All of the current business was put forth in the last review, posted 8/10/2011. So let's get right to it.
Recently, there was a production of The Hot L Baltimore at Steppenwolf Theatre that I wanted to see because it was one of the first shows I'd seen when I started college. I don’t recall whether I enjoyed it or not. All I remember is one of the denizens of the hotel was played by Agnes Belushi, mother of John and Jim. I never saw the Steppenwolf production (which met with mixed reviews), so I was very excited to learn through Theatre in Chicago's website that another local theatre, The Drama Group in Chicago Heights was mounting a production. I called and asked if they would like me to review their production. They set aside a comp (full discourse achieved) and I went to the opening night at their very spacious theatre and was delighted with their excellent set.
If you don't know the show, I have the wiki-info linked to the word "wiki-info". You may have noticed the scant description of the show. That’s because there’s not much to write about as there is no story line, just a situation: A grand hotel has gotten old and fallen into disrepair, and is slated for demolition. The residents are being evicted and forced into having to find ways of coping. After seeing it in 2011, I found it has not sustained relevance over the past 40 years. We've seen these character types many times since Lanford Wilson wrote the play, and we will see them again. We are well acquainted with their trials and tribulations and their journeys through life. There’s nothing new here to discover. We are aware of the spiritual and physical obstacles these characters must face because endless afternoon specials, movies of the week and live theatre have tread the same ground over these years. Yes, Lanford Wilson was a profound humanist and superb playwright, and you can see how much he cared about his characters in this show. But over the past 40 years, we've seen similar stories better told.
As I was doing research for this blog entry, I came across this statement in a review of the Steppenwolf production, “...this play depends heavily on the performance of its ensemble. Lanford Wilson’s script offers little help for faltering actors. This is not a play for lengthy monologues, dramatic entrances, or third-act revelations. The story lives and dies on the actors’ ability to fabricate a vibrant, frighteningly conflicted community of lost souls who have been pushed to the bottom of the social hierarchy. And while a few actors strive to create such a community, others simply cannot pull it off. Some acting is downright shoddy...while others are competent enough but cannot respond well to their castmates. Even more so than in many other plays, the cast of The Hot L Baltimore is only as strong as its weakest link." My first thought was, “Damn, I wish I had written that.” The reviewer summed up everything I wanted to say about this show. To read his review, go here.
Here’s what I saw in The Drama Group’s production: most of the characters were just caricatures, with the actors relying on artifice as a substitute for any real substance. I think that's a lazy approach. Dialects, limps, annoying stuttering, over-the-top bombast, and stereotypical portrayals were used to add depth to characters, but were nothing more than a superficial coating that speaks of a lack of truth in the moments. One of my notes was, “Lots of vocal gymnastics that did not support the characters.” Many times, the blocking was awkward, with backs to the audience. I’m not a stickler about that, but when an entire scene is played with the actor’s butt facing the audience, it shuts us out of the scene, excluding us from feeling the connection between the characters. I’m sorry, but there are very few asses out there that can communicate well. Take that however you may.
And then there was Act 2. More of the same, only longer. This is actually a 3-act play, but this production decided to meld the last two acts together. The energy of the cast could not sustain the length and the whole thing started to lag, and then crawled to the finish. I was praying for the wrecking ball to come crashing through the wall. And, honestly, I didn't care about many of the characters because I was never given a reason to empathize.
As I said, the set was very nice and dilapidated as is fitting the show. Technically, it was good, except for the disconcerting “tuning the radio” sound between songs in the pre-show music. Trite. And, they went safe with the “Suzy drops the towel” scene (she wears a classic Victoria Secret’s ensemble, which looked rather too rich for a prostitute living in a flea-bag hotel), but left the language mature. By the way, someone should grab a can of WD40 and spray the squeaking on-stage chair that took away from a heartfelt moment from Deb Brunette in the role of Millie, the old lady of the lobby.
Given all that, there were a few performances that I thought were wonderful, but just not enough to carry this show through. Remember this name: Kaci Antkiewicz. Kaci delivered an honest and truthful performance as Girl, a young prostitute with a savant-like knowledge of train schedules. The character tries to see good in everything, no matter how bad it is, and this young actor hit the right balance of emotions to show her struggle to hold on to that disposition. She came to life and has the “it” factor. Also doing a nice turn was betty wigell (of the e.e. cummings school of capitalization) as Jackie, the young girl who is light years ahead of the organic foods wave. I had trouble with her uncontrolled frenetic movements at first, but she has a nice, powerful moment later in the show that sold me. Basically, she gave into the raw emotion and connected with her character and the audience. And kudos to Kyle Decker, who was real and grounded in his portrayal of a man in search of his grandfather. I'll leave it at that.
So, do I think it’s worth the price of admission. Unfortunately, no.
For more information on tickets, location and general things about the group, go to their website.
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