"PLAYING DUMB WITH JILL BENJAMIN" at the Apollo Theater
BY KELLY AIGLON
Jill Benjamin may be her own worst critic. At least when it comes to relaying her awkward experiences with men and recounting the highlights—and lowlights, of which there are many—of being entangled in the dating scene. "Playing Dumb with Jill Benjamin," which ran last winter at Donny’s Skybox Theater and is back for an encore run at the Apollo Theater, revolves around Benjamin’s often embarrassing (but nearly always endearing) encounters as a single woman in her late 20s.
Benjamin’s material is not particularly fresh. By now, we’ve all been subject to numerous sketches relating to the trials of speed dating and have heard our fair share of stereotypical sorority jokes. But the charm of "Playing Dumb" doesn’t necessarily lie in the topics she covers; it comes from the unabashed way she delivers her stories. Aided by co-star Brian Shortall (who’s there mainly to provide enjoyable support in the role of her new beau), Benjamin displays unflagging stage presence as she takes the audience on a whirlwind tour of her life in singledom.
"I’m tired of being a friend to guys," she says in the beginning of the performance. "I’m not a leading lady. I’m more of a sidekick." From here, Benjamin breaks down her early adulthood as a supposed second-rate female by fleshing out a series of vignettes, ranging from slumber party stories to a marriage proposal gone awry. It’s a cut-and-paste-style performance, with Shortall occasionally surfacing to piece together the story of Benjamin’s current "normal" relationship.
With minimal staging (two chairs and one door with wheels), emphasis is placed on the energy of the performers -- namely Benjamin, who deftly ricochets from scene to scene and character to character. Her training with The Second City and direction under "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" performer/writer Ron West shines through, especially in two fully improvised scenes incorporating audience members. Benjamin’s always-on, witty responses to the "uhs" of unwilling chosen audience members keeps the energy high. She finds the funny in otherwise flat-as-cardboard material.
Benjamin tosses out a few concepts that are sure to resonate with women. For instance, she explains that just when things are going well with a man, "I form this jealousy subcortext that turns every guy into a cheating bastard." And what could be more widely embraced than the concept of a "Breakup Settlement Agreement" in which a dissolved couple must negotiate who still gets to frequent their favorite restaurant.
Additionally, Benjamin makes a tale about a raucous bachelorette party come to life via four hats dangled from the ceiling. She jumps from hat to hat, and each chapeau comes with its own vivacious personality. Benjamin pulls this off with smooth-as-silk timing and exaggerated physicality.
"Playing Dumb" is at its smartest when Benjamin brings up asituation and then shows numerous outcomes at spitfire speed (a method commonly used at Second City). This approach works especially well when the door is employed, and makes a series of hellos and good-byes extremely funny -- and fun to watch. The action slows down only when Benjamin occasionally slides to potty humor: "If a guy can’t handle a shit joke, it’s his loss," she says. One wouldn’t imagine, after hearing her mostly dead-on observations, that this would be her bag in the humor department.
Benjamin -- along with Second City Theatricals and Rob Kolson Creative Productions, who are producing the performance -- may be taking a risk by bringing her show to the markedly bigger Apollo Theater. One can only hope that she’ll fill the 450-some seats -- or at least catch the eyes of comedy casting agents. It’s something that she, like many of her Second City predecessors, rightly deserves.•
"Playing Dumb with Jill Benjamin" runs Fridays at 10:30 p.m. and has been extended through September 27 at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $15. Call 773-935-6100. You can log onto www.secondcity.com or www.apollochicago.com.
Contributing Critic Kelly Aiglon is the senior editor of "WHERE Chicago" magazine, for which she covers arts and entertainment. She also writes about theater for the "Chicago Tribune," "UR Chicago," "PerformInk" and "Footlights." Kelly can be reached at kellyaiglon@hotmail.com.
