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The Comedians, a new play by Chicago playwright Philip Dawkins, feels like a standup comedy show. But as the six performances reel out over two hours, we realize that Dawkins has threaded the story of the two comics meeting, becoming friends, falling in love, deciding to marry, and dealing with family memories and addiction issues that affect both their professional and personal lives. Finally, at the very end of the play, the two characters confront each other as real-life (dramatized) people rather than simply commenting upon each other in their comedy routines.
Colm Summers directs this world premiere production at Raven Theatre. Bill Larkin plays the gloomy Chauncey, who makes us laugh despite his mostly sad-sack stories (“I’ve been an up-and-coming comedian for 25 years”). His opposite type and later lover-partner is Nsaku (Terry Guest), whose charming, funny and bouncy performance and stories are entertaining even when he’s regaling us about his experiences in rehab. Costume designer Izumi Inaba cleverly balances Chauncey’s baggy outfits in drab grays and tans with Nsaku’s fitted, vividly colored and patterned tops and bottoms and colorful do-rags.
Enhancing the comedy club nature of the production, Raven has scheduled a local comic to perform a short opening act, which begins a few minutes before the play opens. On the night we attended,. Manny Petty was the opener. Five other comics are performing at other performances over the two-week run.
As each new set by Chauncey or Nsaku begins, projected titles let us know the time and place of the performance: Tucson. Seattle, the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, and Caroline’s on Broadway in 2023; El Cid in Los Angeles in spring 2024; and finally, Nsaku recording his Netflix special. Throughout the six standup shows, we learn that Chauncey and Nsaku meet, fall in love, get engaged and break up. Nsaku goes through rehab several times to cure his alcohol habit and Chauncey always supports him.
Raven’s smaller studio theater is set up with two rows of cabaret-style tables in front and standard theater seating behind. The stage setting by the Northlight Scene Shop is a standard comedy-club stage with microphone and stools. Lee Keenan handles production design with sound design by Peter Clare. Emmitt (Emm) Socey is assistant lighting designer. Olivia Sullam is stage manager.
The Comedians continues at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St., through November 24. Running time is two hours with one intermission. Tickets are $65 for general seating and $100 for cabaret seating.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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