“Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight”

[rating=5]How many days has it been since you enjoyed your life? Since this Covid pandemic hit us and things became closed and often tabu, many people have not left their homes at all. Television ( thank the lord for Netflix) has been their salvation. Grocery shopping, or running to the drug store, a release of energy. In the press release about the Chicago Premiere being presented by American Blues Theater, they tell us to think, “you’ve tried everything. Yoga ,Acupuncture, Therapy. You juiced! You journaled! You ate special foods!”, and many more. Life was different! Life was strange! Every day was “blursday”. For me, I was grateful for Sundays- I bowl in the morning ( with a mask for almost two years) and then do the radio show on WCPT- Sunday is a real day and has been for me during this period.

But many people have been listless, doing very little and just waiting for the day when life can return to normal. We are still not there, but slow and sure, we are headed in the right direction. In the Chicago premiere of “Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight”, a masterpiece written and directed by John Kolvenbach, we get to look into the mind of our “leader”called simply “Man” ( an incredible performance by Jim Ortlieb).

Our “man” is a lost soul who probably has been home for the past 707 days and is now trying to connect with us, the audience.  He has been in isolation. He is lonely! He works the audience as if he is trying to lure them into his life and be loved by each and every member.

The play is probably the shortest play one might see. 55 minutes. Fifty-Five wonderful minutes of interplay with us. This is truly an immersive work of art. Ortlieb uses his face and body to capture our gazes. We fear looking away might just get us called on. But I must say, he is clever in what and how he does this. For example, he asked me my name, but had another person ( one of the Saints) assume that name to do a skit. He did this several times, getting audience members involved, on the stage and from their seats. He had us standing and sitting, hand clapping, sighing, making sounds that combined with the other half of the audience resembled the sound of a dial tone on a telephone- wow, we had fun!

The stage is filled with empty chairs stacked and piled and except for one, they were just props and something to focus on before Ortlieb came on stage. Once he started talking to us, there was no turning back. He owned this audience for the entire hour! Some of what he does might seem silly, other stuff a little too close to truth, but all in all it is an entertaining evening of live entertainment that will make you glad you left the house. Near the end of the show, we are treated to a surprise that will grab you and get your mental juices flowing.

Jane and I made it a very special trip to Theater Wit by going for dinner first across the street at  Kubo Chicago ( the number 1 Filipino restaurant in town) Make a reservation at 773-857-1408.