Steadstyle Chicago
	July 2008 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com Onto Infinity Chicago is a theater city.  There is no question about that, as we get the big Broadway productions and have regional theaters galore.  We are also a city of emerging playwrights, both young and old who are bringing new works to our stages on a regular basis.  Chicago and World Premieres are constantly playing our stages, which allows the theater-goers the opportunity to see many types of art and many different writing techniques.  It also gives actors and directors a chance to mold these new works into something special. Azusa Productions, a sort of "free-wheeling" ensemble (their words, not mine) is a troupe that likes to explore the shared experiences of humanity, and their current Chicago Premiere "Onto Infinity," by local writer David Alex, is indeed such a story.  Don (a strong performance by newcomer Luke Wager) is a mathematician who is seeking the answer to what number infinity truly is.  As a student, he fell in love with his English teacher  Deborah (Amy Anderson), a woman twenty years his senior and therein lies the story.  Don tells us that theirs would be a marriage of "True Minds" blending her poetry, his math and both of their philosophies into a perfect relationship that of course will go on to infinity. Deborah's friend Gwen ( Lori Howard), Don's friends Craig (Evan Lipkin) and Johnny (Marcus Davis) feel that this is a big mistake but as friends do, they help in making it work.  There are ups and downs in the relationship but it appears that they are content and that the love is real.  But as the story progresses, Don's obsession with reaching the "infinite" takes over and as Deborah starts having health problems he ignores them as his quest has taken over his life.  His grandfather (Larry Wiley) attempts to get Don on track, but he must see his project through. Director Brandon Hayes uses the Upstairs Studio Theater at The Victory Gardens Greenhouse well.  Don hardly ever leaves the stage and when other scenes are taking place, he is writing on a Lucite blackboard, working on his theory, but without detracting from the action. There is a lot of chemistry between Mr. Wager and Ms Anderson which makes the love story far more realistic.  I am sure that a great deal of the credit for that goes to the combination of solid actors understanding their characters and the director having a true sense of what Mr. Alex was saying. This is a moving play that could be a real story.  Perhaps a friend or relative in our lives experienced something like this.  Many know younger men who are with older woman.  After all love is not age, love is emotion and feeling, while age is numbers. To that extent, I did not find this story unrealistic.  I did find it a bit wordy and probably 15-20 minutes longer than it needed to be to convey the message.  Often, new writers feel that they need to stress their points and take a little longer than needed to get this done. New plays, however, can be modified and altered to be sharper and more poignant.  I believe that Mr. Alex is open to suggestion and will look at this again, make the show a little lighter in words and tighter in delivery of the love story and I think he will have a successful play. "Onto Infinity" will continue through August 24, 2008 at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse located 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue.  Performances are Thursday, Fridays and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.  Tickets range from $15-$20 and are available at the box office, or by calling the theater at 773-871-3000 or online at www.victorygardens.org.   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 EpochTimes.  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.     Brandon Hayes Directs 'Onto Infinity' Review By Ruth Smerling  * out of **** The Victory Gardens Greenhouse theatre has four active stages, two on the main floor and two upstairs.  Upstairs has as much vitality as down, particularly the North stage, synonymous with companies like the Shattered Globe who have delighted, frightened and horrified audiences with their astounding works.  From this day forth, thanks to Maggie Speers, Artistic Director of Azusa Productions, The Upstairs North Stage will be remembered as home to David Alex’s no holds barred, revealing new work, "Onto Infinity".  David Alex is touted as “the most prolific playwright in Chicago,” penning at least 18 one-acts and approximately seven full-length productions.  He’s earned grants, won awards and even makes time to sit on the Jefferson Committee.  After teaching school for over 30 years, David Alex has retired to live and breath Chicago theatre nearly every waking hour.  After a successful collaboration with director Brandon Hayes on "La commedia e finite" at the Bailiwick Directors Festival in January, Alex and Hayes have joined forces again for "Onto Infinity". "Onto Infinity" is an innocent story, perhaps at times naïve, of a brilliant young man allowed to flourish without guidance.  Don (Luke Wager) is a young man gifted with unprecedented mathematical ability.  Don is the kind of guy who has universities begging him to accept their scholarships.  He really doesn’t even need financial assistance because he’s probably made a fortune tutoring kids who haven’t got a clue how to calculate even the simplest formula.  Set designer Joseph E. Glueckert does a spectacular and unforgettable job of creating an eerie psychological state with a simple design, studded with scant furnishings, but a lot of mathematical formulae on the walls like graffiti interspersed with drawings from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, atop a checkerboard linoleum floor.  It’s as if Carroll had teamed up with an intellectual street gang and reinforces the unbending mindset During his time in high school, when his mathematical ability surfaced in full bloom he developed almost as great a love for literature, thanks to an encouraging teacher, Deborah (Amy Anderson).  Upon graduating college, and reaching legal age, he returns to visit Deborah to tell her that he is head over heels in love with her and wants to be her lover.  Propriety demands that she throw him out of her office, but Don doesn’t play by the same rules as everyone else and continues to pursue her relentlessly.  Though Deborah is reasonable and highly discouraged by her good friend, Gwen (Lori Howard), Don is making wedding plans.  Not even the incessant teasing of his beer swilling frat boy friends, Craig (Evan Lipkin) and Johnny (Marcus Davis) penetrate his confidence.  Soon they actually begin to fear for him.  “Dude she’s old!”  It doesn’t matter.  He’s calculated their love down to the microsecond. Soon Deborah starts to crack under the pressure of Don’s aggressive advances.  She starts to feel like a lonely spinster.  It’s not clear if Don is just telling her what she needs to hear or if she’s just tired of waiting for a Hemingway character to emerge from WWI without a foot or something.  She gives in and they get married, much to the dismay of a shocked audience.  Are they happy?  Did they do the right thing?  If life is eternal and we’re just on a continuum does it really matter? For some of us bimbos, these concepts are a little too esoteric.  Nevertheless, director Brandon Hayes doesn’t pull any punches.  He lets the full force of the consequences of the actions of an unruly young man and a lonely, vain and irresponsible woman bare their souls for better or for worse.  A story of potential realized only to a point to be stifled by misdirection, "Onto Infinity" is filled with emotion so strong it’s almost overwhelming and horrifying.  No one can see this work without feeling a little bit trapped by their imagined limitations.