Strawdog Theatre Company Presents DAMASCUS Review – Hellcab More Real

Strawdog Theatre Seems To Have Lifted Hellcab Set

Chicago theater regulars will likely walk into the theater space and immediately think “HELLCAB”—that holiday season perennial.   Here too the set is a shuttle van surrounded by snow.  It’s on a turnstile that the actors at different times rotate to signal a shift in focus or a literal turn in the road.  Other times our focus is shifted by flashing lights that simulate the night highway to the bleary-eyed taxi driver.  (Set design:  Jefffrey Kmiec, Lighting Design:  John Kelly). 

That bleary-eyed driver is Hassan, a Somali-American from Minneapolis who is struggling to make ends meet.   Against type—as he doesn’t particularly look Somali—actor Terence Sims brings this role to life with magnetic realism.  We latch to his eyes even in the first scene, and note how they calibrate and telegraph his internal emotions at every turn.

Emotional turns  are not in short supply.  Going against his better thoughts of sticking to the rules, Hassan takes a bribe from a seemingly innocuous Lloyd (Sam Hubbard), who asks him to cross state lines to get him to O’Hare so he can catch a new flight to see his dying mother. 

As it turns out, Lloyd is anything but innocuous. 

Alas, this is one of those plays that detailing any more would be a horrible spoiler. 

And this is not a play anyone would want to spoil for you.  Intense 90 minutes with no intermission, it is like a guided tour of how limbic systems struggle to internalize geo-politics on a global scale--- or tune it out for safety and sanity’s sake.

Both Hubbard and Sims deliver superb performances. They ARE these two men.  The minimal set keeps our focus on their acting talent.  For much of the play, we focus only on their shifting facial expressions. 

Actress Eleni Pappageorge is called upon to play four minor roles that are more caricature than in-depth.  Director Cody Estle keeps out of the way of the two leads and lets their talent and this magnificent script by playwright Bennett Fisher carry the day. 

DAMASCUS is especially recommended for those who love thrillers or a chance to see raw acting brilliance without many distractions. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Note: This is now added to the Picture this Post round up of BEST PLAYS IN CHICAGO, where it will remain until the end of the run. Click here to read – Top Picks for Theater in Chicago NOW – Chicago Plays PICTURE THIS POST Loves.

Cast:  Sam Hubbard, “Lloyd,” Terence Sims, “Hassan;” and Eleni Pappageorge, “Diaz/ Whitacker/ Maynard/ Conklin".

Production Team:  John Kelly, lighting designer, with guest artists Bennett Fisher, playwright; Cody Estle, director; Eli Newell, assistant director; Olivia Wallace, stage manager; Lauren Brady, assistant stage manager; R&D Choreography (Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona), violence design; Regina Fields, dramaturg; Jeff Kmiec, set designer;; Izumi Inaba, costume designer; Sarah Espinoza, sound designer; Lacie Hexon, props designer; Becca Venable, technical director and Andy Kloubec, master electrician.

 

Related- watch this video about Somalis from Minneapolis and the art they are creating with help of artist/therapist Pamela Gaard here.

When:

Thru June 23

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 4 p.m

Where:

Strawdog Theatre
1802 W. Berenice Ave
Chicago

Tickets: 

$35+

For tickets visit the Strawdog Theatre website.

Photos:  Clark Bender

 

Note: An excerpt of this review appears in Theatre in Chicago

Amy Munice

About the Author: Amy Munice

Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.

Amy hopes the magazine’s click-a-picture-to-read-a-vivid-account format will nourish those ever hunting for under-discovered cultural treasures. She especially loves writing articles about travel finds, showcasing works by cultural warriors of a progressive bent, and shining a light on bold, creative strokes by fledgling artists in all genres.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY AMY MUNICE.

Share this:

Make a Comment

One thought on “Strawdog Theatre Company Presents DAMASCUS Review – Hellcab More Real

  1. Anytime the setting is the interior of a car, you’re gonna get some scenic overlap (though Michael Forsberg and Scott Westerman once staged a play inside an ACTUAL van cf. Job Opportunity)

    I agree, though, that the Damascus was brilliant in every way.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *