Steadstyle Chicago
	June 2008 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com W;t Critical Evaluation: *** out of **** (Left) Anna Carini, Alexandra Main, Chuck Spencer, Kenny Mihlfried; (Right) Patricia Donegan and Main in "W;t" at Gift Theatre.  rgPhotos by Eric Nerger. "How are you today?"  This is a question that can lead to long and tedious answers from those we ask.  Often, the answer is far from what we had hopes for.  While we were seeking a "great, how are you?", we often hear the real problems the asked party is experiencing.  In the case of this new production at The Gift Theatre "W;t", Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize winning play, it is that our heroine, has cancer.  Vivian Bearing, PhD, has cancer and having no family agrees to take on a new chemo treatment which could lead to saving many lives, of which hers is of the greatest import at the present. In a sterling performance by Alexandra Main, Vivian is the primary focus of the story and won my heart over as she unfolded her history since the discovery of Cancer.  She greets us with some explanation about this question and more, clad in a hospital gown and walking along the stage with an IV on a wheel rack alongside her.  She wears a baseball cap to cover the fact that she has lost her hair from the treatment, and now takes us through the events from that fateful day when she was told by Dr. Kelekian (Chuck Spencer, who also does a turn as Vivian's father in one of the scenes from her past) that this treatment might be her only way of extending her life expectancy.  Dr. Posner, a student of the Doc's in his undergraduate days, convinces her that although she may feel pain, this is her salvation and that of mankind.  As Posner, Kenny Mihlfried gives a very matter-of-fact portrayal of a doc who only cares about the possibility of getting written up at the start. Most of us have family or friends who have been diagnosed with some form of Cancer and we have seen different reactions from these people.  Some are fighters and will take on any challenge to extend their lives so they can be a part of the events to come in their families.  Others will take the treatments prescribed but as time goes on and pain increases, begin to lose that will to live.  In this story, this brilliant  professor takes us along her path, back into her past down to her fifth year in a charming father daughter scene, with her students and her own professor. Ms Main is a very strong actress and moves about the very small stage in this true storefront theater that seats roughly 25.  John Gawlik's direction makes this production move swiftly (91 minutes/no intermission) as the actors move from side to side as nurses, doctors and students bringing the reality of what Vivian is experiencing to us.  Yes, there are some moments of laughter, but the truth is that this play deals with death and learning how to build the strength to carry on.  In this case, our professor uses her wit (notice this is spelled correct, not like the title) to attempt to conquer death, and in this case life! The ensemble members of this cast, Anna Carini, Patricia Donegan, Ted Jonas, Nick Mikula, Eliza Stoughton and Carolyn Kingsly Rau all add greatly to the pacing of this production, each taking on more than one role and each having the ability to develop a character quickly.  These characters are important to the final outcome of the production and this all is done smoothly due to the talents of these actors.  Courtney O'Neill's set design is very stark and white with three areas on the stage representing lab, hospital room, classroom, living room, library, professor's office, all simply handled with movement of props, furniture and currents.  John Horan has done some very creative work with light design along this narrow stage.  It truly works.  In fact, this is a very solid production that often goes unseen because many people want happy endings and date plays.  This is one with an ending that makes one think, in fact this entire production is a "think piece" where we can think about our own lives and destinies and perhaps put ourselves in Vivian's slippers for just 90 minutes. "W;t" has been extended through July 27, 2008 at The Gift Theater, located at 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.  Performances are Thursday-Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.  Tickets range from $20-$25 and can be purchased by calling773-283-7071 or visit www.thegifttheatre.org.  If you attend Thursday night, a portion of the ticket price will be donated to Gilda's Club Chicago, a support system for families dealing with forms of Cancer as well as emotional counseling. check out www.gildasclubchicago.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.