***For the last five years, Jackalope Theatre has been presenting productions at Berger Park, a small yet comfortable theater on Sheridan Road. Now they have finally returned to their longtime home at the historic Broadway Armory, and they are doing so with one of the most outrageous productions of the season: Andy Warhol Presents The Cocaine Play.With Jackalope Theatre, it often feels like you’re getting one of two experiences: a simple but powerful drama or something completely wild and unexpected. This latest production definitely falls into the latter category.Written and directed by Terry Guest, a four-time Jeff Award-winning playwright, the show embraces absurdity, camp, comedy, and tragedy all at once. Guest clearly knows how to keep an audience entertained while still exploring deeper themes of ambition, fame, addiction, and artistic validation.For younger audience members unfamiliar with Andy Warhol, he was the father of Pop Art, famous for transforming everyday images, celebrities, and commercial products into works of art. He was also a regular fixture of New York’s legendary Studio 54 nightclub, known as much for its celebrity culture and excess as for its disco music.
However, the Andy Warhol in this play is not really Andy Warhol at all, and he tells us so from the beginning. Played by William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, the character’s only resemblance to the famous artist is the iconic platinum-blonde wig.
His best friend Michael, portrayed by David Dowd, is a struggling artist obsessed with becoming great. He is constantly painting, constantly exhibiting, and constantly chasing recognition. Michael is married to Edie Sedgwick, played by Jazzy Rush, an actress desperate to escape the world of television commercials and establish herself as a serious performer. She dreams of Broadway stardom.
Andy and Edie share a close friendship, with Andy constantly advising her on fashion, appearance, and style. What Edie does not know is that Andy is secretly having an affair with her husband.
When Michael receives an opportunity to display ten pieces of artwork in a gallery exhibition, he generously gives one of those spots to Andy, despite Andy having never painted before. At the time, Andy seems far more interested in getting high, having sex with Michael, and working at a seafood restaurant called The Crab Place than pursuing any artistic ambitions.
The affair eventually comes to light when Edie catches the two men together. In an attempt to save his marriage, Michael agrees to move to California and leave Andy behind.
Then fate intervenes.
One evening, Marilyn Monroe, wonderfully portrayed by Alexis Ward,( who is not Marilyn Monroe) accidentally walks into the wrong restaurant. She was looking for the Crab Palace, not The Crab Tree. During their conversation, a distraught Marilyn agrees to sit for Andy so he can paint her portrait.
That single painting changes everything.
Andy suddenly becomes famous. Fame brings money, attention, excess, and an endless supply of drugs. But success also brings an unexpected burden. After Marilyn dies from an overdose, her spirit becomes trapped inside the portrait Andy painted of her. She appears nightly, speaking to Andy and forcing him to confront both his fame and his guilt.
Meanwhile, Michael continues painting in California, convinced that his breakthrough is still ahead of him. When a prestigious art competition names Andy as its judge, Michael believes his moment has finally arrived. After submitting his work, however, Andy selects someone else’s art.
Despite repeated disappointments, Michael refuses to stop creating. His obsession eventually costs him his marriage, leaving him with little more than his artistic ambitions. Desperate for help, he seeks out Andy, hoping for financial support and the chance to attend art school in Paris.
I won’t reveal what happens next. The ending is something audiences should experience for themselves, and it leaves plenty to think about long after the curtain falls.
Technically, the production is first-rate. The scenic design by Sam Burkett and Adri Andreolas makes excellent use of the Armory’s intimate performance space. Maddy Shows’ costume design is spectacular, with each outfit seemingly more extravagant than the last, perfectly capturing the excess and flamboyance of the era. Levi J. Wilkins’ lighting design is equally impressive, utilizing creative effects and striking visual moments that enhance both the comedy and the supernatural elements of the story.
The performance runs approximately two hours and twenty minutes, including two intermissions. My one criticism concerns the ending. In my opinion, the show had already reached a perfect conclusion after the first blackout. The additional fifteen minutes that follow felt unnecessary and slightly diminished the impact of what had already been a powerful final moment.
Tickets range from $15 to $45, with discounts available for students and Edgewater residents. Performances are Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. The production runs through July 6, with no performances on July 3 or July 4.
Performances as follows:
Mondays 7:30pmShow Type: Comedy
The Broadway Armory is located at 5917 N. Broadway in Chicago and offers both a parking lot and ample street parking.
If you’re ready for a drug-fueled, wildly imaginative, and unapologetically bizarre evening of theater, Andy Warhol Presents The Cocaine Play is an experience you won’t want to miss.
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Andy Warhol Presents The Cocaine Play”.
More Stories
“Antigone”
“Damn Yankees”
“A Dog’s House” reviewed by Mark Reinecke ( and Skipper)