★★★★ In this growing era of “Bias” ( prejudices ) we often hear people say that they do not want to hire someone because they are “gay” or “”fat” or “different”. In ” I Wanna F***ing Tear You Apart”, Morgan Gould, takes us into a world that many of us have never been to. We meet Samantha ( played to perfection by Teressa LaGamba) and her roomie, best friend, Leo ( Robert Quintanilla is amazing). They are the “fat girl and the gay guy” versus the world around them!
The title of the play is one that could have been modified, I am sure, but in order to grab the attention of the world, Gould opted to express herself point- blank. While it works, I cannot possibly put this out where children might see it, so I have done the *** for the missing letters.. Sharply directed by Jessica Fisch on a detailed set by Regina Garcia, “Tear You” ( makes it easier to write this) takes us into a world where our main character knows she is “fat”, not chubby, or “big-boned” BUT FAT!. Leo is “gay” personified and at the very start of this 100 minute ( no intermission) play, they appear on stage in black with signage, doing a dance- the signs say, GAY and FAT. The lights dim out and the play begins.
They are writers and roommates. Sam is working on her novel. She has more money than he does and helps him to stay afloat. Their relationship is special as they watch TV, talk about life and dine. Leo makes friends with a co-worker, Chloe ( deftly handled by Jessica Ervin) which bothers Sam. It appears that Sam is afraid that her best friend may have a new buddy and that living the “Three’s Company” style could be in the future.
Over the period of time . Chloe, who by the way is “regular in size” and Sam go at each other and the Sam/Leo relationship begins to show signs of ending. As we watch the relationship change, we begin to hope that something can change to bring them back to what and who they were to each other. The relationship between these two people is special and is about as close to love as it can be. Yes, Sam has her lover ( “Hot Mike” was played tonight by Trevor Vanderzee) who is in one scene and is never seen again.
NOTE- every performance will have a different actor playing this important role that shows a “fat woman” being able to be with a stud.
This play challenges us to look at the world around us and hopefully will challenge the way people think about “fat” people and “gay” people. Sam and Leo are just “people” who have a special love that is theirs even when they are fighting. There are times they seem like a married couple as we take a trip with them into the world of friendships, bigotry toward fat people, ambition, and living in a world that does not accept you as you are, wanting you to change.
NOTE- I grew up overweight. I was 270 pounds when I graduated high school and I know what it feels like to be rejected. My family always told me “time to diet”, “here is some Metrical” ( a diet drink back in my day), “lose weight”. Often, I ate more and got even larger. As the years went on, I did lose weight, but there are many who cannot as well as those who do not feel the need to do so. They are happy with who they are. It is time for us to understand that and treat them as equals, “not different”.
“I Wanna F***ing Tear You Apart” has some great technical aspects to the show ( as always in a Rivendell production). In addition to Garcia’s set, the projections ( Anthony Churchill), lighting (Heather Gilbert), sound and original music (Jeffrey Levin), costumes (Alison Siple) and props (Jonathan Berg-Einhorn) are all superbly done. One must pay attention to the time movement that takes us through this 100 minutes ( no intermission).
“Wanna” will continue at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, located at 5779 N. Ridge Avenue thru March 23rd with performances as follows:
Thursdays 8 p.m.
Fridays 8 p.m.
Saturdays 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday 3/10 at 3 p.m. 3/17 at 3 p.m.
Wednesday 3/20 at 8 p.m.
Town Hall discussions will follow the Saturday afternoon shows 3/9 and 3/16
Tickets are $28 with five seats being pay what you can for every performance (first come first served)
To order your chance to see a wonderful performance and possibly learn a bit about life, call 773-334-7728 or visit www.RivendellTheatre.org
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “I Wanna F***ing Tear You Apart”
Street parking is available in the area, along with the Senn High School parking lot
More Stories
“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”
“How I Learned What I Learned” reviewed by Julia W. Rath
“How to Know the Wild Flowers: A Map” reviewed by Julia W. Rath