City Lit Theater is finishing off local playwright Mark Pracht’s Four-Color Trilogy—about key moments in the history of comic book publishing—with The House of Ideas. Directed by former artistic director Terry McCabe, it’s the story of two giants and creative pioneers in the comics industry: artist Jack Kirby (Brian Plocharczyk) and writer/editor/executive Stan Lee (Bryan Breau)—sometimes called the Lennon and McCartney of comic books.
The play focuses on Kirby and Lee and the development of the comics industry, moving into superhero territory, during the Golden Age of Comics in the mid-20th century. The play will be of most interest to fans of that genre but other audience members will find it interesting as a story of family, friendship and ambition.
The play begins with their first collaborations in 1941, with Kirby as a freelance artist and Lee (then known as Stanley Lieber) as an ambitious writer/editor for Timely Comics. Over the years and throughout their tangled relationship, they develop many well-known comic characters and brands, such as Captain America, Ant-Man, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man—and later, Spider Man. With corporate evolution and name changes, Timely Comics becomes the Marvel Comics Group and eventually, today’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Over the next three decades, while Kirby and Lee work separately and together (Kirby also works with artist Joe Simon, played by Jimmy Hogan), Kirby never manages to resolve the issue of ownership of his art work. The play is fraught with arguments over the legal and copyright battles that plague Kirby. He always works as freelance, not as an employee, but somehow never manages to gain a contract that grants him ownership of his work; instead it's always work-for-hire, which means the company paying for his work owns all the rights.
Artists, musicians, photographers and writers are savvier today and have professional/legal counsel about ownership and use of their work. But during those early creative decades, many publishers, producers and record executives took unfair advantage of their artists. Chess Records of Chicago was a prime local example.
Kirby’s and Lee’s wives both play important roles in encouraging and inspiring their husbands and demanding recognition for them. Both Roz Kirby (Carrie Hardin) and Joan Lee (Kate Black-Spence) provide strong performances and almost balance the machismo nature of the comic book industry. Chad Wise, Sean Harklerode and Jimmy Hogan each play several characters in this twisting tale of creativity and greed. I particularly enjoyed Megan Clarke’s lively performances as three different characters—two journalists and a secretary.
Scenic, projection and lighting design by G. Max Maxin IV assists the viewer in following the changing story line with projections noting location and date for each scene. The comic book show art for the program cover was created by Tony Donley and other comics visuals were created by Maxin. Sound design and score are by Petter Wahlbäck. Stage manager is Hazel Marie Flowers-McCabe.
Special creative kudos go to costume designer Beth Laske-Mller for the frequent (and maybe even sometimes unnecessary) costume changes. They may not all be essential to the story but they’re fun to watch the whizbang costume changes for both male and female actors. Those costumes increase the believability of several actors who play multiple parts throughout the play and appear in a different getup each time. (Although actor Megan Clarke did continue to wear those adorable red cutout pumps, which I found myself coveting.)
Audience members were in on the game too; I saw at least a half dozen t-shirts with Marvel characters or comic-book messages such as BAM! and Shazam!
The comic book publishing industry doesn’t get the respect that traditional book and magazine publishing has always maintained, even as comics have evolved from print to film and online. But comic books—and their related arts, video games and superhero/action movies—are part of the same creative thread that brought us films by Luis Bunuel, the art of Salvador Dali, and paintings by Ivan Aldrich.
The House of Ideas may owe some resemblance to Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. This beloved book, published in 2000, follows the lives of two creative cousins, Czech-born artist Joe Kavalier and Brooklynite writer Sammy Clay., who begin work as comics creators in the 1930s. The two leading characters are patterned after Kirby and Lee, although the story goes far beyond their comics careers. Everyone I ever mention this book to tells me how much they love it—and I do too.
Mark Pracht is an actor, playwright and musician who has worked in Chicago theater for 20 years. His other two plays in the Four-Color Trilogy are The Mark of Kane and The Innocence of Seduction, staged by City Lit Theater in their 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The House of Ideas continues at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave, through October 6. Running time is 130 minutes with one intermission. Tickets for performances Friday-Monday are $35 with discounts available.
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
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