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The Book of Liz
n Chemically Imbalanced
Theater, 1420 West Irving Park Road
n Runs through March 29
n Tickets: $12-$18
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Mastering the cheeseball
North side theater runs David and Amy Sedaris play
By PHIL MOREHART, Contributing Writer
Theater review
Wundersiblings Amy and David Sedaris are behind some of today’s most challenging, innovative comedy. From the absurd, near surreal antics of Amy’s late television spoof, Strangers with Candy, to David’s bitingly funny essays, radio work and short story collections, they consistently spear notions of what comedy is and what it can be. Their collaborative stage play, The Book of Liz-currently in production at Chemically Imbalanced Comedy-is no different.
The play centers on Sister Elizabeth Donderstock of Clusterhaven, a cloistered, conservative, God-fearing religious community populated by the Squeamish (think the Amish-but kooky). Sister Elizabeth has a bit of a sweating problem. She also makes cheeseballs. And she’s damn good at it. So much so, that the delicacy is Clusterhaven’s chief export, providing the community’s sole economic sustenance.
Despite her talents, the well-intentioned Elizabeth is trampled upon by the forces-that-be in Clusterhaven. This culminates when her cheeseball-making duties are stripped and given to a new Brother who has connived his way into the flock. Feeling dejected, betrayed and alone, Sister Elizabeth does the unthinkable-she leaves Clusterhaven to try her hand at the modern outside world. The move opens her up to a magnitude of change, tests her resolve as a religious person, and throws Clusterhaven into a tizzy when they unsuccessfully try to replicate her cheeseball mastery.
The satire runs deep in The Book of Liz, with all manners of convention getting the skewer-religion, ethnic stereotypes, homosexuality and more. That it’s wrapped up in a farce complete with scatological gags, odd non-sequiturs and broad, near vaudevillian exaggerations makes it all the more enjoyable. And true to much of the Sedaris’ works, revelations about human nature and the fragility of the family dynamic run beneath-a sweet subversion that adds bright poignancy.
Though The Book of Liz’s words are its pedigree, they are only as strong as the players giving it life. Luckily, Chemically Imbalanced Comedy has that covered in spades.
This is the company’s second mounting of the play after a successful fall 2007 run, and it shows. The ensemble is strong and they project a real comfort with the material-no small task considering its physical intensity, verbal interplay and the fact that much of the cast takes on multiple roles.
Sarah Rose Graber is superb as Sister Elizabeth Dunderstock. She carries the show easily with a natural, doe-eyed, innocent charm and a voice of endearing, goofy inflection. Her performance is infectious, pulling the audience along with such strength that a genuine connection develops. Though we laugh at her naiveté, we also empathize with it and finally cheer its triumphs.
Brian Kash, as Brother Brightbee, the interloper who swoops into Clusterhaven with an agenda and swipes Sister Elizabeth’s place in the community, delivers one of the show’s funniest performances. Kash is a natural comedian; a compact, physical actor with a putty face who charts Brightbee’s transformation from despicable to pathetic with a multitude of preens, struts, screams and William Shatner-inspired dirges.
Also of note is supporting player Chris Froseth, who impressively tackles the challenge of three very different roles-one half of a young, street-wise Ukrainian immigrant couple who takes in Sister Elizabeth, a Clusterhaven Brother of extremely diminished intellectual capacity, and a smug yuppie on the hunt for cheeseballs. Whenever Froseth is onstage, laughter is guaranteed.
Chemically Imbalanced Comedy presents The Book of Liz in their new, black box storefront space on Irving Park Road. The confines are small and cramped, but the intimacy works in the production’s favor. The dialogue and action stay square in the audience’s face-right where the Sedaris’ intended.
