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Brotherly Love
A new play by Steven Breese
Directed b y Greg Poljacik
At La Costa Theatre Company
3931 N. Elston
Chicago, IL
Call 773-866-0200, tickets $20 adults, $15 students
Thursdays thru Saturday at 8 pm
Sundays at 2:30 pm
Running time is 1 hour, 50 minutes with intermission
Through December 9, 2007
“It was about to begin. There are times in life when change is tangible. You can feel it. Touch it. Hold it right in front of you and scrutinize it. This was one of those times.” ---from Brotherly Love
Intelligent two-hander asks the question “When is Love not enough?”
My first visit to La Costa Theatre Company’s large new venue in Old Irving/Independence Park area proved a real treat. Director Greg Poljacik has mounted a tight drawn and nicely paced look at the limits of helping those we love and how far will one go to save a marriage? This two-hander is set in North Dakota during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays when Scott (Bryan Wakefield) visits his brother and sister-in-law, Danielle (Caren Evers). The relatives speak plainly about Richard, the brother and spouse who never appears. Narrated by Evers who often speaks directly to the audience, playwright Steven Breese explores the effects of isolation on a marriage that finds Danielle alone and lonely for her workaholic husband. Scott is the lovingly loyal brother who seems uneasy alone with Danielle.
The early scenes have Danielle stating her growing estrangement with Richard, especially with his apparent inability to get Danielle pregnant. Danielle wants a child to shore up her marriage. She slowly outlines her plan to have Scott substitute for his impotent brother. Scott believes that would be a betrayal of his brother, Danielle states her case that it would save the marriage and be a benefit to Richard. Playwright Breese makes clever arguments for both sides.
Ultimately, Scott refuses but on another holiday visit, he changes his mind when he realizes that his sickly father wishes for grandchildren. He stuns Danielle with his surprise visit. The sexual seduction scenes are funny as the awkwardness of having sex simply as an animal reproduction act is nicely executed.
As a genuine attraction unfolds, feed by Danielle extended estrangement from Richard, the drama tackles the complexity of passion, love, aloneness and desperation. Filled with fresh wrinkles and believable insights, Brotherly Love is a smart work. I enjoyed this character sketch peopled with earthy characters caught in desperate situations. Evers and Wakefield develop a warm chemistry that serves the play well.
La Costa Theatre’s new Old Irving Park venue is a large and potentially terrific space that will fill a need for storefront theatre expansion.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2007
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