’s a high price for art.

In 1996, the Charlotte Repertory Theater of North Carolina was fortunate to be one of only six American performing companies to be granted the production rights to present Tony Kushner’s ANGELS IN AMERICA. This epic play, which is subtitled “A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” is presented in two parts. The critically acclaimed drama had earned every major accolade that existed, including both the 1993 and 1994 Tony Awards for Best Play, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Drama Desk, and many others.

Kushner’s intense look at homosexuality and the 1980’s AIDS epidemic is an unflinching examination of how America faced this devastating disease, nicknamed “the gay plague.” The play primarily focuses on two couples, one straight and one gay. It features a mixture of real people, historical figures and a number of fictional characters, including supernatural beings like ghosts, dream characters and an angel. Many of the eight cast members play multiple roles, much as they do in this play. ANGELS IN AMERICA, which earned seven Jeff Awards for Chicago’s Invictus Theatre’s recent production, is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century. So for this reason, and many others, what happens in SOUTHERN RAPTURE isn’t just farcical and funny, it’s also deeply heartbreaking.

Beautifully directed with sensitivity by Jason Palmer, Tin Drum’s cofounder and co-artistic director, his talent and vast experience is put to the test. And, I must say, he definitely succeeds. Eric Coble’s comedy is given a sharp, energized production that emphasizes strong characterizations, wickedly dark satire and the narrow-minded censorship and prejudice that we continually see resurfacing even today. The controversy in SOUTHERN RAPTURE erupts when the local theatre produces a production of a play modeled after ANGELS IN AMERICA, which Eric Coble has retitled “Rapture in America.” The citizens objecting to the play have a threefold complaint. They disapprove because they claim that the play is all about gay men having sex; they protest that it contains an abundance of disgusting profanity; and—even worse—the play features full-frontal male nudity. Oh, my goodness!

Mr. Palmer stages and guides an incredibly gifted and versatile Chicago cast, particularly the four actors who play multiple roles. The three leading actors who hold the entire play together do so through their strong performances and contagious chemistry. As Majorie Winthrop, lovely Shannon Leigh Webber (INCOGNITO, Tin Drum; BOTTLE FLY, Red Twist) is a dynamo, a tower of strength filled with determination and imaginative ingenuity. She portrays the theatre’s producing artistic director who, years ago, left her hometown with her brother, when he was tormented for being gay. Now Marjorie’s returned home to take charge of the town’s theatre and to direct “Rapture in America.” In doing so, Marjorie is not only supporting freedom of speech, guaranteed by the Constitution, but she’s taking a stand to validate her brother’s lifestyle.

Talented Teddy Boone (WINTER GARDEN; INCOGNITO, Tin Drum), in playing conservative town Mayor Winston Paxton, he walks a thin line between honest characterization and cartoonish caricature. With high political aspirations that include luring the upcoming Olympics to his city, Paxton is planning to get reelected as Mayor, but he may also run for state Governor, or state Senator and possibly eventually President. Watching

Mr. Boone’s Mayor waffling between his support of every constituent and quashing the theatre’s controversial production, is like viewing a frenzied tennis match. The nickname “Wishy-washy” constantly comes to mind.

Michael Stejskal is the third actor portraying a single character with special panache. Making his Tin Drum debut as theatrical producer, Donald Sherman, he creates an edgy young divorced dad who’s saddled with child support obligations and dental distress. The talented actor, who plays Majorie’s flamboyant right-hand man, is nothing if not aggressively animated. He was seen in THE WINTER’S TALE at Invictus Theatre and in FOUR PLACES at Four Chairs Theatre. Sherman’s catty relationship with Jordan Gleaves, in the role of Simon Larisher, the wonderfully sleazy and gossiping theatre critic, is pretty hilarious. And the manner in which he interacts with the gifted Mr. Gleaves playing insecure actor Emmett Whipple, is pure genius. Jordan Gleaves, I might add, is one of the most versatile and charming actors in this production. He’s also spot-on playing Franklin McManus, the theatre’s lawyer, who continually spouts confusing mixed metaphors; and he also digs deep down into his James Earl Jones lower register to portray the Host of television’s Nightline.

Also making her Tin Drum debut is talented Jenny Hoppes, who is a stitch as Pam, the theatre’s no-nonsense stage manager, who is hilariously invisible to everyone else in the play. She doubles as the very funny, Bible-thumping concerned citizen, Laverne Jackson; and she plays a seductive Lady Macbeth-like Clarice Paxton, the Mayor’s conniving wife. Mary Anne Bowman also plays multiple memorable characters well. She portrays Allissa Marquand, the theatre’s most vocal board member and a concerned mother; stalwart District Attorney Julia Overmyer; and Nyla-Jean Geisy, an actress easily given to hysterics, who plays the molting Angel in “Rapture in America.”

And, as Mickey Stedman, the devoted actor who has to appear completely naked in the play-within-the-play, Andrew Bosworth is outstanding. He’s been enjoyed in productions at City Lit, Redtwist, The Factory, and other Chicago theaters. His character has absolutely no qualms about being naked in front of an audience, and he’s in complete support of doing the play, as it was written by fictional playwright, Anton Finewitz, who Mr. Bosworth also plays with relish. Sometimes bordering on cartoonish, Andrew is also the wild, fire-and-brimstone, evangelical preacher, Reverend DuPree, who’s hellbent on shutting down the production.

One of the most impressive aspects of this production is how each of the actors who play numerous characters, not only become completely different personalities in an instant, but also switch costumes so quickly. Kudos to Kasey Wolfgang for creating their 1990’s wardrobe that not only looks appropriate but allows for quick changes. Tech director, Kaitlyn Hettinger’s artistic scenic design is dominated by all kinds of windows, possibly a metaphor indicating that everyone in this town always has his eyes focused on everyone else’s business. And Ellie Fey’s brilliant lighting design plays an important role in this production.

Tin Drum’s Chicago premiere of Eric Coble’s comedy, SOUTHERN RAPTURE, is sure to be a hit with audiences. With its hilarious dialogue, comedic characters, breakneck pacing and seven seconds of full frontal male nudity, both the serious theatre aficionados and the curious will be lining up for tickets to this entertaining and enlightening farce. Get ready for a smart, yet comical portrayal of how we often have to cope with the high price for art in America.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented June 11-28 by Tin Drum Theatre Company at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 773-975-8150 or by going to www.theaterwit.org.

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

Photos by Lance Sorenson