From: murray@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Thomas Murray)
Subject: ON THE OPEN ROAD in Chicago...
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences, Evanston, IL
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 15:48:10 GMT

Someone else posted about this play a couple weeks ago, and
recommended it.  I thought I would second that recommendation with a
review. 

The play is ON THE OPEN ROAD by Steve Tesich, who has also written THE
CARPENTERS, LAKE OF THE WOODS, BABA GOYA, GORKY, THE PASSING GAME,
TOUCHING BOTTOM, DIVISION STREET, SQUARE ONE, and THE SPEED OF
DARKNESS (produced on Broadway last winter).  He also wrote the
screenplays for many films, including BREAKING AWAY, and THE WORLD
ACCORDING TO GARP.

This premiere production is being presented by the Goodman Theatre,
under the direction of Robert Falls (the same theatre, director, and
playwright who took THE SPEED OF DARKNESS to Broadway).

Other credits:

Set design		George Tsypin
Costume design		Gabriel Berry
Lighting		Michael Philippi
Sound Design		Rob Milburn
Projections		John Boesche

Al			Jordan Charney
Angel			Steve Pickering
The Monk		Christopher Pieczynski
Jesus			Andy Taylor

That's pretty much it.  In terms of people numbers, it's not a very
large production.  In terms of significance, I think it's HUGE!!!

From the playbill: (reprinted without permission)

ONE THE OPEN ROAD: Synopsis

Al and Angel: two men on the open road pulling a cart.  They've filled
it with paintings and statues they've looted from bombed-out museums.
They're on their way to the Land of the Free and Al and Angel are
going to buy their way in with the treasures they're hauling.  But
this being a time of civil war, things don't go according to plan, and
with the Land of the Free in sight, they're arrested by one of the
marauding factions.  But freedom still can be bought, if they agree to
do a little job for the new government, an assassination.  It's just
too bad for Al and Angel that Jesus Christ has picked this particular
time to come back to earth...
 
A sample of the dialogue (reprinted from the playbill, without
permission): 

Angel:	I've heard, I mean this is only what I've heard, but I've
	heard that the air itself in the Land of the Free, the very
	air you breathe is somehow...

(He inhales with relish the imagined freedom.)

Al:	Yes, I've heard that too.

Angel:	And I won't be lonely when I get there?

Al:	No.  Freedom is Father, from what I've heard.  Freedom is
	Mother. Waiting to embrace us with open arms.

Angel:	I've never had a Mom and Dad.



In a post performance discussion, many of the audience members said it
reminded them of WAITING FOR GODOT (which I have never seen), partly
because of the two leading male characters who pretty much carry the
entire play; but also because of the sense that it was something truly
amazing and awesome they were seeing. A couple people remarked that
this play was much more powerful than GODOT.  It goes alot farther in
the direction that GODOT starts to lead, but never really gets going.
One of the associate directors of the theatre agreed with this comment,
feeling that this play covers alot more ground than GODOT.

One of the actors remarked that the setting of the play, "a time and
place of civil war", provided a sense of "openess" that he had never
experienced in a play before. It could be the future, the past, the
present (in Eastern Europe), anytime. And it give the playwright a
tremendous platform on which to stand and discuss issues, morals, art,
philosophy, all without seeming out of place.  As far as he was
concerned, this play could be the beginning of a new genre of play.
"Those of you who are in the audience can turn back and say in ten
years, that you were there at the original production."

In terms of the actual production, the set is the most striking aspect
of the production.  It is a "box", with what appears to be somewhat
dingy stone walls.  Within the box, from downstage to up, there are
three "girders" that can be lowered, raised, tilted, etc. The back
"stone" wall splits in the center, and when removed, reveals a cyc, on
which the projections are displayed. The color scheme of the entire
production is earth tones.  The material scheme is stone, dirt, and
steel.  The "box" makes it feel like a room, but the earth materials,
like the dirt and rocks, give it an outdoor quality.  Better yet, the
feeling of a building that has decayed, or been war-torn, and which
the elements have invaded. At the same time, the "girders" make it
feel like something under construction.  Everything seems kind of
hard, and dry.  But the feeling is not stark.  It's hard to describe.
It's easily the best set design I have ever seen.  And it works
superbly for the actors, and for the play itself.  The set designer
has done alot of work with Peter Sellars, so he is probably familiar
with presenting new ideas.

The set design is just the beginning of a production that has been
lavished with much skill, energy, care, and detail.  The acting is
flawlessly executed by Steve Pickering and Jordan Charney (most
recently seen in the Huntington Theatre production of THE LITTLE
FOXES, in Boston).  The direction by Robert Falls is brilliant.  The
lighting is brilliant.  The sound design is phenomenal!!  I can't find
enough superlatives to describe this production.

In all fairness, however, I should point out that not everyone shares
my enthusiasm for the production.  A co-worker of mine (who went to
Yale) said he thought the production was kind of stupid, and reminded
him of alot of the amateur productions he had seen in New Haven.  He
did think the set was remarkable though.

My greatest hope is that this show moves to New York, so the rest of
you can see it.  

If you are in Chicago, the production will continue through this
Sunday, April 11.

See it.

-tom