PROSPECT
Back at Vince and Elena’s place the stench of government-issue medicinal reefer lingers in the air, and a most unpleasant evening ensues, in which Elena’s moods switch from a quiet, contemplative acceptance of her imminent death to a bile-spewing fury to a wheezing, death-rattle desperation. As the play progresses, characters reveal hidden elements of their lives. Liza tells about the young daughter she left home tonight. Elena reveals her passion for X-rated movies, which, along with reefer, is the only sensual pleasure she has left in life. And Scout tries to come to terms with his Mexican heritage, describing his relationship with the Mexican grandmother Elena reminds him of.
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Still, Latino Chicago does some fun things with this rather unpleasant play. Director Ralph Flores uses the clever trick of setting the bar scene in the lobby of Latino Chicago’s Firehouse space and using the theater space for Elena and Vince’s home. And the performances–from Thomas Carroll’s boisterous, pitiful macho Vince to Peggy Dunne’s sensitive, less-than-confident Liza–are all first-rate. But Prospect is a messy, repetitive play that doesn’t really go anywhere, and the place it stays is not a particularly pleasant place to be.
