"GUYS," The Grounded Theatre at Chicago Actors Studio
BY LUCIA MAURO
The three-year-old Grounded Theatre, founded by David Lightner and Karen Elyse Rosenberg, embraces an eclectic spirit – from "Justice Is Served" (its original parody of Court TV) to dramatic readings of classic literature (like Poe and Orwell), to full-fledged productions (most recently, Lee Blessing’s "A Walk in the Woods"). Now Grounded is extending its reach to original work with Lightner’s domestic drama/revenge tragedy, "Guys," receiving its world premiere at Chicago Actors Studio.
It’s an admirable next step for this committed company. But, while the play moves along at a crisp speed under Frank Merle’s tidy direction and the story holds our interest, Lightner can still take more risks. His characters are believable, yet they seem to be making a desperate plea for more layered dimensions. The plot also has its jigsaw-puzzle elements. An apparently innocent tryst turns out to be a Shakespearean-style turning of the tables, but the final revelation scene both comes out of nowhere and feels obviously contrived.
"Guys," a fairly straightforward naturalistic work, is set entirely in the cramped Chicago apartment of Eddie and Marie, whose marriage has soured. Eddie is a delivery man for a uniform rental company and makes commissions on contract renewals; Marie is a waitress who works long hours to make ends meet -- especially since Eddie got passed over for a promotion, which his single friend Raymond landed.
When sexy new neighbor Ellen shows up at Eddie’s door to introduce herself, the possibility of an affair gets set into motion. But Ellen seems to have a mysterious ulterior motive which, when her plotting comes full circle, leaves Eddie dejected and alone.
Meanwhile, various Iago-esque machinations seep into the deceptively casual dialogue. Raymond, who preys on Marie during her most vulnerable moments, turns out to be more opportunistic than Eddie – whose major faults are an oblivious smugness and lack of ambition. The underhanded way he gets a client to renew his contract inadvertently leads to tragedy – a tragedy of which Eddie is unaware, but which Raymond ultimately capitalizes on.
Lightner has woven in a sub-plot involving Eddie’s accommodating brother Bob and his success-at-all-costs wife Sandra. This story line is not cohesively developed. One questions whether Bob is a wimp with no convictions or a sensitive guy who supports his career-oriented wife. Sandra exhibits both self-centered viper qualities and a gracious compassion. It’s difficult to get a handle on their relationship apart from it’s serving as an energized contrast to Eddie and Marie’s lifeless marriage.
Several scenes lack variety – moving from couch to recliner to couch. This may illustrate the lead pair’s monotonous life. But the structure causes the playwright to wedge himself into something of a predictable and uneventful corner. In addition, Ellen needs a more plausible entry into Eddie’s world. The quick coffee-swapping arrangement rings false. Another short scene between their first and second coffee clack should more clearly bring them together.
Lightner is at his most rhythmically real whenever he puts the guys together in a room and has them yak about chicks and baseball over beer and pizza. Later on, these recognizable moments lend a debilitating edge to their flippant macho posturing.
Merle’s production includes emotionally sound and secure supporting performances. But John Anthony Schultz as Eddie robs this central character of complexity or urgency. He approaches every scene with the same awkward apathy. His reactions to the most horrifying revelations are totally unfounded. There’s no arc; Schultz’s Eddie never really goes on a journey. By the end, when he’s dealt a crushing blow akin to Job, Eddie comes across as no different than his earliest incarnation asleep on his recliner.
Two actors who convincingly invest themselves in the material are Scott Anderson as the likable opportunist Raymond (who’s so seamless he even fools us into thinking he’s an average harmless guy) and Kevin Ging as a genuinely involved Bob (who actually makes an empowering decision for himself by drama’s end).
Mary Bliss Mather delivers a dignified performance as Sandra – a role that could easily descend into power-woman caddiness. Karen Elyse Rosenberg as the emotionally drained Marie is a sincere performer. But her performance, like Schultz’s, gets stuck in repetitive world weariness. Marie Louise Hamel, who has a habit of telegraphing her every motivation via crinkled facial expressions, does succeed at balancing Ellen’s pouncing seductions with a chilly air of menace.
Tom Gronowski’s grungy set design feels a bit dated, but reflects the emptiness of Eddie and Marie’s daily existence. Transitions are smoothly executed via the actors’ remaining in character during scene changes.
And, although the experience is a satisfying one, the moral dilemmas posited in the script do not linger in one’s psyche for very long. Lightner has a talent for capturing ordinary people in crisis and drawing us into their plights. But he needs to make the dramatic stakes higher – and allow his characters to more naturally unfold rather than insert them as plot-advancement devices -- for "Guys" to be more than a prospective soap opera episode.•
The Grounded Theatre’s production of "Guys" runs through October 20 at Chicago Actors Studio in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1567 N. Milwaukee Ave. Tickets: $12. Call 800-965-4827 or log onto www.groundedtheatre.org.
