Sign up for our newsletters Subscribe
DON'T DISAPPOINT CAPTAIN JANUARY, American Blues Theatre and Premiere Productions. Joseph Urbinato's sprawling comedy-drama is crammed full of family secrets, unkempt relationships, Shirley Temple allusions, and gentle coincidences that lead to unlikely and sudden closure. The play tells the story of a daughter's rebellion against her manipulative sister and fragile-seeming, possessive mother. The action begins with promising clarity, as we're introduced to a family tormented by imaginary illness and real desperation. But in the second act Urbinato diffuses his careful setup by introducing a hippie-angel who shelters and heals the daughter and her family in the abandoned church he mysteriously guards.
The muddy plot and increasingly metaphorical language and character development undermine Urbinato's effort to use wry comedy to confront the issue of family secrets and their unhealthy legacies. Despite Mary Ann Thebus's subtle, nuanced performance as the mother, the play breaks up into vignettes and obvious confrontations. Thebus's touching portrayal leaves us with a tantalizing curiosity about the future of this messy family, but for the most part her excellent work on a promising character gets lost in the clutter. In the end, when the daughter claims her full independence, there's only a dull sense of relief that the playwright's healing metaphor has run its course.
--Carol Burbank
Support Independent Chicago Journalism: Join the Reader Revolution
We speak Chicago to Chicagoans, but we couldn’t do it without your help. Every dollar you give helps us continue to explore and report on the diverse happenings of our city. Our reporters scour Chicago in search of what’s new, what’s now, and what’s next. Stay connected to our city’s pulse by joining the Reader Revolution.
Are you in?
Not ready to commit? Send us what you can!
More by Carol Burbank
-
Daughters From the Stars: Nis Bundor
Jul 22, 1999 -
Sex Driven
Jul 22, 1999 -
Save the Ducks and Other Stories of Courage, Dignity, Embarrassment, and Total Cowardice
Jul 15, 1999 - More »
