“Prodigal Son” reviewed by Mark Reinecke

**** Prodigal Son is an inspiring play about a smart, well-read, brawling, drinking, tough kid from the Bronx whose good luck, good looks, and intelligence land him a scholarship to an elite Catholic prep school in New Hampshire. This is a deeply textured story evoking all of the beauty and hell of a young man coming of age and the difficult choices the school administration must make to secure bumper guards in his wake.

This renowned playwright, John Patrick Shanley, gives us a very short glimpse into his own troubled, uncertain and turbulent teenage years through the character of Jim Quinn (an impressive performance by Julian Rus). Prodigal Son invites you into “a special, beautiful room in hell.” What awaits is the sound of Quinn’s raw adolescent ego – a massive, yet fragile ego – screaming for attention.

In the course of this production, we are asked twice to recall being 15 years old. Shanley’s thoroughly compelling script, supported by a convincing cast under the direction of Jonathan James, will reignite – especially for those of us who have had parallel Catholic prep school experiences – the infernal torture of high school growing pains. Throw in some iconic 1960s music (Michael Incardone, sound designer) and a stage set that serves as a realistic dorm room, headmaster’s home and office, a classroom, and the historic façade of the main campus building (Kati Campbell, set designer and Richard Keeley, lighting designer) will make the trip back in time complete.

The years covered are 1965 – 1968. The play unfolds through several well-crafted scenes giving us a sense of Jim Quinn’s cockiness, delusions, and keen intellect. Fresh off the streets of the Bronx, Jim Quinn, who talks like a native New Yorker, is a rebellious and an oddly curious young man about all sorts of things, including the origins of Western thought, literature, philosophy and human nature. The Nazis loom large in his imagination as well.

John Patrick Shanley has won numerous major awards for his scriptwriting, including an Oscar (Moonstruck), a Pulitzer (Doubt) and a Tony (Doubt). In Prodigal Son, I believe he captured the “literary Jim” and all of his angst and complexities beautifully and realistically. Jim writes thoughtful poetry and thinks about rather deep philosophical questions. He clearly belongs among the school’s most gifted students. It’s the “self-destructive Jim” that was not convincing.

I knew smart, bad boys in Catholic prep school who, when backs were turned, did things that not only would have caused an expulsion, but likely would lead to prosecution. Tough boys drink, tell lies, and maybe steal. But they also have swagger. They want affirmation from the larger group of peers. They smoke and swear and dress in provocative ways (Catholic uniforms notwithstanding). They try to prove their masculinity both with girls and by mocking authority. They are hard and mean if need be. They make it know to their authority figures that they find them to be BS or “phony” (to borrow a phrase from Holden Caulfield).

Julian Rus does not carry that throbbing, bulging, massive hormone-fueled chip on his shoulder easily. In spite of his many dramatic gifts, Rus was too likeable. Too soft. Too articulate. Too sensitive. Too pretty and preppy. Smiles readily when he speaks. You had a feeling the lifeline was going to be thrown his way at any point, even though he upset the faculty, terrorized younger students and drank occasionally. The outcome may be a bit predictable because this kid’s remarkable qualities are always visible, more so than his self-centeredness, self-flagellation, and self-worshiping. The tension and mystery in this play would have been more pronounced if the character of Jim was actually a more serious juvenile delinquent. He is rather a remarkable, impulsive young man who does dumb stuff.

Under the direction of Jonathan James, numerous gut punches and solid performances are delivered. The adult characters are each given serious problems and secrets of their own. The by-the-numbers headmaster, Carl Schmitt (Steve Delaney) and docile humanities teacher Alan Hoffman (John Pietrzyk) are at odds over their problematic star student as they continue to threaten and punish him to little avail, all while inflating his juvenile ego. As played by Liam Pietrzyk, Jim Quinn’s roommate, Austin Schmitt, is not as cool or curious and certainly not as street smart, but provides an interesting counter character to Jim Quinn. Open to Jim’s temptations, Austen knows when not to cross the line, unlike his roommate.

The headmaster’s wife, Louise Schmitt (a tender, moving performance by Maggie Kelly), is the lifeline ultimately to which both her husband and student will cling. And the moment you understand what the “two years” reference means, Maggie Kelly and Steve Delaney will wring dry every emotion you have. This is a tremendous script, carried by these strong dramatic performances, presenting revelation after revelation. And this “two years” scene in particular gives added context for a better understanding of the development of these characters. Louise Schmitt taps Carl’s paternal instincts and gives this stubborn man an important perspective on seeing young potential and being a little less rigid and more fatherly. As a result, we just know Carl Schmitt will become a better headmaster and better at shaping these boys’ minds and preparing them for the future.

The Prodigal Son is essentially a brief but spectacular story of Jim Quinn. Because the play shows growth and resolution for Jim, one takes great pleasure in knowing that he will leave his school (with or without the diploma) always searching for a meaningful life and will pursue becoming “a man of letters.” You just know from his bad beginnings, Jim will be all right. He’s like his title’s biblical son: far from home and desperate for a father to forgive his wasteful ways. This is Shanley’s hymn, perhaps to himself, which gives a brilliant perspective on growing up body and soul in the combustible and impossible years of adolescence.

Performances take place at:

Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
2936 N. Southport Avenue
Chicago

Running through November 2, 2025 with performances as follows:

Saturdays and Sundays: 2:00 pm
Fridays and Saturdays: 7:30 pm

Tickets:
General Admission: $36.00. Students and Seniors: $26.00
(312) 820-6250
info@athenaeumcenter.org

Parking:
Free parking behind the building on Oakdale, and south of the building on Southport

Presented by J K Entertainment

Runtime Two Hours including an intermission

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