Steadstyle Chicago
	November 2009 Theatre Review by Joe Stead
	My Three Angels Attic Playhouse is giving us some holiday cheer with a gently subversive streak.  Sam and Bella Spewak's 1953 comedy "My Three Angels" is a sweet and sly treat whose trio of "angels" are actually convicted murderers employed as roofers at a failing general store.  Their "heavenly intervention" if you will comes from the heart with a dose of mayhem for good will.  One of the convicts tells us he believed in fairy tales and when he stumbled upon reality he killed.  Reality it seems was finding his wife with another man, so the means justified the end.  The Spewaks set forth the premise that "there's a little good in the worst of us".  There may not be good in all of the characters we meet here, particularly the cold-hearted financier and his fickle nephew, but in good fairy tale form "Fate always arranges for the triumph of good over evil".  And the good performances of Attic's generally entertaining holiday production overcome a few small things. Felix Ducotel is an honest shopkeeper and a bad businessman.  This almost childlike do-gooder has nearly run his floundering business into the ground by extending credit to dishonorable customers.  His books are an accounting nightmare and something better happen quick before his penny pinching cousin and bankroller Henri Trouchard shuts him down.  Felix and Emilie's pretty daughter Marie Louise is also on the verge of being jilted by her philandering fiancée and Trouchard's nephew Paul.  A little divine assistance would certainly come in handy here, although it takes a pretty unusual form.  Joseph, Jules and Alfred are three of "God's wayward children," convicted murderers who are working to repair the shop roof.  One of Ducotel's clients herself enjoys employing convicts, who are convenient, cheap and effective.  Through their wits and unconventional tactics, these "fallen angels" are able to repair a lot more than just the roof. Joseph proves to be a savvy businessman with a passion for "inspired" accounting.  The situation calls for "boldness and a little exaggeration".  Unlike the honorable but mousy Felix, Joseph isn't overly concerned with ethics.  "Our world is just like yours with one difference," Jules says.  "We were caught".   Joseph sees business as an art rather than a science, and there is a wide discrepancy between reality and the appearance of reality in both business and in life.  He vows to restore Felix's character and confidence.  Jules takes on a fatherly concern for the attractive young Marie Louise as the three men act as "chaperones" to the ill fated couple.  Their venomous pet companion Adolphe will also play a role in ensuring the happiness of all who deserve it. I have usually been impressed with the way Artistic Director Kimberly Loughlin and her staff utilizes the small upstairs space to its best advantage.  "My Three Angels" features a pretty generic looking set by designer Jack Zordan that gives little indication of time or place.  I had to consult the program to find that the play takes place in the living room of a general store in Cayenne, French Guiana at the turn of the 20th Century.  Loughlin's good taste and attention to detail does come out in the nicely chosen props, furniture and period costuming.  Otherwise, there was little to distinguish the present set from Attic's last modern day effort, "The Affections of May".  The play also takes a little time to build up steam, since the shopkeeper and his family are not terribly interesting characters.  And the aforementioned supporting characters, the nasty Henri Trochard and the milquetoast Paul are little more than cardboard bullies and posers. Where the play and production really come to life is in the performances of those three title "angels".  We have the quietly paternal figure and cook Jules, the dashing young lady killer Alfred, and the charming forgery expert, creative accountant and business mastermind Joseph.  Brendan Hutt all but steals the play with his delicious portrayal of "Uncle" Joseph, creating such a lovable teddy bear that the crooked things he does actually make a good deal of common sense.  The solemn Evan Voboril and the smoldering Jacob Alexander also offer well etched performances that make this a memorable trinity.  Barb Stasiw lends some fine timing and energy to Emilie, who finds herself with two children, one she gave birth to and the other she married.  On the whole, "My Three Angels" is a pleasant alternative and antidote to some of the more sugary and sentimental seasonal entertainment options out there. "My Three Angels" plays through December 20, 2009 at Attic Playhouse, located at 410 Sheridan Road in Highwood.  The play runs 2 hours 20 minutes with intermission.  Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.  Tickets are $20 with advanced purchase and $22 at the door.  Discounts are available to Seniors, Students, Groups and Active Duty Military Personnel.  Call (847) 433-2660 or visit www.atticplayhouse.com.         About Joe Stead Joe Stead has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the theatre, which has involved acting, directing, producing, designing and reviewing for the past twenty-five years.  He served as founder, producer and Artistic Director of Curtain Up Productions in Baltimore, Maryland and Four Star Players in Tampa, Florida.  Favorite productions have included "Life With Father," "Deathtrap," "The Odd Couple," "The Miracle Worker," "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Godspell".  He has also performed leading roles in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Pippin," "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Front Page," and most recently as Hucklebee in "The Fantasticks" for Waukegan Community Players.  Joe holds a degree in Commercial Art from Tampa Technical Institute.  As a critic, he has reviewed everything from Broadway to community theatre and major regional theatres throughout the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.  Since 1998, he has been a proud resident of Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America.  He served for two years as Theatre Editor for College News and Central Newspapers.  He created the website Steadstyle Chicago in 2000 to showcase the city's outstanding and diverse theatre scene.  Joe was proud to serve alongside a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for two seasons of Speaking Ring Theatre's "Vitality" Festival of original short plays.  His most fulfilling role, in addition to reviewer and all-around theatre fanatic, was as director of the 2007 production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" at Actors Workshop (now Redtwist) Theatre, which was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Award Citations and won for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe).