Closing This Weekend: House's All The Fame Of Lofty Deeds And...
By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 16, 2009 5:20PM
photo of Patrick Martin and Nathan Allen courtesy House Theatre
Sure, it’s only Wednesday, but think about your plans for this weekend. Holiday party? Ugly Christmas sweater bar crawl? Again? Come on, mix it up a bit. These shows are all closing this weekend:
All The Fame Of Lofty Deeds (House Theatre)
We checked this one out, and definitely had a good time. Based on Jon Langford’s album of the same name, the show follows Lofty Deeds, a country singer now far past his prime, as he reflects on the successes and mistakes of his career. The music (Langford/Waco Brothers) is awesome and there is some solid work from Nathan Allen (Lofty), Patrick Martin (Lofty's dead brother Lefty) and the ensemble, even if Allen is a bit young for the role. Lee Keenan’s set and lighting design is based on Langford’s art and it’s absolutely stunning. We had a bit of trouble getting past the prophetic tumbleweed (err, bush, as she calls herself), and embracing some of the script’s more surreal moments, but here’s a bit of advice on that front - think of the production as both a literal and figurative dance. And then stop thinking so much. Director Tommy Rapley’s choreography - particularly his hilarious use of dancing portraits of dead people - is worth the price of your ticket.
1985 (The Factory Theater)
Dear Factory Theater: we haven’t been ignoring you on purpose. As we haven’t seen this one yet, we’ll defer to our friends at Gapers Block:“Chas Vrba's original script deftly combines the eerie, mind-controlled state of George Orwell's 1984 with the eerie, mind-controlled state of Chicago during the 1985 Bears season run in this down-home, funny and thoroughly enjoyable production. Do yourself a favor and watch 1984 on Netflix before coming to the show -- at times the parody is shot-for-shot and line-for-line, with hilarious results.”
Aunt Dan and Lemon (Backstage Theatre Company)
Our schedule and occasional flakiness has prevented us from getting to the Chopin Theatre for this one, but it’s a play we’ve been curious about for awhile. According to Chris Jones, Aunt Dan makes all sides of the political spectrum uneasy. Conservatives won’t be fond of its specific linking of Henry Kissinger with violent immortality. Liberals will be queasy about the way [playwright Wallace] Shawn makes such a careful case for the necessary horrors done in a nation’s name. In many ways, the character of Aunt Dan (here played by Brenda Barrie) is not unlike Col. Jessep in “A Few Good Men.” She argues that we can only able to be nice because men like Kissinger are out there doing essential things that aren’t nice at all. It’s just that we don’t like to handle that particular truth…if you’ve never seen Aunt Dan, and you prefer some intellectual bang for your theatergoing buck, you’ll surely be compelled down here by an impressionable young woman, the dangerous stories she gets told, and the horrific end result.”
Graceland (Profiles Theatre)
After being extended, and extended, and extended, this show is finally closing. We recommended it to you after seeing it in August. What are you waiting for?