Steadstyle Chicago
	November 2009 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	End Days Faith and Renewal!  That is what playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer's comedy "End Days" is all about.  There are many people who fear that life as we know it is doomed and that very soon the world will come to an end.  On the other hand, there are those who are hopeful that there will be a future and that they watch their grandchildren grow into adulthood.  "End Days" examines these two looks through the eyes of a somewhat dysfunctional family, the Steins. The time of the play is 2008 and we are in an unnamed suburb where the Stein family resides.  Arthur was an executive in New York and a survivor of September 11th.  The family left New York and he has become a sleepless, boring individual who appears to care about nothing.  William Dick handles this role with a unique touch.  We care about him and as the story progresses, we watch as he becomes a human again.  His wife, Sylvia (powerfully played by Laura T Fisher) is Born Again, giving up her Jewish religion and spending her days with Jesus preparing to save the world around them so that all can be forgiven before going to Heaven.  Their daughter, Rachel (a dynamic Carolyn Faye Kramer) is a rebel.  She is against everything and has very little to do with her parents.  This is the dysfunctional family that Ms. Laufer has created. Their lives do take a turn when a new neighbor, Nelson Steinberg (a delightful Adam Shalzi) moves on the other side of the complex and falls for Rachel.  He is a nerd with a great adoration for Elvis Presley.  In fact, he wears a jump suit and always has his guitar with him.  He wends his way into the lives of the Steins and becomes a part of the family and in fact becomes the savior that brings the family closer and back to some type of normalcy.  Directed by Shade Murray, this production moves swiftly and never feels like it is over 2 hours.  Andre LaSalle's set is interesting in that the two main areas, the kitchen and the living room of the Stein home has some tilted floors, which makes the sight lines great for any seat in the theater. The lighting by Lee Fiskness and sound plus original music composition by Nick Keenan truly help to make the production complete, but I was very impressed by the number of props and the accuracy of them.  Patrick Fries must have spent weeks on this, as every little detail was covered to perfection.  Just as an ensemble makes for the completeness of a play, the tech staff are the ingredient that often go unnoticed and without them, the picture painted by Lauder and Murray would be incomplete.  Speaking about ensemble, the other actor in this production, Joseph Wycoff is a wonderful Jesus and a show stopper as Stephen Hawking.  Both of these characters have great meaning to the plot although they are not really there. While this play is filled with comic moments, allowing us to laugh at religion, it is also a think piece that Next Theatre Company is known for producing.  Their productions are often over the top in promoting awareness and change in society.  This powerful comedy fits this to a "T".  Each actor plays their role with great energy and watching the changes that take place in their minds, hearts and souls makes this a wonderful theatrical experience.  This is indeed a story of faith, not just in the religious sense, but faith in humanity and in family.  Perhaps it is young Nelson that will change all of our lives, or what if it were Elvis? "End Days" will run through November 29, 2009 at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center located at 927 Noyes Street in Evanston.  Performances are Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. (no show on Thanksgiving so all can be home giving thanks), Friday evenings at 8 p.m. (except 11/27), Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. with a free "talkback" following.  There will also be a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday 11/28 and Wednesday matinees at 1 p.m. on 11/18 and 11/25.  Tickets range in price from $25-$40 which is a great value for a show this powerful and thought provoking and are available by calling 847-475-1875 ext 2 or online at www.nexttheatre.org.  Free parking is available at the theater and CTA makes it is easy to get there.  The building is located just East of Ridge Avenue and West of Sherman near the Northwestern campus.  There are some local eateries on Noyes as well, and a large selection in downtown Evanston, just blocks away.   About Alan Bresloff Alan Bresloff, once an actor himself, has been covering the Chicago Theater Scene since 1993, first as the Theater and Arts critic for LaRaza newspaper, then with Salsachicago.com and then onto Extra Newspaper and The Epoch Times.  He also writes for ElImparcial and TeleGuia.  His reviews can also be seen on www.theatreinchicago.com.  Alan does not call himself a "critic" but a "reviewer" as he tries to educate the reader about theater itself, what is a good value, what to look for in a play or musical and more.  "Exposure to theater is a very important part of a young person's life" he says. "Learning about the arts and culture is in fact learning about life" and he tries to explain more in his reviews than just if it is good or bad.  Even some of the poor productions have some value, he often says and he would love your feedback on shows that you have seen.  You can write him here or at albresloff@sbcglobal.net.     Second Thoughts by Nicholas Ryan Lamb The Rapture&ldots;all religious and non religious minds have tackled this hypothesis.  Evangelist Christians state that it will happen with such gusto not excluding trumpets and everything going awry.  Then Christ will appear and believers will be taken to heaven.  Sylvia Stein is one of those believers, though her belief in said activities was more recently found.  Her wanting to look good for others took her down a religious development of being a Jew to Atheist to born again.  Through her desire to be saved she has neglected the love that both her husband and her daughter are struggling for.  Love is the intangible object that strings them together, that and a quirky Jew named Nelson, who has fallen for the daughter Rachel, and works his way into the good graces of Arthur and Sylvia.  Next Theatre is located amongst a great world of other theatrical venues.  From going inside you know that around every corner your eyes and ears will be tantalized in an artistic fashion.  The show is fantastically and naturally displayed under the direction of Shade Murray.  Under the artistic mind of Murray are actors who each have the arduous task of character development.  Each character is engulfed by the world around it peering in and holding them back from one another.  They meticulously portray these difficult facets with precision.  Binding the family together was neighbor boy Nelson Steinberg, which was brilliantly done by Adam Shalzi.  Veteran actors William Dick and Laura T. Fisher create a wonderful character relationship that can only be rectified once they struggle past their own mental blocks.  Carolyn Faye Kramer does a remarkable job of not playing the stereotype but playing the characters needs.  Last but not least is the undeniably talented Joseph Wycoff who takes on the double roles of Jesus and Stephen Hawking.  The first funny and delightful and the latter timed perfectly.  I was impressed by the lack of sound modulation for Hawking’s voice.  This was spoken with great accuracy.  I could go on and list everyone in the production but as an umbrella compliment this show was thought out in a unified fashion.  From each line, movement, and set piece to the rain sounds, and starish lighting.  Between playwright Debra Zoe Laufer, and the minds of the all the artists, this show was thought provoking and artistically delightful. End Days runs until November 29, 2009 at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center located at 927 Noyes Street.  Tickets range from $25-$40 and are available by calling 847-475-1875 x2 and at www.nexttheatre.org.