Little Foxes

First Love is the Revolution – Steep Theatre

A shy, motherless, teenage boy unexpectedly falls in love with a young, fatherless female fox who has been sent out into the world on her own. This interspecies romance both surprises and fascinates. Rita Kalnejais’ riveting play is unusual, inventive, often funny and unexpectedly violent, quite like nature. One thing is certain: audiences will be hard-pressed to find a more unique and captivating theatrical experience this Spring.

Basti is a sensitive, 14-year-old boy whose mother’s nervous breakdown forced her to abandon her family. Simon, the teen’s testosterone-fueled father, is doing his best to raise his son alone. However, Dad is a primitive guy, who’s closer to being an animal than all the wildlife that surround their urban apartment complex. Their neighborhood is home to a family of foxes, whose patriarch was killed on the busy, nearby highway. There’s also moles, birds, chickens, cats and dogs.

After the audience becomes comfortable seeing human actors portraying animals of varying species, this spellbinding comic drama grabs hold of the theatergoer and never lets go until the dramatic conclusion. It’s to the credit of both the London-based playwright and first-time Steep guest director, Devon de Mayo, whose production of “Women Laughing Alone with Salad” at Theater Wit, that this production dazzles audiences with its sharp originality.

As with all Steep productions, the entire cast is stellar. Young Jordan Arredondo makes his auspicious debut as Basti. This completely natural actor makes every word that comes out of his mouth sound like he’s voicing his own thoughts. Every sound and gesture is both honest and realistic. Isa Arciniegas, as the female kit, Rdeca, is the driving force of this production. She’s vibrant, purposeful and driven by the young fox’s basic, primal needs. What separates her from the other animals in this play is her ability to love and deeply care about those around her, particularly for Basti.

Lucy Carapetyan is wonderful in two roles, both motherly as Cochineal, the vixen fox, and charmingly disoriented as Bailey, the chicken. Curtis Edward Jackson is terrific as Thoreau, Rdeca’s feisty male kit brother, as well as being a funny and ferocious neutered dog named Rovis. Jin Park is a quiet, cautious kit, named Gustina, as well as playing a sultry cat, called Smulan. As Gregor, the neighboring mole, Alex Gillmor is sweet and empathetic, but he’s outrageously hilarious as Quentin, the easily confused chicken. Jose Nateras, whose credentials read like a who’s-who of Chicago theatres, is a  swaggering, powerful and often scary father, as Basti’s father, Simon. He’s a guy who thinks violence is a big part of being a man. He also thinks nothing of flaunting his sexual conquests before his son. In the role of Gemma, lovely Destini Huston makes a sympathetic neighbor. She’s a liberated young woman who might be romantically interested in Basti’s dad.      

The technical support for this production serves the play well. Ever-creative costumer, Mieka van der Ploeg, has dressed the animal characters in clever anthropomorphic costumes that are both naturalistic and whimsical. The three humans in this story all strike a more realistic look. From Arnel Sancianco’s fluid, graffiti-detailed scenic design, to the beautiful illumination, courtesy of Heather Sparling, and the original music and sound design, by Jeffrey Levin, this fable roars to life. Add to this the superb violence choreography, devised by Rachel Flesher and Zack Payne, and Sasha Smith’s tender intimacy direction, and you have a stunning presentation that audiences won’t likely forget.

There’s so much to love, admire and applaud in Devon de Mayo’s excellent, compelling production of Rita Kalnejais’ unusual play. On one level it’s a touching story about a sad, young man who finally finds the love and warmth missing from his hollow home. On another level, this play can be seen as a metaphor for all those brave individuals who dare to love outside what’s thought to be “normal.” It also makes us ponder our relationship to animals, considering how differently they look at people. And, in the end, Ms. Kalnejais asks her audience to consider man’s inhumanity to man and the cruelty human beings constantly inflict. She seems to challenge us to wonder, “Who are the real animals here?”

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas    

Presented April 13-May 25 by Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 773-649-3186 or by going to www.steeptheatre.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.