A ghost story, an exploration of what people call "home," an episode from Chicago's history and a hard look at racial equality all meld together nicely in this smart, professionally produced children's play for thinking audiences. It is a production that never talks down to its audience, as is often the case with some plays meant for children. In addition, the company offers an intelligent talk-back, both before and after each performance, to help young audiences glean the most from their theatrical experience.
Producing artistic director Tom Arventis cleverly enlisted California playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalez, dramaturg Lenora Inez Brown, drama instructor Betsy Quinn and a large group of young people from Evanston and Chicago's Davis Square area to help workshop the ideas and plot twists of this play. This collaborative process took the better part of a year to brainstorm, improvise, present and edit, with the end result worth all the time and effort involved. It also produced a play, told both in English and Spanish, that is especially relevant to young audiences because it was partially created by the children for whom it was intended.
Jasmin Cardenas plays Maricela, the production's central character, and the one with whom the audience will identify. It is through her young eyes that we view the dramatic events of this story set in Chicago's Pilsen area, both in the past and present. A likable young Latina actor, Ms. Cardenas does an honest and engaging portrayal of the 13-year-old protagonist, whose world changes dramatically through the events of the play.
With the exception of Ms. Cardenas and the wonderfully comic Donte Fitzgerald as Isom, the ensemble actors in this play all portray multiple characters to great success. The special effects created for the production are fantastic and will amaze both children and adults. Jessica Kuehnau's brilliant sets, Brandon Wardell's lighting, Mikhail Fiksel's original music and sound design and Mike Tutaj's spectacular video effects help elevate this production to the professional level it ultimately achieves.
For those not familiar with this creative Chicago theater company for young audiences, "The Blue House" is highly recommended as an introduction to The Adventure Stage. Weekend performances are open to the public, while weekday performances are reserved for school groups.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
Map it