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The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
By William Inge
Directed by Damon Kiely
At American Theater Company (ATC)
1909 W. Byron
Chicago, IL
Call 773-929-1031, tickets $50 - $60
Thursdays & Fridays at 8 PM
Saturdays at 4 & 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 2 hours 40 minutes with2 intermissions
Through October 30, 2006
“Can’t you understand how a man feels givin’ up his freedom?” Rubin Flood
“Every time you and daddy fight, I feel the house is going to cave in.” Reenie Flood]
“I never have anyone to take me places. I live like a widow.” Cora Flood
“I suppose it represents my belated attempt to come to terms with the past, to rearrange its parts and make them balance, to bring mature understanding to everyday phenomena that mystified me as a boy.”
--William Inge about The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
Inge classic shines in a flawless ATC production
American Theater Company’s The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is gem of a play. Filled with Inge’s autobiographical coming to terms with his suffocating love of his mother and his obsession with photos of film stars, this touching play is about the subtle struggle of ordinary people to live the good life. Featuring a marvelous set (design by Tom Burch) complete with a long staircase, ATC delivers.
Cora Flood (Cheryl Graef in a moving, nuanced performance) is the strong, controlling mother who tries to tame her restless traveling salesman husband while she arranges a social life for her wallflower teen daughter, Reenie (Kelly O’Sullivan). Her precious ten year old boy, Sonny (the delightfully engaging Edward Heffernan) loves photos of film stars, reciting speeches and is too close to his mother for his own good. When Cora has a fight with her stifled husband Rubin (Tim Decker all macho cowboy), the fight ends up with Rubin slapping Cora. She wants to move to Oklahoma City to live with her older sister Lottie (Dawn Bach in a humorous neurotic turn) and her passive husband Morris ( the droll Sean Parker) but Lottie really doesn’t want Cora and her children on a permanent basis.
When Reenie is forced to attend a dance with a Jewish boy, Sammy (Jurgen Hooper at his charming best) her friend, the flirty Flirt Conroy (Sari Sanchez) arrive at the Flood house all full of teen energy. These scenes are precious and telling. The repressed passion and low self-esteem of Reenie and Sonny standout. With much anti-Semitic comments, the ignorance of these folks stands out. Jurgen Hooper is terrific as the much too charming teen. Sarti Sanchez and Dawn Bach shine in these middle scenes.
However, the play belongs to the strong, steady and measured performance of Cheryl Graef as the matriarchal head of the family. Young Edward Heffernan steals many scenes with his smart acting, deft comic turns together with his realistic display of emotion in a fabulous performance, especially in a demanding role as Sonny. This youngster has talent and appears to be having fun on stage.
This brilliant play smoothly engages us from the start and never lets up. We care about Cora, Reenie and Sonny and we quietly cheer for them to come out of their shell. We also hope that Cora does the right thing for her and her family. Can she save herself, her children and her marriage? Inge’s resolution works. This is among the finest shows of the season, don’t miss it.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2006
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