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Coronado
By Dennis Lahane
Directed by Kevin Gladish
At Steep Theatre
3902 N. Sheridan
Chicago, IL
Call 312-458-0722, tickets $18
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm
Running time is 1 hour 50 minutes with intermission
Through November 11, 2007
Modern crime-noir weaves three stories into a mysterious thriller
Steep Theatre landed Dennis Lehane’s (Mystic River) modern crime thriller, Coronado, before anyone in Chicago. They have mounted a workable and effective mystery. Coronado is set in a cowboy bar in the American Southwest (nice set design by John Wilson) and on a fair grounds. The story is a crime-noir that interlocks three groups: a father and son searching for a stolen diamond and a missing girl; a psychiatrist and a patient having an affair; two lovers are plotting to kill the girl’s husband.
In a Sam Shepard style atmosphere, Lehane paints a grim portrait of the dark side of Middle America that finds murder, deceit and sociopath behavior fueling each person’s destiny. Lehane get away with movements back and forth in time mainly due to director Kevin Gladish’s effective use of lighting and smart staging. He paces the dramatic build up of tension to peek just as we figure out the mystery. This is a fresh take on the hedonistic lust for love and wealth as well as a weird take on father-son relationships.
I can’t mention too many details for fear of giving away the secrets. I can say that Bobby (Jeremy Fisher) and his father (Brian Parry as the cunningly vicious old man) have some of the finest scenes. Peter Moore is the eerie doctor who gets involved with the insane patient (the creepy Karyn Morris) who tries to rationalize murder. John Wilson as Will and Bergen Anderson as Gina coldly plot the murder of Hal (Trey Maclin) Gina’s husband.
This is an engaging mystery that layers the three stories into a setting that intertwines these desperate folk’s desire for money, love and redemption that eventually leads to violence. Coronado is a fine ensemble piece with several excellent performances. Jeremy Fisher and Brian Parry were my favorites.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2007
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