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Gas For Less
By Brett Neveu
Directed by Dexter Bullard
At the Goodman Owen Theatre
170 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL
Call 312-443-3800, tickets $10 - $38
Tuesdays thru Thursdays at 7:30 pm
Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 2 & 8 pm
Sundays at 2 & 7:30 pm
Running time is 2 hours
Through June 22, 2008
Nostalgic drama depicts effects of change in urban environment
Brett Neveu loves Chicago and Chicago sure likes his plays. His latest world premier, “Gas For Less,” is a dramatic ode to the past when small neighborhood retail shops were the backbone of the city. “Gas For Less” is based upon Phil Berman’s family owned filling station that was once on Lincoln Avenue at Berteau on Chicago’s north side. I remember the neon sign—Gas For Less—and the crowded small store where the coffee was always hot and the TV was blaring Bears, Cubs or Bulls games. This shop did more than sell gas, pop, snacks and cigarettes, it was a neighborhood hangout where sports fans gathered to cheer for the local team. It represented the neighborhood of single family homes and a street filled with owner-operated retail stores. Now the area is being overwhelmed by urban development that brings large condos and national franchises.
“Gas For Less” uses Tom Burch’s realistic set depicting an aging storefront filling station where Anthony Pelenkovic (Rian Jairell) is struggling to keep the family business afloat despite his shrinking profits and declining customer base. Anthony grew up in the business and his attachment to the station is strong. His grandfather, Art (Robert Breuler) is the cranky, domineering store owner who will not yield control to Anthony who wants to completely takeover the management. Playwright Brett Neveu aptly depicts generational conflict through wonderful, almost poetic speeches by Art as he explains how the store must be run. Robert Breuler is terrific as the Serbian born shop keeper. He tells stores about the station’s past glory as a meting place. He argues with longtime customer Pat Munson (Ernest Perry, Jr.) over the Da’ Bears, soda pop and lottery tickets. Art seems upset as he struggles to tell Anthony something important. Act one of this nostalgic and beautifully written drama is purposely slow as director Dexter Bullard allows us to savor the old times when customers came to fill their gas tanks and leisurely watch sports (here the Bears). We see how Art stills loves his store and how Anthony is tied to it in spirit. When a young Spanish man, Benji (Nathan Alan Davis) enters, Art makes him feel welcome as he invites him to stay and watch the game when he is in the neighborhood. Nostalgia for the past together with fear of change gripes Art and Pat’s world; Anthony admires the past as he struggles to keep it going on his watch. Violence shatters their world near the end of act one.
Act two is a requiem for Art and the old neighborhood as urban change forces the residents to adjust and adapt. When Bilal Asif (Kareem Bandealy) stops by to tell Anthony that he has sold his station to a national chain, Anthony must face the reality that Gas For Less is doomed as it is priced out of the market. Bills are not being paid and customers are few. We see how agonizing letting go is for Anthony. Neveu has penned richly honest characters caught up in a changing world that they can not fight. This play will get us thinking about the fond memories of shopping at stores where both us and the owners knew each others name and where we could hangout and watch the game or talk about local events. Neveu’s drama strikes powerful memories for me. This play is about the frustration of letting go of both a store and a comfortable place, neither of which can be saved. “Gas For Less” is Brett Neveu’s best play—it is a truthful work. Rian Jairell and Ernest Perry, Jr. were particularly strong.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2008
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