[rating=4] Immersive theater! This is what Chicago is offered by Windy City Playhouse. They take plays off the stage and put their audience IN the play. While it may sound bizarre, it has proven something that people not only love, but want more of! It has been twenty years since Chicago has witnessed “The Boys In The Band”, Mort Crowley’s peer into a group of gay men and the games they play with each other. The play takes place in a high rise apartment as Michael ( Jackson Evans in a powerful performance) host a birthday party .
Here is a bit of info on immersive theater. You are led to the “theater stage” by going through a hall after a brief elevator ride ( to make you feel that you are high above the city) and then down the hall to Apartment 5C. As you enter the spacious apartment, you can select an area to sit in. There are enough seats for 40 people, but if you feel the need to move about, you can. If you opt for the sunken living room, you will be IN the action and should be very careful as the action will take place within reach. William Boles has designed an exciting apartment that many in the audience would die for!
There are brown bowls of goodies ( after all, you are at a party) such as licorice, jelly beans, bugles and the likes, which are “fair game”. You can bring drinks from the bar in with you and there will be some drinks offered during the course of the play. Again, this is a party! I suggest that you pick up a napkin or two from the ledges as they will pass out a veggie meatball and you will want to have a napkin as they are very juicy. I had a few in my pocket from a carryout meal and supplied the ladies sitting next to me. Remember, even if you are alone, you will not be alone. Your neighbors will be your new friends for almost two hours ( no intermission). note: If you need to use the facilities, you will not use the one in the set, but will be aided out of the theater and back in. Just move quietly so you will not disturb your neighbors.
The band of gentlemen you will meet are all different and have been friends for many years. Michael lives well, but as we learn during the unfolding of the lives of these characters, perhaps a little above his means. His apartment is a “safe place” to gather for these men, who come from different backgrounds and coming together takes them out of the closet. Directed by Carl Menninger with a great touch, putting us in the action works. As we meet these men and watch how they act with each other, we begin to feel their fears and goals. Remember, this was a a long time ago and Menninger and crew use this stage to leave us with hope for some of these souls, who at times seem to be lost.
During the course of the evening, Michael’s old friend, Alan (deftly handled by Christian Edwin Cook) who just happens to be in town, stops by. Not to give anything away, but Alan is not one of the “Boys”, or is he? Remember, this story is 1968, over 50 years ago. A lot has changed over these decades, but yet, some things remain the same. The way society judges people from outward appearances is still an obstacle. Yes, the gay community is stronger and has banded together with the LGBTQ associations and organizations but to many, the past is the present!
This is a highly energetic cast of players. Jordan Dell Harris, William Marquez, Ryan Reilly who is paired with James Lee, Denzel Tsopnang, Kyle Patrick ( who is an ordered birthday gift for the birthday boy, Harold ( Sam Bell-Gurwitz). These are the “Boys” and as the evening progresses and we learn a great deal about each of them and their relationship with each other. The staging is very party-like and the technical aspects are sheer perfection. Lighting (Erik S. Barry), sound (Sarah D. Espinoza) and costumes (Uriel Gomez) are all sharply done. The properties and set dressing by Mealah Heidenreich is quite realistic ( and yummy). Max Fabian handles the violence and intimacy design/choreography.
Your time in Apartment 5C will be one where you are “the fly on the wall” observing the lives of these men. When Michael says “let the game begin” and explains the game he wants to play, we can feel the tension in the apartment. The game is to call someone from your life and tell them “you love them”. The tension builds, the drama grows and each character unveils their inner feelings in their own eay. Again, I will not tell you more, as watching the story unfold is part of the magic of Crowley’s story. By the way, there was a film version back in the day and there will be a new film version. From my point of view, being IN the play as done here at Windy City. You are IN the story and you get to know each of these characters. This is the way to see “The Boys In The Band”.
“The Boys In The Band” will continue through April 19th with performances as follows:
| Wednesdays: | 7:30pm |
| Thursdays: | 7:30pm |
| Fridays: | 8:00pm |
| Saturdays: | 3:30pm & 8:00pm |
| Sundays: | 1:30pm & 6:00pm |
Show Type: Drama 
Box Office: 773-891-8985
The performances take place at the “flagship: Windy City Playhouse, located at 3014 West Irving Park Rd in Chicago. Street parking ( metered) on Irving Park ( except for Sundays) and on the side streets, free. Tickets range from $75-$95.
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Boys In The Band”.
More Stories
“How I Learned What I Learned” reviewed by Julia W. Rath
“How to Know the Wild Flowers: A Map” reviewed by Julia W. Rath
“Baby: the Musical”