“Fault”

This 90 minute play with no intermissions is smoothly directed by Jason Alexander ( who many of you will remember as George Costanza from The Seinfeld Show), and as I watched the story evolve and got to understand the three characters onstage, I saw a little bit of George in Jerry ( a powerful performance by Enrico Colantoni , who many of you might recall from his many films and TV roles) as little bits of rant and rage take place.

This is a play where I must hold back on some of the plot so I will not give away some of the twists and turns. I  can tell you that the play opens with two people on stage, having sex. One of these people is Lucy ( played to perfection by Rebecca Spence) and Shaun ( deftly handled by Nick Marini) is a young man she brought home to have sex with.  When Jerry comes home, unexpectedly, after closing a major deal, he finds the two in a compromising situation, and then the fun begins.

For the next 78 minutes we are witness to a number of power moves by Jerry over his wife and the youngster who has been handcuffed to a chair. We learn a great deal about the Jerry/Lucy relationship, and their business partnership, as well as their love lives. We also get to understand how money and power are of great importance to all the characters and while you might consider this a romantic comedy ( by today’s standards), the underlying stories that all tie together at the conclusion will bring all the puzzle pieces together , painting a true picture of what Pietsch and Alexander have created.

Being a World Premierre, and having it be such on the newest of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s stages, is an honor for Chicago audiences. Alexander, who many of us know as ana ctor, shows his creativity and timing with this zany cast of players. The entire production is one that they can be proud of, and you will enjoy from start to finish. The set by Paul Tate Depoo III, is fantastic, the costumes ( Mara Blumenfeld), lighting ( Greg Hofmann), sound ( Ray Nardelli), and wigs ( Janell Turley) are all top notch. The fight choreography ( Erik Gratton) and intimacy coordinator ( Allison Bibicoff) created very realistic illusions. I am not sure who did the props and all the items that are on the walls, shelves, tables etc in the apartment, but there were some unique and great items. THIS IS ONE THAT YOU SHOULD SEE. Not for kids- language and situations might not work for them, but I am sure you will have as much fun as I did!