Walkabout Theater THE RAVELING Review – A Curious Family History

Walkabout Theater Digs Into the Past

As the cast members finish handing out the tea, a company member welcomes us and lets us know how this show came to be. They acknowledge Chicago as a place where many people have gathered, but what about where they came from? How did they end up here? And so begins THE RAVELING as it explores a family history.

Experimental and Movement Focused Theater

Through various forms of presentation in a short 60 minute performance, the actors tell stories and histories. We hear:

a monologue of a Southern family and how they once owned slaves;

a man, laying on his back and spinning in circles, speaking to his dead grandfather;.

A woman singing Part of Your World from Disney’s The Little Mermaid while breaking pieces of uncooked spaghetti.

There’s songs, tableaus, movement pieces, and even corn husking. All these different forms that the company uses to create a story had been inspired from their own family histories.

Puzzling Performance

For this writer, though the premise of the show is clear, the actual stories themselves were muddled and left one a bit puzzled.

THE RAVELING might not be the best fit for those who are looking for a more concrete story. However, it might be a good fit for those who especially like experimental theater that focuses on movement and open to interpretation stories.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

CAST:

Nigel Brown
McCambridge Dowd-Whipple
Cooper Forsman
Dana Murphy
Katie Mazzini
Anastacia Narrajos
Anirudh Nair
Amba Suhasini K Jhala.

CREATIVE:

Thom Pasculli
Fides Krucker
Morgan McNaught
Bran Moorhead
Myron Elliott-Cisneros
Dominique Zaragoza
Sonya Madrigal
Shanyn Strub
Nyssa Lowenstein
Dina Marie Saubert
Monet Felton

When

Now through October 13, 2019
Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 2:30 pm.

Where

Victory Gardens Theater
2433 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL

Tickets

$15+
For full price tickets and ticket availability visit walk about theater or by calling (773) 871-3000

Check for Half-Price Deals from Hot Tix:

Photos by Matthew Gregory Hollis

Note: Picture This Post reviews are excerpted by Theatre in Chicago

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