Life’s
Tremors
By Tommy Lee Johnston
Directed by Peter Forster
At The Actor’s Workshop Theatre
1044 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL
Call 773-728-play, tickets $20 - $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8Pm
Sundays at 3 PM
Sunday evenings at & PM on Dec 11 & 18
Running time 1 hour 50 minutes with intermission
Through December 18, 2005
Life’s
Tremors is a touching World
Premiere
The Actor’s Workshop Theatre does more
than producing outstanding plays, they train actors and they give voice
to fledging playwrights as in Tommy Lee Johnston’s splendid new play, Life’s Tremors. Johnston’s play is
a polished, tightly written, intelligent work befitting an experienced
writer. Johnston combines a workable plot with rich, fully developed
characters speaking smart words filled with tender moments.
Carl (Michael
Colucci) is in his sixties and suffers from Parkinson’s disease
which slowly is killing him. He is surrounded by Janice (Jan Ellen Graves), his
lifelong housekeeper and personal assistant. Carl has acquired wealth
and has been a benefactor to many needy souls. He had a loving daughter
who waited by the window at 5:30 PM each evening for his return home
from the office. Carl gave work to a drifter/handyman who, one night,
abducted and killed his five year old daughter. This family tragedy led
his wife to leave him and filled him with tremendous guilt.
He married again to a woman who used him for his money, then left. Her
daughter, Sylvia (Christine
Rosencrans) was a wild teen who left the home to get away from
the nasty mother. In Carl’s loving generosity he continued to help her
and even sent her $1000 weekly after she ran away. She returns home to
comfort Carl in his evermore debilitating condition where his body
stiffens and shakes at it slowly ceases to function.
Janice, the strong caring housekeeper, dotes over Carl offering him
support, companionship and unconditional love. She is his rock of
stability. Jan
Ellen Graves is wonder as Janice.
Carl goes from grumpy invalid to spunky father as his dreams of Natalie (Marisa Sanders) allow him
to see her as an adult. These recollections of their time together help
Carl accept his coming death. Natalie tells him he has nothing to fear
and he shouldn’t harbor guilt for what happened to her. She relates
that her entire life was filled with love. Eventually he realizes that
death will reunite him with Natalie for eternity.
Carl’s increasing illness is marked by visits from Josh (Tommy Lee Johnston) a physical
therapist who cajoles Carl to keep fighting the debilitation. As we see
Carl slide toward death, his acceptance of that reality is marvelously
presented in several poignant scenes including one with Greeley Smith (Joseph E. Hudson) the
dead spirit of Natalie’s killer.
Michael Colucci
demonstrates why he is one of the finest actors in Chicago with his
moving performance. Colucci plays Carl as a kindhearted soul who
switches from fighting his illness to giving in to the pain and back
again much as most of us would do. Colucci plays Carl with a quiet
dignity as a man who comes to grips with his mortality as he realizes
that he did much with his life. He dies content with the satisfaction
that he has loved and been loved my Natalie, Sylvia and the ever
present Janice.
Director Peter
Forster paces the story so that the dramatic tension peaks at just the
right moment. We are saddened by Carl’s death yet we admire his
humanity and we secretly hope we’ll be as brave as Carl toward the end.
The moving last scene where Janice is saying her ‘good-by’ to Carl was
wonderfully written and expertly played by Jan Ellen Graves and (her
real life husband) Michael Colucci.
Life’s Tremors contains a reassuring message of hope and surly is a
tribute to the indomitable human spirit. You’ll be moved by this show. Tommy Lee Johnston
is a welcome new playwright with a keen sensitivity and deft
understanding of humanity.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Chicago Stage Talk Radio Show
This show eligible for a C.S.T. Equity Theatre Award
November 20, 2005
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