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Wednesday, January 30th, 2008
GOLDSTAREVENTS.COM Member Review
“Really had a wonderful experience. The acting was fantastic and SOOO funny. Couldn’t help myself from laughing. Great! Loved every character, and their diverse personalities gave it depth.” Four Stars
“We enjoyed it. Funny and cute – nice small theater, very authentic experience.” Three stars
“The cast & crew did a wonderful job bringing this wacky Amy Sedaris play to life!” Four Stars
“Superbly acted performance. Nice intimate venue. Well worth it!” Four Stars
“Great script, acting and set design. This ironic play had excellent twist, turns and character development that makes it worth seeing. The theater is intimate and makes you feel like you have personally met the cast.” Four Stars
All Reviews can be found at goldstarevents.com
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Monday, January 14th, 2008
Here is what some Yelp’ers had to say about our Friday Showcase this weekend:
Dana, Chicago, IL:
Positives: BYOB; the third improv group (especially the woman with the short dark hair!)
I thought that the third group was really funny! The ice-fishing, the smoking ban, and the closeted lesbian bits were hilarious. I would have enjoyed to see them perform for the entire show.
I liked the set-up of the theater, which is small and intimate — without making you feel that you are on top of the performers.
—–(just so the world knows this women is talking about Cornwallis and Lina)—-
Carrie M, Chicago, IL
Chemically Imbalanced Comedy is definitely comedy off kilter. The Friday Night comedy showcase was a fun barrel of laughs where I’ll never think of Johnsonville bratwursts and my fingers the same way again. The showcase displays the talents of three comedy improv talents for $10 (our tickets were comp’ed thanks to Angela M. a Yelper and Director of Chemically Imbalanced Comedy). It’s a great bargain for a chance to see a number of different comedy troupes with different styles.
The theater is small and intimate which makes the show experience more personal. The staff was great and completely laid back and cool when talking to the audience and giving the particulars about BYOB and the bathrooms. The BYOB makes it even more fun when you see people coming in with six packs and wine bottles with plastic cups. That’s my kind of beverage service. I liked the comedy showcase and the theater alot. They also had other show offerings that looked funny and worth a look. I’ll definitely be back to see Book of Liz and Bad Review.
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Kate G, Chicago, IL
A lot of fun for $10 a ticket. We saw three improv groups and all got us chuckling a bit. I have to say it was definitely a work in progress, but made all the more fun because it is BYOB. There was some definite creativity in the show and the theatre itself is a very intimate casual atmosphere.
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Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
By Gillian of The Artistic Edges
Mr. Marmalade
The Chemically Imbalanced Theater Project (sic) has a new show up at the Cornservatory in Chicago that offers some interesting views on extreme behavior, it’s entrance into the mainstream, what happens when we ignore issues and behaviors that are outside the lines.
The show revolves around a 4 year’s play subject and patterns during one evening while her mother is on a date. She consistently paints vignettes of disturbing and dysfunctional behavior overlaid with her own character’s desparate desire for cookie cutter normalcy in the form of mother/father/child playing at ‘house’ and the introduction of structure where none is likely to occur naturally. The child’s characters are all grown, foul mouthed and desparately unhappy, with the startling exception of a truly suicidal 5 year old playmate who is coaxed into the standard, if depressed behavior of the typical American, sport loving, junk food eating male. Ok, I admit it, if the child characters were only about 4 years older, it would be more believable.
Oddly intriguing is the fact that another (not to be named) company is mounting this show in Chicago opening April 5. First, why do multiple companies want to do the same show? I think this is because they do not know who else is doing what else, and hot shows are always of interest. More to the point, the topics covered are truly gripping, universal, the subject has been handled well by the dramatist. This show made me (and other lunatics in the audience) laugh. Sounds callous. Well we weren’t, trust me.
Once again I am falling prey to the idea of being ambushed. The point of this show is that these kids are acting out the adult neediness around them. The adults pretend they have no angst so they can elude the guilt gripping them. The kids show us in the fourth wall section what’s real.
Posted in Article, Mr. Marmalade, Review | No Comments »
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