Theatre Review: Young Upstarts at 826CHI Make Splash in the Storefront Theatre Scene
In addition to being a volunteer at 826CHI, Becky Perlman is a literary apprentice at Steppenwolf Theatre/freelance dramaturg/ playwright/dogwalker. . . That’s a lot of slashes, huh?
Were you lucky enough to drop into the 826CHI writing center on a recent Wednesday afternoon, you would have been treated to two delightful performances by a fresh new group of itinerant student performers known to occasionally grace 826 with their cutting-edge brand of theatre. With homework completed and filed away in backpacks, the 826 troupe, ranging in age from eight to fourteen (with a few tutors and 826 Director Leah billed as special guest stars) presented a double act of new work.
The Monster in the Woods, a new drama penned by resident playwright Nicole (who also served as casting director), is a harrowing tale of horror in which a band of friends strolling through the forest at night are beset by ghosts, Dracula, and a howling wolf. Though the girls band together, they can’t escape the monsters, who gobble them up in the shocking conclusion. Stand-out performances include Bailey who portrayed the wolf with an eerily convincing howl and Leah who played the Lead Ghost with aplomb. Though hampered by the availability of only one script copy and a very limited rehearsal period, the piece was augmented by a highly original lighting design featuring both a scream-inducing complete blackout and an improvised, oooh-provoking lights-on, lights-off sequence.
This strictly naturalistic play was followed by a far more avant-garde, untitled work known only as The Puppet Show. Using found objects to construct their performance space, the puppet group utilized cardboard, construction paper, and even an 826 curtain to build their puppet theatre, complete with (non-functional) antennae and a black main drape that dramatically lifted to reveal the playing area. A band of plush animal puppets crowded the stage in this harrowing story of alienation and redemption. Poor Skunk is rejected by the other animals because of his stinky odor, and reacts to their unkindness by spraying everyone and everything. Elephant (voiced by Demetries with a smooth Southern accent) is eager to eject Skunk, but Toucan (confidently played by Sapphire) is the voice of reason who befriends Skunk and convinces him not to spray his new pals. Though presented in an unconventional style with overlapping dialogue and improvised movement, the piece was a big crowd-pleaser. Even the avid chess-players and dedicated short story writers at 826 were motivated to briefly abandon their projects and enjoy the show.
Clearly the 826 ensemble are a group to watch as they continue to hone their highly imaginative writing and performance style! This critic gives the effort an enthusiastic five out of five stars!