Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Presented by Equity Library Theatre
At Breadline Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice
Tickets: 773-743-0266
Through June 17

A comic journey inside the mind of a pregnant woman is at the heart of Mary Lathrop's Dreams of Baby, Equity Library Theatre's latest production, now playing at Breadline Theatre. Wacky and unpredictable, Dreams of Baby plays like one long "Saturday Night Live" sketch.

Anne and Rob Michaels (Kim Ataide and David Skidmore) are expecting a baby, and it is Anne's due date. A Doctor (Michael McKay) and a Nurse (Susan Nuell) appear on the scene, and the mayhem begins. Anne's labor pains start into motion a whole series of events that at first seem to have nothing in common, but we begin to see that the cause of all these "visions" is nothing more than sheer panic. As Anne's fears get the better of her, we see them played out in scenes involving onstage marital infidelity, the negative effects of Snickers bars, and a very funny "Rosemary's Baby" delivery room scene, among many others.

Directed by Andrew Powdermaker, Dreams of Baby moves like a freight train. This is a very funny play, difficult for both director and actors, but the comedy is extremely well paced and well played. There are a lot of laughs in this show. A slight incongruity in the script makes the train switch tracks unexpectedly toward the end, but the end of the play still manages to tug the heart strings. Dreams of Baby, while being a fairly raucous comedy, carries a message that is undeniable: that while we may worry about our future, we will invariably do what is right in the end.

The four actors are a hardworking bunch, especially Michael McKay and Susan Nuell as the Doctor and Nurse, both of which play multiple characters, and convincingly at that. Michael McKay deserves special mention for his versatility in the scene in which the Michaels' son grows up before our eyes. David Skidmore is wildly energetic as Rob, and as Anne, Kim Ataide handles her many bursts of hysteria with aplomb.

Dreams of Baby is a very funny play. If you are in the mood for a laugh, you won't be disappointed. If you're not in the mood to laugh, you may anyway.