Scent of Edna

By Kayland Smyth

LiveWire Chicago Theatre is starting off their 2012-2013 season with the Chicago premiere of THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE. This wildly funny story of love and dirty people was written by creator and writer of the new hit FOX sitcom New Girl and Heddatron Elizabeth Meriwether and directed by LiveWire member Krista D’Agostino.
THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE tells the story of Edna (Hilary Williams) a personal assistant who develops Ablutophobia, the fear of bathing. Struggling with her job and the unexpected loss of her brother, Buddy (Joel Ewing). She wages a furious and funny war against all things complacent, pampered and clean. As Edna’s smell starts to overwhelm her co-works, Beth (Krista Collins) and Wilson (Chris Zdenk), and many casual lovers, Drake, Blake and Jake (all played by Fred Geyer), the play raises the questions: is dirty living a political act? And is clean living even possible in these times of unrest.
There were a few things that I liked about this production. First, I liked the scenes that showed the interactions between Edna and Buddy. They showed that the two had a very tight and close bond, later giving a better understanding of the effect Buddy’s death had on Edna. And I found it interesting that the two siblings developed the same phobia due to similar causes. Second, I loved the character of Wilson, his crazy antics made for a great comedy release after intense scenes. I also loved the cast; I felt that they did a great job at bringing the characters to life. And lastly I like the use of the scrim (transparent stage curtain) where we could see Buddy working on his writing while sitting in Edna’s bathtub. It was something that quickly caught my eye and took me back to a theatre I took in college.
I would strongly recommend this play to the theatre goers who enjoy a good dramedy (drama and comedy).
THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE runs October 3, 2012 November 3, 2012 at Greenhouse Theatre Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago. Performances run Thursday through Saturday at 8:00p and Sundays at 3:00p. Tickets are $20 online at www.greenhousetheater.com.