St. Colm’s Inch

By Robert Koon

Directed by Anna C. Bahow

At Chicago Dramatist

1105 W. Chicago Ave

Chicago, IL

Call 312-633-0630, tickets $20 - $25

Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 PM

Sundays at 3 PM

Running time 2 hours with intermission

Through November 6, 2005

St. Colm’s Inch showcases Robert Koon’s talent

Chicago Dramatist is a fine incubator for playwrights having helped many develop their craftsmanship and writing skills. Robert Koon, a resident playwright with Chicago Dramatist, has delivered a beautifully written play filled with developed characters dealing with lost happiness, personal redemption and the grieving process. With smart direction, a splendid two level gray stone mausoleum-like set (by Tom Burich) and nuanced vulnerable characters, St. Colm’s Inch is a mature polished work.

From the poetic opening monologue about the weather in Québec, you know in the hands of a fine writer. Koon’s language is rich in metaphor and his use of location or place in the lives of his characters works marvelously. Many of us identify a location with key events in our lives whether happy or sad. Koon also uses an interesting mix of ethnic types from French Canadians (with accents) to a Korean-American to a middle aged American and sprinkles some Canadian French to add a touch of realism to the piece.

When a traffic accident takes Marie’s (Elaine Rivkin) life, her ex-husband John Dewey (Mark Ulrich) must deal with her loss and the house in San Francisco as well as his demons as he is a recovering alcoholic and a disgraced author/college professor. When Marie’s sister, Camille (Danica Ivancevic) arrives from Canada, each must deal with the grieving process and the struggle to move on with life. Add the literary agent, Truman (Lucas Kwan Peterson) who is pushing John to write again and you have the ingredients for interesting play.

John, played with seething angst and emotional torment splendidly by Mark Ulrich, must deal with the guilt of fighting with Marie on his last visit and never apologizing and never being able to now. Add his shame after being caught plagiarizing in his last publication, his retreat into alcoholism resulting in his ruined marriage and we have a man struggling with many life issues. Koon weaves John through his journey toward rebirth with the aid of ‘visitations’ from Marie and ghost-like remembrances that show how much the couple loved each other during their seven year marriage.

This memory play also has Camille, played nicely understated by Danica Ivancevic, the lonely sister who so close to Marie that she felt betrayed when Marie married her American professor and left for San Francisco. Camille stays in San Francisco at Marie’s house with John as his cook while each struggles to deal with Marie’s death and their own rebirth. This is a love story filled with fond memories that become the basis of recovery for John and Camille.

It is so refreshing to see a play rich in character development with excellent language and a plausible plot. St. Colm’s Inch is intelligent, romantic and pleasing theatre. Robert Koon is a talent.

Highly Recommended

Tom Williams

Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments

Chicago Stage Talk Radio Show

This show eligible for a C.S.T. Equity Theatre Award

October 27, 2005