“Gigi’s Party” reviewed by Frank Meccia

[rating=3]I love when new theatres come to Chicago. After the pandemic so many new theatre companies are blooming like Spring, after a long hard winter. The Yellow Rose Theatre company actually started in March of 2020, but never got to perform their new show because of all theatre closing down from the Governors order.

Gigi’s Party was to be their initial show,” Gigi’s Party takes place in the year 2058. Fatal diseases are a thing of the past. Technology is deeply embedded in the healthcare profession. Because of these medical advances, life expectancy will have risen from 70 to 160 years. The play explores highly positive, transformational benefits of technology against humanity’s struggle to adjust to the rapid progress, addressing questions like, “How will technology enhance our lives a few years from now? How will the future generation handle depression and suicide? What role will religion play?” These are some of the enduring questions that will be transformed by technology in 2058 but that we as individuals, and as a human race, will still have to address.

The show asks some pretty daring questions, and how as humans will we deal with them. So it seems in 2058 adultery is pretty common and Ok if its by your best friend, played by Elizabeth Keller, Gigi played Katherine Wettermann is the CEO of a large company and very successful, everything she does is pretty straight forward, and planned out. Even with her marriage to her husband who is the stay-at-home take care of the kids type played by Kireran O’Connor. The entire cast for this theatre company is perfectly put together, everybody is so believable in their roles. The only problem with living so long in the future, is it seems your stuck in what ever career or job you are assigned too. And remember, if you’re going to live to be 140, you’re going to work for at least 100 years. To get out of this you do have the chance with government approval to be extinguished. Hence you have a “D-Part”. The question is, will Gigi go through with it? The author/ playwright is Joseph Zaki, who is also a founding member of the theatre company. He put together a very tight play that makes you think hard into, is mixing technology and medicine and life really that great. And each audience member needs to answer that to themselves.

Gigi’s Party is playing till Sept 3rd, at the Den Theatre which is located at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Tickets can be obtained at Boxoffice@thedentheatre.com ,

tickets are $22 for seniors, and $33.00 for general admission.

Performances as follows:

This play is about 2hr and 15 min with one intermission and goes by very fast. The Den does require Covid vaccine, and masks are optional. For a new theatre company , I expect high quality from them after seeing this play.

For info visit www.gigisparty.com

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Gigi’s party”