Shattered Globe FIVE MILE LAKE Review – Realistic Quarter-life Crisis

One person yearning to escape their small town.

Another trapped in unrequited love.

Two more frustrated with their current relationship.

All struggling to keep it together.

For a group of friends, nearing the age of thirty means taking a tough look at where you are in life and deciding if this is where you want to be. In FIVE MILE LAKE, we dive into these complicated relationships and find out their personal troubles.

Shattered Globe Brings Friends Back Together

You might want to bundle up for FIVE MILE LAKE because we’re about to take off for a small, cold, town-by-the-lake in Pennsylvania.

Jamie spends most of his days working at the local coffee shop and pining after his co-worker, Mary. Jamie’s brother, Rufus, works on his PhD thesis up in New York. When Rufus comes for a surprise visit with his English girlfriend, Peta, everyone is taken off guard.

On the surface it just seems like we’re going to be in for, at most, a painfully awkward weekend.

What’s lying beneath the surface?

We alternate between the coffee shop and lakehouse as need be on the simple and sparse set designed by Jeffrey D. Kmiec.

We shift back and forth a few times before we get into the action. Everyone spends the first few scenes exchanging pleasantries and tiptoeing around each other.

However, it’s clear there’s definitely some issues not being said. When we finally get to the moments where the truth comes out, that's when we get to feel our actors get to flex their acting muscles.

Other than these highly dramatic moments, it doesn't feel like there's much else that's particularly gripping. As someone close to the age of the characters in this play, this writer nonetheless didn’t find much in this script that personally resonated or that was deeply compelling.

By the end there's not a clear-cut  resolution for our characters, but perhaps they'll take this weekend as a chance for growth.

FIVE MILE LAKE might not be for those who are looking for an action packed play or one that delves into highly complicated issues. Nonetheless, it’s a good pick for anyone who can relate to issues of pressure from relationships or suffocating from a small town.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

When

Now through February 24
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Please note: there is an added matinee on Saturday, February 24 at 3 pm.

Where

Theater Wit
1229 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657

Tickets

$35
Tickets can be purchased at the Theater Wit website

Photos

Evan Hanover

About the Author

Alexis is a theater reviewer, travel bug, media specialist, and burger & beer enthusiast. During the day she works in the advertising business as a senior communications designer. When night falls, or when she can escape to New York, she’s hitting the theaters to see as many shows as she can. And whenever she’s not at her desk or in the audience, she’s out seeking the best burger and beer offerings in Chicago.

Editor's Note:  Click here to read more Picture this Post articles by Alexis Bugajski