“Four Places” reviewed by Frank Meccia

Highly Recommended ****That small and recently renovated and charming theatre on Milwaukee Ave, in the heart of Wicker Park, has an emotionaly draining very reaslistic play called Four Places, written by Joel Drake Johnson. This play shows us the real problem that faces us today and  the future of this Country with the disease “Alzhemers Dementia.” This disease, impacts over  1/3 of the senior population, with 16 million Americans providing unpaid care valued at over 234 Billion dollars and is the 6^th leading cause of death in America. The play asks the question, How will you handle your parents when they come down with it.

This dark comedy pits a brother and sister who both have their own problems in life when they receive a call from their caregiver that their elderly parents are a danger to each other. Ellen, played by Amy Montgomery takes her mother out to lunch once a week to the same restaurant where everybody knows her, this time she takes her brother Warren along, played by Bruch Reed, Warren has his own problems in life,a failed marrage, a career in danger and has always sided with his father in life. Their mother Peggy played so realistically by Meg Thalken, who doesn’t know this luncheon was planned so that their father could be removed from the home. You see the mental breakdown that she goes threw facing the questions that her children keep asking her, about her drinking, he husbands drinking, their arguments, and how she handled his adulterous affair in the past. The play is only an hour and 20 minutes, but it is enough to create great dinner conversations afterwards.

“Four Places” will continue thru the 30th

Price: $33-$45

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 773-697-3830

www.thedentheatre.com

The Den Theatre is located at 1331 Milwaukee Ave. Please leave early to get there as  they have no late seating, and parking is difficult.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Four Places”