SEE THIS: Lucinda's Bed at Chicago Dramatists

By Suzy Evans in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 13, 2009 4:20PM

Everyone is afraid of something. Lucinda is afraid of the monster under her bed. but he's not your ordinary monster. And Mia McCullough's brilliant new play Lucinda's Bed at Chicago Dramatists is anything but ordinary. It's plays like these that keep us going to the theater.

Lucinda, a self-proclaimed good girl, enters the stage as a child, praying to a god she's not sure exists. She begins to ask for a good grade on her math test when suddenly a surprisingly good looking young man appears from under her bed. He is her “Monster,” and although we thought her reaction should be something of the Monster’s Inc. variety, she proves to be a rather calm and collected nine year-old. Lucinda, portrayed from age nine to we won't tell you when by the incredibly talented Elizabeth Laidlaw, moves on with her life continuing to be "good," and wherever she goes, her monster comes with her. She both shuts out and seeks her personal phantom, and her relationship to “him” changes along with her relationship to the people and things around her.

The "bed" takes on many meanings in this play, and Grant Sabin's convertible scenic design accomodates the changing action perfectly. A raked stage makes it easier to see the characters atop the bed; however, we could hear the actors' knees, backs and joints screaming, as the stage appeared to slope at a greater angle than normal.

Laidlaw convinced us that she could act any age. Her bright eyes, ageless skin and strong, clear voice allow her to stride though the each age with ease, while other actors had a bit more trouble transitioning. Lucas Neff as "Monster" does not seem to be the ideal sweet talker at first, but he managed to seduce us (and Lucinda) as the play moved on.

The real star of this production is McCullough’s pointed and highly-charged writing. She interweaves drama and comedy so closely that at moments we didn’t know what to feel. It feels like McCullough’s reached into our minds, pulled out our darkest thoughts and projected them for the world to see. We felt incredibly vulnerable and totally understood at the same time. (Big kudos to Jessi D. Hil's precise direction here too.)

This play is for anyone who’s ever been afraid of the monster under the bed, or in the closet, or the one that won’t leave them alone today. McCullough's play takes a dark look on the afterlife and you begin to wonder whether the "monster" really lurks under your bed or in your soul.

Lucinda's Bed runs through November 8 at Chicago Dramatists (1105 W. Chicago Ave.)