I had to look twice when I read the description of Inanimate. A woman in a relationship with a Dairy Queen sign. I was thinking surreal, then disassociative personality, or hilariously Futurist. Playwright Nick Robideau has blended a concoction of all three with Inanimate. Everyone may have some of all three with the current culture and world events. Artistic director Jeremy Wechsler deftly directs a cast that crackles with energy. They lean into life, with all of the grief, hilarity, and longing of a young woman Erica (J.G. Smith) as she commits her heart to a Dairy Queen sign she calls Dee (Aaron Latterell).
I drive past a Dairy Queen almost every day; it looks the same as when I was a kid. Only now fast food places use initials like DQ instead of the original name. It's a flashback to when the sugar cereals took sugar out of the brand name. Erica works at the Market Basket and spends time in the gadget aisle. The items that she handles take on a persona in her mind. The chorus in Inanimate is hilarious as a lusty can opener (Erin Long), a teddy bear with arms molded to Erica's body (Dustin Valenta), and Hotel Sign (Khloe Janel). Long, Valenta, and Janel also play characters in a small town in Massachusetts. They are busybodies who can livestream and a DQ manager with a fab New England accent. They are an excellent chorus bringing a surreal vibe to Inanimate. Erica's older sister Trish (Jodi Gage) is hilariously Stepford-adjacent and wants to rebuild the downtown by razing it and erasing the history of the town.
Gage gives a lovely and balanced performance as the sister who is Erica's surrogate mom since their mother died. I got a laugh at Trish on cable-access television with Valenti smashing a perfect turn as the '80s local host. Trish is making herself into a big fish in a small pond in their town so when Erica tells her about her love for Dee, she is horrified. Inanimate has a fresh turn on identity and the roles people are expected to play. It's a paradox that life is not make-believe and there are people for whom life is a nonconforming perception game.
The energy gets amped when William Anthony Sebastian Rose II appears as Kevin, the nerdy and sweet man who is smart and still in the same job since high school. He is "practically a manager" at DQ. Kevin is an initials guy who loves to play D&D (Dungeons and Dragons). Rose nails the quick wit and self-effacing manner without sappiness. Rose was in the final show from the House Theater The Tragedy of King Christophe, and in Theater Wit's The Whistleblower. His character plays quite beuatifully off of Smith's quasi-emo woman who gets energy from the inanimate objects in her life.
Robideau's characters grew up disconnected from people because relationships are painful and one has to be steadfast and willing to allow intimacy. Even the definition of intimacy takes on some interesting quirks in Inanimate. Latterell's portrayal of Dee is imbued with Elvis and a hipster guru. The dialog is bizarre and funny. Erica learns how to be authentic and open to human relationships from Dee.
The scenic design by Joe Johnson is spot on. The town, Erica and Jodi's apartment, and the Dairy Queen have a familiar feel. The muted wood tones and the hyperreal reds are complemented by Levi J. Wilkins's subtle lighting design. Sound designer Joe Court gets a shout-out for the eerily real sound effects—especially what I call the big bang. I dug the costumes by Mara Blumenfeld. The clear red plastic jacket on Dee and Jody's prim sweater set and slacks are surreal.
I am still rolling the Futurist elements around my brain with a long ago class in Existentialism. What defines existence and is Erica from the future or the past with her highly tuned sense of energy? Tune in to Inanimate. It's a fun and wondrous trip down the wormhole of how the mind and heart work. I highly recommend that you check it out.
Inanimate plays through May 4 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, in the vibrant Belmont Theater District. Running time is 95 minutes with no intermission. For tickets and more information about Inanimate and Theater Wit, visit www.theaterwit.org.
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
Did you enjoy this post and our coverage of Chicago’s arts scene? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation by PayPal. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!