Steadstyle Chicago
	August 2008 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com Trust (Right) Clayton Faits, Kate Cares and Anne Sheridan Smith are pictured in Open Eye Productions' "Trust". Open Eye Productions opens their 2008-2009 season with "Trust" written by Steven Dietz at the Raven Theatre complex at the corner of Clark and Granville.  The story is set against the backdrop of the rock music scene and some of the performers and the people in their lives.  There are a number of scenes or vignettes weaving the lives of the characters into one as a story dealing with love, lust and lying.  I will say that there were times in Act One where I was unsure of where they were headed.  The cast of actors were much stronger than the script and while the direction by Christopher Maher did well in intertwining the scenes and the characters, it would have been stronger had the script been easier to follow. Cody (Clayton Faits) is a rising young rock musician, Becca (a strong performance by Kate Cares) is his Fiancee.  Cody has an affair with an aging rock star, Leah (Anne Sheridan Smith), who at one time was a roommate to Gretchen, the dressmaker designing Becca's wedding gown.  There is a lot more to that particular story that comes out). Then there is Holly (Jill Schmits), a young woman who wants to know people that are important and thinks of Cody as a "God".  The final piece of the puzzle (and it does appear to be a puzzle) is Roy (Dan Granata), a lonely man who cannot get past the door in his dating life.  His Act Two scene about his sex life (or lack of one) and his nervous energy is quite the scene and probably the best in the script.  This scene might just be worth the price of the ticket alone.  There are ups and downs in this script and the issue of trust, although somewhat explored, does not get to the point of the story quickly enough causing some confusion among the audience members.  Each of the characters is trying to understand what trust is, but do they ever really get it?  I think the answer to that was no! The Raven Theatre West is a small venue so there can be no elaborate sets, but I must commend Chris Maher and CW Van Baale for using the stage to its best advantage.  Mac Vaughey's lighting and the sound of Bill Carns work to bring the picture into focus.  I also thought the use of projection by Steve Sommers had a nice effect to the over-all picture.  The confusion of the story line begins at the very onset as we see Becca in a restaurant with a young man and Gretchen observing and narrating what is going on.  The next scene has Becca walking into her apartment and kissing her fiancee, Cody, with no explanation at the time and no element of time being given.  So it is difficult to know where we are and what is happening.  Once confused, it is hard to get back into the scenes and fit all the pieces together.  I think the playwright has something started, but might want to go back to the drawing board (or computer) to refine and design. "Trust" will run through September 14, 2008 at Raven Theatre.  Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m., Sunday at 3:30 p.m.  The running time is a little less than two hours with an intermission.  Tickets are $20 (open seating) with a 20% discount for Students and seniors.  Tickets can be purchased at the Raven Theatre box office, by phone at 773-327-8970 or online at www.openeyeproductions.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.