“A Number”

[rating=3]One of my favorite Theater Companies is Writers. They bring works to their stages that make one think, often , very deeply. As you know, with the new facility they have an intimate “black box” theatre called The Gillian Theatre, allowing them to do even more intimate works. The Gilliam is now playing host to a unique  65- minute play, “A Number” written by Caryl Churchill and smoothly directed by Robin Witt. This is definitely a “think piece” and the two characters that are in this story ( or are there more?) will amaze and keep you glued to your seats.

The play is what one might consider a suspense story, or even a mystery, and yes, it is unpredictable as we take turns into the characters that Churchill has created for us. I will not divulge much of the plot and will exercise caution by telling you that the two characters in the play are a father, Salter ( played to perfection by Chicago treasure William Brown) and his son, Bernard (deftly handled by Nate Burger). They are estranged and as the story evolves, we learn more about what tore them apart.

While it is fiction to the core, there are those who think that what is contained within this story may be real, today, or in the very near future. There is a definite family situation happening right before our very eyes and during the four scenes a great deal of history between father and son is revealed. We learn a great deal of their actual being and why they are in the situation that we find them in. There are secrets and lies in their pasts and anyone who has been a parent or had a difficult time with a parent in their past will see a bit of what they went though, but in this case something quite unlike their experience.

As we learn more about DNA and more of us send samples off to find out who we are really and what is our actual heritage, this play might have even more to think about. What if our past was in fact, the future? Again, not wanting to reveal any of what Churchill wrote about, I will not divulge any more except to say, this is an intriguing play that will hold you spellbound and give you something to talk about on the ride home. Since the run time is short, you might want to go to the wine shop down the street, sip a glass and talk with your fellow audience members. It is very interesting!

The creative team does a great job: The set (Courtney O’Neill) is a large room with several seating areas and the lighting (Brandon Wardell) and sound (Thomas Dixon) are perfect. The costumes (Mieka van der Ploeg) are “fitting” ( a little theater joke) and the overall picture that is painted for the audience is perfect. The only reason that this is not a higher recommendation is that it IS a “think piece” rather than a solid entertainment, so many will not enjoy spending an hour or so in a dark theater, intense and keeping an open mind. For those who enjoy this- see this one!

“A Number” will continue thru June 9th with performances as follows:

Tuesdays  7:30 p.m.

Wednesdays  7:30 p.m.

Thursdays  7:30 p.m.

Fridays  7:30 p.m.

Saturdays  3 p.m. and  7:30 p.m.

Sundays  2 p.m. and 6 p.m. ( except for 4/21 & 4/28 as well as 5/8)

Added Wednesday matinees 2 p.m. on 4/17,4/24 and 5/8

OPEN CAPTIONED on 4/25 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $35-$80 and can be purchased at the box office, by calling 847-242-6000 or online at www.writerstheatre.org

The theater is located at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe with plenty of free parking and for those who do not drive, the Metra station is a short walk from the theater.

To see what other are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “A Number”