ANIMAL DREAM
This is probably why it’s perversely refreshing to encounter an ugly, inarticulate, ragtag, clumsy play willing to take on good versus evil, the battle between God and the devil for man’s soul, totemistic shamanism, the fine line between sex and violence, the pseudotribalistic pack instinct of street gangs, the existential imperative and the avoidance of it, and probably many other philosophical dilemmas at which I–and possibly even the playwright–can only guess. Renee Philippi’s Animal Dream has many imperfections, but limited scope isn’t one of them–this herculean effort makes me willing to overlook a lot of flaws.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
John Brown, as Spit/Karl, delivers a much more professional and coherent performance than the material offers him (all the more so considering that he joined the cast two weeks into rehearsal). Arch Harmon, Mike Kirk, and Shawn Durr list several other acting credits in their biographies; Laura Berry, Brigid Bynum, Hazel Manzardo, and Bill Noble either have none or consider themselves too hip to name them. Not that it makes much difference–all carry out their duties in a respectable academic manner, with the exception of Noble, who overacts with the shamelessness of a born and bred amateur (his casting may have been a matter of expedience; he’s also listed on the program as the master electrician and carpenter, and, in a company where the mean age appears to be about 20, patriarchal faces are hard to find). There is also a five-person chorus who make nicely choreographed noises and movements.
