June 2010 Theatre Review by Nicholas Ryan Lamb
Suicide, Incorporated
The
Gift Theatre, with cramped seats and barely enough room for my
5’4” body, ceiling fans mere hairs away from the duct work,
and an elongated stage that could test any unskilled director/actor,
has taken a piece of work about suicide and infused a work place
comedy into it. "Suicide, Incorporated" deals with
loss and how various characters work through it while some are still
trying to maintain their frat boy college dreams of an
entrepreneurial quest consisting of a used car salesmen approach to
helping write suicide notes. The show has its attention grabber
and unique timing that plays on both the comedic and dramatic
elements. To be said that as much as the show is funny it
equally finds that feeling of the dramatics...and it is funny.
Taking the ranks in his very natural and memorable performance is the acclaimed Michael Patrick Thornton (Norm) who has lost his wife due to his “insecurities” on his wedding night, which leads to a week long removal of himself to her, and then spirals uncontrollably to the point of no return. The truth in his delivery is outstanding. It is a joy to go through the characters journey with them and with Michael we hold on to his every word. Another face to look for is Ed Flynn (Scott). He walks this fine line balancing his work and not revealing much about him. Scott goes through the ups and downs of emotions to the point of losing the one person that has stuck by him no matter what. His character though is never fully rounded out due to a lack in expositional sustenance with the script.
Mike Harvey (Tommy) brought a nice side his character and really displayed a quality of having found “the answer” that he was driven too. His choices in youthfulness were spot on as was his ability to be felt and seen in so many locations without being heard. Joshua Rollins (Jason) brings a good balance to an organized chaos. At times it feels the character could be a little stronger due to how the script reads but that doesn’t take away the fact that we can feel his journey is a tough one. Though Jay Worthington (Perry) brings quirkiness to the character it is hard to find believability in his delivery because it seems forced. That is not to say that as an actor he doesn’t posses the quality of timing but just lacks in this show with the audience connecting with him.
The script did lend to some of the problems in the show. I noticed a few edit points where the play could have ended, scenes near the end that seemed out of place, and it is predictable. However, and this is a big however, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing in the dialogue and the need for natural deliveries with very believable characters in an environment that forces relationships to occur. Clearly we feel the connection between playwright Andrew Hinderaker and his script. This show found its perfect home with The Gift Theatre with its use of staging and color schemes relating to the piece.
The importance of this piece is quite apparent. If you or someone you know is in need of help, don’t wait. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). "Suicide, Incorporated" can be seen at The Gift Theatre located at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. The show runs until October 10, 2010. For tickets call 773-283-7071 or go to www.thegifttheatre.org. For more information on this show, please visit the Theatre In Chicago Suicide, Incorporated page.
About Nicholas Ryan Lamb
Nicholas
Lamb is a graduate from Illinois State Universities acting program
with a secondary focus on directing. He is also a graduate from
SAK Universities improv school. As an accomplished actor he has
performed in dozens of shows with his most notable credits including
the title role in "Scrooge" the musical, Adan in Milcha
Sanchez Scott's "Roosters" and Nicely Nicely Johnson in
"Guys and Dolls". He was last seen on stage in "A
Leading Woman" and as Matt in "The Fantasticks".
Some of his most known directing works are "Barefoot in the
Park", "The Secret Garden", and the well received "Birdbath".
Not only has he worked numerously with acting and directing but his training also includes the technical areas of theatre as well as film work. He has directed in both Illinois and Florida for over 7 years. He most recently directed the children's shows of "Charlotte's Web", "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp", and "Pinocchio". His palette for theatre is that of a culinary connoisseur. Theatre is something to go in with an open mind, which is how he approaches each show he critiques.