See This: Red Noses at Strawdog Theatre Company

By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on May 7, 2009 10:10PM

photo of Stephen Taylor as Master Pestilence and Sarah Goeden as Master Bells by Chris Ocken

With the Black Plague sweeping through Europe like a, um, plague, what can one priest possibly do to ease the suffering of the ailing? He could start a “Brotherhood of Pain,” urging his congregants to punctuate their prayers to God by continually stabbing themselves (one character does just that). Or he could take the coward’s route and flee. Or, he could just try to make ‘em laugh, as Father Flote does in Strawdog Theatre Company’s Red Noses.

After deciding that “God wants red noses, not black death,” Father Flote (John Ferrick, who exudes an endearing earnestness) puts together a ridiculous band of misfits to entertain the masses. His motley crew includes a tinkerbell-esque pixie who speaks only through bells, a pair of “identical twin” one-legged dancers, and a blind juggler who performs via his assistant. Our favorites of the bunch: an exuberant and delightful Sarah Goeden as Master Bells, and Anderson Lawfer as the “juggler,” who comes off like a Vaudevillian used car salesman. They have a tough job in a world where the Pope jokes that he will give up hope for Lent and the Venetian-masked, black-cloaked “Master Pestilence” pees death on the wall in the form of yellow paint - a moment which might be just plain gross if it weren’t accompanied by Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian.” Both of those characters belong to Stephen Taylor, who plays the former with a disarmingly evil brand of charm, and the latter in true Spy vs. Spy fashion.

Director Matt Hawkins’ take on this challenging script is rounded out with early 90s hits performed by the cast. We particularly enjoyed George Michael’s “Faith,” sung with incredible sincerity by Shannon Hoag as nun Marguerite, White Snake’s “Here I Go Again,” and Billy Joel’s “She’s Got A Way,” which provides the silky-voiced Chelsea Paice with her only opportunity to communicate with words instead of a tricycle horn or hand-drawn greeting cards.

With so much crazy thrown together, the show could turn into a hot mess at any second - but it never does. An old story revamped for a new generation of theatre-goers, Red Noses keeps the through-line strong thanks to its talented and committed 23-person cast. We laughed, we cried (well, almost), we had a good time. We think you will too.

Red Noses, through May 23 at Strawdog Theatre Company, 3829 N. Broadway. Tickets $15 (students, seniors, groups) and $20, 773-528-9889