Chicago theater is as racially and culturally varied as the city itself, yet to actor-director Stephan Turner–and many others–it often seems that off-Loop theater is still fragmented in terms of the work companies present and the audiences they target. “We live together, we work together, and then when we get ready to do theater we all go into our separate microcosms,” says Turner, artistic director of the Lakeview-based Stage Actors Ensemble of Chicago. That’s what has prompted the SAEC to present what Turner hopes will be the first annual edition of a theater festival specifically devoted to work that addresses issues of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. The event, which runs through April 29, features work by local and out-of-town artists, including solo performers Ryan Anglin and Miriam Lewis and the Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago. All shows take place at the Performance Loft, located in the Second Unitarian Church of Chicago, 656 W. Barry. Prices range from $5 to $8; call 773-529-8337 for reservations and information.
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Edward Albee’s early one-act, about a desperate young drifter and a prissy executive who meet on a park bench, is presented by the Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago. “Albee’s . . . characters still fascinate. . . . And so does his story, with its undercurrents of sex, violence, and class warfare. Even when its presentation is flawed, as it is in this . . . production, Albee’s script is strong enough to prevail. But just barely. Darryl Maximilian Robinson’s direction is eccentric to say the least. . . . And for some reason Robinson has chosen to double cast both roles, . . . mixing and matching his players so that the audience might catch any one of four possible combinations. This trick may work for improv comedy, but in a play this dependent on subtext and the chemistry between two people, it seems to ensure that even the best night will seem vaguely amateurish,” says Reader critic Jack Helbig. 8 PM; $8.
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Swacko in America
