Two Shows for the Price of One

Two Days in Court – City Lit Theater

One act shows don’t get much love in modern theater. The average theater-goer expects at least the average length of a movie for the price of their ticket. Even most shows that lack an intermission are usually more than one scene presented without that intermission rather than an entire show presented in one short burst. City Lit has solved this problem by presenting two such shows in one evening with a common thread, with both centering on court room dramas.

The first is The Devil and Daniel Webster. It was written in the 1930s by Stephen Vincent Benét, drawing heavily from an older Washington Irving short story, The Devil and Tom Walker. A fictionalized version of New Hampshire statesman Daniel Webster takes on the Devil himself over the fate of the soul of a local farmer. The story itself is probably a little thin by modern standards, but the highlight of the show is Bill Chamberlain as Daniel Webster. He has the booming voice and presence to convince you he could out-argue the devil. Benét also wrote an operatic version of the story and this production incorporates two songs from that into the play. While Chamberlain’s baritone is lovely, the songs themselves don’t add much to the show, though.

The second show is a lesser known Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, Trial by Jury. The story focuses on a jilted woman suing her ex-fiance in court for failing to marry her, which is something you used to be able to do. The show was their first major success, but today, the show largely only gets performed with other works given its half-hour running time. The story quickly proceeds through the absurd patter you expect from a G&S show that skewers England’s upper classes. It feels a little unfair to say I enjoyed this show more since comedy is always a bit more of a crowd pleaser than drama, but this show really let the entire cast shine. They handled the music and lyrics skillfully and the show crackled with the zany charm that should accompany any Gilbert and Sullivan show.

The shows don’t bear two much in common, beyond both taking place in a courtroom. That said, they don’t need to have much more than that. If anything, I applaud City Lit for not going too far in attempting to synthesize a grander point where none was needed. As I said above, the additional songs in Devil and Daniel Webster did not add anything for me, but they didn’t detract either.

The resulting combination is a pleasant, if brief, diversion, which sounds like I’m slighting the shows, but I’m not. If this age of ‘Peak TV’ has taught me anything, it’s that constantly watching things that aim for being a Life Changing Experience is exhausting. The pair of shows, running a combined 90 minutes including an intermission, did exactly what I want my theater-going experiences to do: be entertaining. The cast is brimming with talent and energy, and they made for a delightful evening.

Recommended

Reviewed by Kevin Curran

Presented April 12 – May 26 by City Lit Theater Company, 1020 W Bryn Mawr, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 773-293-3682 or by visiting www.citylit.org.

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