“Untitled Vampire Play”

**** There are times when we need to escape from the madness that is happening in our world today and just have fun. For many, the new World Premiere “Untitled Vampire Play” at Lookingglass Theatre might just fit the bill. I know that I found it adorable. It also brought me back to my youth when I loved Horror Films and one of my favorites was Bela Lugosi who played the infamous Count Dracula. For many people, those films were the only explanation of Vampires. Now with the internet, we are able to re-define our definintions, so here goes:

VAMPIRES ;Creatures with vampiric characteristics have appeared at least as far back as ancient Greece, where stories were told of creatures that attacked people in their sleep and drained their bodily fluids. Tales of walking corpses that drank the blood of the living and spread plague flourished in medieval Europe in times of disease, and people lacking a modern understanding of infectious disease came to believe that those who became vampires preyed first upon their own families. Research from the 20th and 21st centuries has posited that characteristics associated with vampires can be traced back to certain diseases such as porphyria, which makes one sensitive to sunlight; tuberculosis, which causes wasting; pellagra, a disease that thins the skin; and rabies, which causes biting and general sensitivities that could lead to repulsion by light or garlic.

Now for the play written by Kevin Douglas and wildly directed by Devon DeMayo. This play is what might be called a romantic comedy as we meet our hero Dom ( deftly handled by Jordan Anthony Arredondo) who is in love with Val ( a powerful performance by Courtney Rikki Green), who as it turns out is a Vampire, who has eternal life and has outlived many men. While she is tired of living this way, it seems that Dom is her perfect mate and so she has told him her “secret” and has offered him the opportunity to have eternal life and join her.

Dom tells his parents, Louie ( played to perfection by Kareem Bandealy, who also does an amazing job as Vampire Hunter Lance) and mother, Alicia ( Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) a police detective) about  Val and all hell breaks loose. Of course, they do not believe it and think this is all a gag. As the play progresses and we learn more about the vampire life and their past, present and possibly future, we also meet the family. Val has two siblings that we meet.  Rose ( the adorable Jin Park) who’s casket rests next to Val’s in their flat, and brother Roderick ( a very comedic portrayal created by Walter Briggs) who is a little on the crazy side.

This is a small cast of players with only a few characters to remember, but you will find yourself thinking back to films of the past and younger people, even ” The Count” on Sesame Street. This original play is a comedy with horror or a horror with comic touches, or even a romantic comedy ( I don’t think it would ever make it to the Hallmark Channel) that allows true love to win in the end. Or does it?

The play runs over 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission. The intermission might take longer depending on the clean up crew that has to work during the break in order to clean up the blood in the first 3 rows. note: it is artificial stage blood, but you will find yourself feeling as if it is truly a special “happening”! The play will keep you on your toes and no audience member is safe ( unless they are wearing a large cross. Going back to the films and books about vampires that we have read and or seen. Unless it was a true comedy or a  true horror movie, we never saw a vampire as a personality that one could fall in love with. Douglas changes all that, and this cast and master director DeMayo make it all work.

Alyssa Mohn’s set design is powerful as it converts to every place we need to be within seconds, allowing the play to run smoothly and the storyt o unfold at perfect speed. Andre Pluess handles the sound to perfection as always and the lighting is done by Jason Lynch. Theresa Ham’s costumes are “bloody” perfect as are the myriad of props designed and found by Amanda A. Hermann. The fight and intimacy design was directed by Rachel Lee Flesher. The technical aspects of a show such as this are key elements is creating a story that will draw your attention to every detail of the story, and this crew does this to perfection.

“Untitled Vampire Play” will continue thru July 12th at Lookingglass Theatre located in the Water Tower Water Works , 163 East Pearson ( at Michigan Avenue) with performances as follows:

Tuesdays    (6/16, 7/7 )  7:30 p.m.

Wednesdays                    7:30 p.m.

Thursdays                        2:00 p.m. (except 7/9)  and 7:30 p.m.

Fridays                             7:30 p.m. (except 6/19)

Saturdays                         2:00 p.m. ( except 7/4) and 7:30 p.m.

Sundays                           2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on July 5th

ACCESSIBILITY

July 1  7:30 p.m. OPEN CAPTIONING

July 9th  2 p.m.   AUDIO DESCRIBED, Touch/Tour

June 24th   7:30 p.m.  MASK REQUIRED

purchase tickets by calling 312-337-0665 or visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org

Discounted parking is available at Olympic Garage on Chicago Avenue just east of Michigan Avenue on the south side of the street. Bring your ticket to the box office for validation

This is a play to sink your teeth into. I would say don’t miss this powerful ending, and the fun inbetween.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Untitled Vampire Play”.