“Morning, Noon, and Night” reviewed by Mark Reinecke

**** In our post-pandemic world, little has changed regarding society’s ongoing demands of women and the destructive double standards that remain today. In Kirsten Greenidge’s tech-savvy comedy, “Morning, Noon, and Night,” we are thrown into a swamp of struggle and despair and challenged to witness one mother’s attempt to balance many difficult issues around single parenting (in an increasingly technological world), a career and financial pressures. We are reminded that too many women have impossible expectations thrust upon them and are judged accordingly. While the absence of men and any meaningful contribution from them is sorely apparent.

These thought-provoking and potentially explosive ideas are presented under the direction of Amber Montgomery in Shattered Globe Theatre’s Midwest premiere, now playing at Theater Wit in Chicago. After the world is turned on its head with the covid pandemic, we are looking through a one-day peephole at an overwhelmed mother (Kristin E. Ellis as Mia) and teenage daughter (Emefa Dzodzomenyo as Dailyn) coming out of lockdown as they begin the slow return to in-person interactions.

Intergenerational trauma is difficult to prevent when it is coming from inside and outside the home. Mia clearly loves her daughter and is completely devoted. But there is a disconnect and a lack of understanding between the two; Dailyn has a doomsday obsession with environmental degradation as she remains, like most kids her age, tethered to her phone and the internet. Mia is more in the here and now and almost on the brink as she juggles many issues, sometimes successfully. She commiserates with her good friend Heather (Christina Gorman) over dumbbells and cardio workouts. Dailyn seeks support and friendship from her classmates, Chloe (Soren Jimmie Williams) and Nat (Hannah Antman), as they face typical high school angst to achieve academic excellence in a hyper-competitive, technological world; living up to teenage femme ideals; and uncertain futures. It is helpful to be reminded of the demands and pressures we place on young people as we leave them with unsurmountable problems and poor prospects for the future.

Morning into mid-day remain wobbly. As they prepare for a birthday party to be held that evening for Alex, Mia’s eldest and estranged daughter, Dailyn and her mom both want everything to be perfect. They have different approaches and ideas to solving the problems. The house is hugely chaotic, shambolic, and a leaky mess. Dailyn, Chloe, and Nat follow a house cleaning influencer on a popular social media site. I’m not quite sure what they did other than push some button on a laptop, and voila! Plucked from the mind of an AI algorithm, the mysterious and beautiful Miss Candace (Leslie Ann Sheppard) arrives at the door and things jump into action.

Kristin E. Ellis brings power, force and skill to her memorable role as Mia. Emefa Dzodzomenyo, as Dailyn, is completely believable as an anxious, easily-riled, demanding and mouthy daughter. Ellis and Dzodzomenyo make a comical mother/daughter duo. Dailyn pushes all the boundaries as her stern mother becomes increasingly overwhelmed.
And then there is Miss Candace. She is so totally put together and the polar opposite of Mia. Impeccably dressed. Calm and composed and in control. Suddenly, the viewer is transported back to Oz to a time when Dorothy meets Glinda, and you know things are going to turn around.

Sparks begin to fly though between Mia and Miss Candace. Greenidge doesn’t necessarily pit them against each other as enemies. It’s rather a charming but real sparring as you realize the enemy is the unreasonable rules of gender and the perfection that is expected but unachievable. And their interactions waver between fun and intense. Everything about Leslie Ann Sheppard is delightful to watch. Her character’s positive outlook on life is easily recognizable in her eyes, demeanor and movements. Instead of a magic wand, she carries her magical lipstick tube (kudos to Stephon Dorsey, sound design).

In addition to the fine performances, the design team brings slick realism and subtlety with an attractive and professional looking set (Jackie Fox, set/lighting). Scattered boxes, clothes strewn around, little put away in any orderly fashion, you feel Mia’s cluttered world. Underscoring key elements of the story, the set design, lighting, electronic projections (Abboye Lawrence) are most effective. The costumes (Kotryna Hilko) are completely realistic for the story and go right to the heart of the characters without distraction (until you see the pristine and sparkling Miss Candace).

As life resumes its fast pace and our relationship to technology and artificial intelligence becomes increasingly complex, there is a mental toll that lingers. We expect women to be a flawless and fit. To be super moms and successful career professionals. This is a small story about a big lie. Perfection is impossible. And this falsehood continues to be inflicted upon many contemporary women. Morning, Noon and Night is relatable because it is common, timely, and needs to be told.

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents:
Morning, Noon, and Night
By Kirsten Greenidge
Directed by Amber Montgomery
1 hour 35 minutes / No Intermission

Tickets:
Theater Wit
1229 W. Belmont, Chicago 60657
(773) 975-8150
www.theaterwit.org

Through March 28th with performances :
Thurs, Fri, and Sat 7:30 pm

Sundays 3:00 pm

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

photos by Michael Brosilow