Click here to read more Picture This Post American Blues Theater stories.
A man walks onstage and sits at the worn desk in the middle.
He looks up and greets us genially. He expresses that he's happy we're here and he understands the effort it takes to be here. Ah! A sense of empathy. He knows the effort it takes to pay for a ticket to this show, how long it takes to get here by public transportation, sometimes smelling like you wished you hadn’t. We've all been there and we chuckle at the thought.
He stands from the desk and looks at us as if at long last we've been reunited. Here begins Stand If You’re Here Tonight.
One Man Show with American Blues Theater
This man is just called that, Man and is played by Jim Ortlieb. The desk he began at stands in front of a mountain of wooden chairs. They start low on the right and then climb higher and higher, stacked on each other up to the left, almost to the ceiling. Bare incandescent bulbs are placed sporadically throughout this structure and light up the scene.
He plays and pulls things from the set and he starts building a relationship with us that keeps us engaged. He loves that we’re here. He’s happy we’re here in person. He’s a bit theoretical and meta as he says he loves when there’s a “schmear” of the play and the audience, i.e. the lines of what’s the play and what’s real life become blurry. As the play progresses, those lines do indeed become blurry.
More Experimental, Less Traditional
We immerse in Man’s jumble of thoughts...
Man reminisces about a past connection…
He addresses his Mom in the audience…
He sits on a box and takes a swig from a bottle…
He goes up the house stairs to address an audience member…
He asks one to join him on stage and read a script…
He directs the audience as a whole to stand up and to sit down; to pause for 10 seconds as he takes us in…
We start getting familiar with these patterns–when to sigh, when to pause; when to interact, and when to listen.
The author's note lets us know this show was written in Spring 2021, the height of the pandemic but with hope on the horizon as the vaccine release is imminent. Many theaters adapted and did shows over Zoom. Through these various exercises and moments we feel camaraderie in discovering what we all have in common. We find ourselves in an exploration of why we go to a show in person.
No spoilers here, but we do finally get that “schmear” between the audience and our actor.
Without a beginning, middle, and end of a traditional play structure, in 60 minutes Stand If You're Here Tonight sews together individual moments to explore connection. If you’re not one for theoretical theater or can’t brook a play that bounces from thought to thought, this one might not be for you. However, if you’re looking for a thought-provoking piece that is made to be experienced in person, this would be a good fit for you.
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CAST:
Jim Ortlieb
CREATIVE TEAM :
Michael Trudeau*(scenic / lighting design / TD)
Rachel West*(masterelectrician)
Shandee Vaughan*(SM & Production Manager).
*Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater
WHEN:
Thru April 9 2022
WHERE:
Theater Wit
1229 W Belmont,
Chicago 60657
TICKETS:
$27+
Tickets can be purchased through the Theater Wit website
Photos by Michael Brosilow
Note: Picture This Post reviews are excerpted by Theatre in Chicago.
About the Author: Alexis Bugajski
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
The review uses third person omniscient to describe the one-man production and gives the reader vivid details of the play’s atmosphere, as well as The Man’s body language—I.e. “he looks up and greets us genially,” “stands in front of a mountain of wooden chairs,” “sits on a box and takes a swig from a bottle.” It also sprinkles in the genre of the production (“theoretical theater”) and tells us a few things to expect if we were to engage in this event.
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