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Bird Dog Sedition
Written & Directed by Todd Frugia
At Rooms Productions
645 W. 18th Street
Chicago, IL
Call 312-733-1356, tickets $10
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 & 9 pm
Running time is 40 minutes without intermission
Through January 26, 2008
Strange, abstract performance piece too vague
My first visit to 18th and Ruble to Rooms Productions in their corner storefront space (seating 21) was unique. Bird Dog Sedition is a 40 minute performance piece—not a theatre piece. It is an existential styled experimental show too reliant on gimmicks to be credible. I have no idea what the show is about. From the printed quotes on the walks from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Anais Nin, George Orwell, Nietzsche, Trotsky, Shakespeare, Sinclair Lewis, Kierkegaard and George Bush, Bird Dog Sedition is an exploration of our basic beliefs. I think?
The three woman—one blind folded standing on a pedestal (Stephanie), a narrator (Marrakesh) and Rebecca, the stage hand. Marrakesh narrates this intellectually challenging piece that asks the audience to contemplate the God concept—our basic beliefs system as well as trust, spirituality together with an exercise on ‘meaning and purpose.’ This dense, preachy piece tries to involve the audience but it never succeeds in engaging us enough because we can’t understand what this political and philosophical abstraction is trying to do. It tries to warn us about our thoughts and perceptions as it has us think about forgiveness. It ends after 40 tedious minutes of lectures by telling us that we are forever changed by this show. It implores us to be ready to do sacrifices—whatever that means? It ends with an emotional appeal to say: “Stop It!”
This unique presentation is much too vague, abstract and theoretical to be interesting. It never engaged me as I am still wondering this piece was trying to do? It comes off as an artsy show filled with wordy monologues devoid of coherence. I’m not sure who the audience is for this strange show.
Not Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: January 12, 2008
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