“The Effect”

[rating=4]Have you ever done a health care study group? One where they are giving you a dose of something and you are not told if it is the real drug or perhaps, a placebo. Try to imagine being the person that is brought in for the study and rather than going home and coming back as needed, you are asked to reside in what may be or may have been an insane asylum. In the Chicago premiers of Lucy Prebble’s “The Effect”now on the stage at Strawdog Theatre Company, we are asked to peer into the lives of two young people who share only their date of birth as they are brought in to do such a test.

Tristan ( brilliantly played by Sam Hubbard) is a young man who evidently has done these experiments in the past and knows how to break the rules. Connie ( played to perfection by Daniella Pereira ) is a young lady who is having an encounter with an older, married man and thinks that he will in fact change his course of life for her. They have signed on for this project for reasons that are selfish. They are in many ways, opposites. They are watched on a daily basis by Dr. Lorna James ( deftly handled by Justine C. Turner) who it appears is dedicated to her work and protecting the project that she has been assigned to carry out.

These young people, who have very little in common forge a bond as the time rolls along, each bringing to the table something different from the other. These youngster start t develop feeling for each other. They are under the impression that it is the drugs that are causing this to happen. But are they? Are the actually on the drug? Or are they getting the placebo?

I do not like to give away any of the surprises that are contained within a story, so I will avoid giving out TMI. I will tell you that Dr. James and her superior, Dr. Toby Sealey ( superbly played by Cary Shoda) struggle with the process and something from their past lives which has become an intense obstacle to the study itself.

What is love? What can the drug be responsible for? The human condition can be very fragile. Can someone who believes they are in love, find themselves loving someone else in a matter of days? The relationship between these young people is played to perfection and director Elly Green has brought the emotions to a sizzling boil without showing us actual sex ( although there are a few spots that may offend some patrons). Those of us who are familiar with Strawdog Theatre Company understand that they are a company that enjoys doing topical subject matter that allows those in the audience to think and talk about the “human condition”. This play truly does that!

The play takes us through a period of time that appears to be months in a matter of 1 hours and fifty minutes ( with a 10 minute intermission) on a set that is created to show a lab room with two beds and monitors. (Yeaji Kim , who also did the projections). The limited stage only allowed for the one area and later in the second act, the beds are converted to be a hospital room and the need to focus on the action by the audience becomes greater. There are many surrpises and secrets shared by different characters. Pay close attention to how each handles the problems that will face the others. Also, watch the dosages of the “meds” and see the reactions.

The lighting (Claire Chrzan and John Kelly) is excellent and the sound ( Isaac Mandel) spellbinding. The costumes ( Leah Hummel) are fairly simple and the props (Hillarie M. Shockley) perfect. This is a play that calls for the new classification, fight and intimacy co-ordinator ( Tristin Hall does a superb job) allowing us to view sexual encounters without having it “smack us in the face”. We know it is taking place, and believe it!

Again, I do not want to spoil the effect of “The Effect” for you, so I will say no more, except to let you know that the ending will make sense and you will have a lot to talk about on the rise home.

“The Effect” will continue at Strawdog Theatre Company located at  1802 West Bernice thru November 23rd with performances as follows:

Thursdays  7:30 p.m.

Fridays  7:30 p.m.

Saturdays  7:30 p.m.

Sundays  4 p.m. (except 11/ 17)

Tickets are $35 ( open seating), seniors $26 and can be reserved at http://www,strawdog.org or by calling 773-644-1380  SPECIAL INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE on Monday, 11/4 at 7:30 p.m.

RUSH tickets at half price day of performance subject to availability.

Plenty of free parking on Bernice and the surrounding area.

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