“Failure: A Love Story”

[rating=4]I have been attending Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview for many years. For those who are unaware of this magical storefront located in downtown Glenview, it is probably one of the most intimate spaces in the Greater Chicagoland area.  Sixty seats with a smaller stage is what they use to bring their shows to life. They do select plays that work well in a small space and many that we have never seen before. Their current production by Phillip Dawkins, “Failure: A Love Story” is one that I have never seen ( or to be honest heard of) before. Set in the late 1890’s/1900 in Chicago, “Failure: A Love Story” is about love and “death”.

Unlike most theatrical productions, this one is written as a narrative. Very little dialogue between the characters takes place. The characters, including the animals and the clocks tell us all of the history of the Fail family. They come to Chicago via Canada and New York and open their clock shop, Fail Clock Works. The parents die in Lake Michigan and the sisters ( who are all played by one actress (Kendal Romero is a delight to watch) as she meets Mortimer Mortimer ( deftly handled by Trevor Early, who is quite the song and dance man) and as all three sisters falls in love … and then dies! As he meets and falls in love with each, we see different sides of him and each sister’s relationship with him is unique.

All three sisters ( again, Ms Romero will knock your socks off) have a special relationship with their adopted brother ( Van Ferro) who has a special relationship with the pets in the home. Directed by Xavier M. Custodio, we have what is almost a Greek Chorus concept. Three actual actors playing a multitude of characters and clocks and taking us through the narrative. (I must add that there are times that Ferro joins them as clocks).

The three person chorus is a key to making this play work. They are funny, they are zany, they are serious and they are an integral part of telling us this powerful story. I will begin with Philip J. Macaluso. He is a tall, thin actor with a very pliable face and has a great sense of timing when it comes to comedy. If you think a tall Jerry Lewis ( for you younger folk, that was a long time ago) you will understand what he does. The two ladies in the chorus are also quite good. Katie Luchtenburg ( an understudy who went on tonight) is charming as a parakeet and adorable as a clock. Jordan Zelvin is simply adorable to watch. She has the ability to do more with her face than many performers and when she dances about the stage, one never knows when she might actually take off.

The set  ( Ellen Marcus and Jay Pastucha) is very workable and a little different than their usual basic set. The props (Markus) are perfect. I loved the clocks all over the theater. The costumes (Elizabeth Monti) were almost the period that the play takes place in and the music (Daniella Rukin) works with the production. Jordan Zelvin’s choreography on the tiny stage was effective and again Custodio’s direction worked using the aisles as well as the stage.

This play, running about two hours with one 15 minute intermission, as I said, is different than most people are used to. If you go into the theater understanding this, you will find yourself captivated by the unique storytelling experience you will witness  Understand that the chorus of three will be your narrators. They will move you through the history of the loves and deaths. They will help you to see the challenge of crossing Lake Michigan to Indiana. Trust your heart to lead the way and follow their story and you will have a theatrical experience that will stay in your memory for years to come.

“Failure: A Love Story” will continue thru September 4th with performances as follows:

Thursdays:8:00pm

Fridays:8:00pm

Saturdays:3:00pm & 8:00pm

Sundays:3:00pm

Show Type: Drama with lots of comic touches

Box Office: 847-834-0738

www.oillamptheater.org

The theater is located at  1723 Glenview Road ( at Waukegan Rd) with plenty of free parking.

They are no longer a BYO- but offer wine and beer as well as soft drinks and snacks at the bar.

Masks are optional with the exception of the Saturday 3 p.m. performances where they are mandatory.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Failure: A Love Story”.