THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS AIRDATE: December 17, 2004
Minds and actions tend to get a bit twisted at holiday time.
You want warped? Have I got two for you! You can spend an evening with the
screwy but frighteningly dysfunctional family of “Kimberly Akimbo” – or you can
atone for your seasonal sins at “Late Nite
Catechism.” Both shows are making return visits to
The pseudo adult catechism class is nothing short of
hilarious. ‘Sister’ explains it all for you, from the lives of the saints to
the proper way to dress, respond and behave in a theater. And watch out – she’s
watching you – and will make no bones about calling you on your gum-chewing or
hand-holding or improper attire. If you’ve ever attended Catholic school,
you’ll laugh yourself sick. If you haven’t, you’ll laugh yourself silly. Whichever group you fall into. you
might actually learn a thing or two along the way, or call up long-buried
memories, some having to do with rulers and penance and nasty habits. The
actors who play ‘Sister,’ skilled in improv and the wiles and ways of the
Church, specialize in this production and perform in it for years. At North
Coast Rep, Chicagoan Kathryn Gallagher alternates with Murphy O’Malley. And
when they take questions at the end of their little ‘class,’ you’ll howl –
especially if you’re part of a high-energy, humor-infused audience. Religious
school was never like this – no penance, pure pleasure.
You don’t have to atone for having missed one of the
wackiest and most acclaimed productions of the year. “Kimberly Akimbo” is back,
with her batty, hypochodriacal mother, alcoholic
father, her hyperactive, ex-con aunt and her geeky, word-freak boyfriend. In
this darkly comic coming-of-age story, 16 year-old Kim, thanks to a disease
much like progeria, is aging 4˝ times faster than
normal. She’s already post-menopausal and her life expectancy is.. 16 years. But nobody seems to notice or care.
Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg and her fantastic cast
bring these nutcase characters vividly to life – Linda Castro terrific as the
solid, grounded Kim, Jo Anne Glover and Matt Scott as her whacked-out parents, Liv Kellgren as her nutty aunt and Jason Connors, adorably
nerdy as the love-interest. The newly expanded production, at the much larger
Lyceum Theatre, extends time and space where there was airless claustrophobia
before. This serves to decrease the comic hysteria, though it underscores the
poignancy of this sad story cloaked in a haze of hilarity.
Believe me, you’d rather be back in
Catholic school than live with this family.
©2004 Patté Productions Inc.