Masters of Our Fate

Be Here Now – Shattered Globe Theatre

Set in a small town in upstate New York, Bari is a cynical former college professor, who taught a course in nihilism. She’s lowered her standards by working to make ends meet at a chotchke shop that deals in religious souvenirs, that are made in China. She’s suffering from writer’s block when it comes to finishing her dissertation. But she’s also suffering from severe, debilitating headaches that often result in seizures. Bari radiates negativity about everything in life and it deeply troubles her longtime friend and coworker, Patty Cooper, as well as a young, tirelessly optimistic newcomer to the mail order warehouse, Luanne.

After finding yoga unfulfilling ,with her with friends Patty and Luanne, Bari reluctantly agrees to a blind date with Mike, Patty’s cousin. The two, naturally, don’t hit it off at the start. These individuals seem as mismatched as any two people can be; however, while being pole opposites, Bari and Mike gradually find a common ground where they can bridge their differences. Bari is an educated woman who always  sees the glass as being half empty; Mike, who harbors his own secrets, sees the glass half full. He’s a bedraggled, unkempt young man who revels in the simplicity and beauty of life, and finds treasures in other people’s trash. He literally spends his day collecting garbage and discarded items. From the junk he finds, Mike creates unbelievable art. In this often very funny story, hopelessness and gloom meets, and is conquered by, optimism and joy.

This Chicago premiere of Deborah Zoe Laufer’s beautifully written 90-minute one-act, originally enjoyed its world premiere last year at the Cincinnati Playhouse, where it was met with enthusiastic praise. The playwright has smartly entrusted her comic drama to Shattered Globe’s very talented director, Sandy Shinner. In this intimate production, staged in Theater Wit’s cozy Theater 3, Ms. Shinner has led her four actors through a story that rewards audiences with laughs, as well as a hopeful, uplifting tale of two loners who find a connection in each other’s  singular view of life.
Rebecca Jordan, who’s been seen in the company’s productions of “Marvin’s Room” and “Mill Fire,” stars as Bari. An eloquent actor, filled with energy and a quiet passion, Ms. Jordan is exciting to watch as she navigates through these choppy emotional waters. She is coupled with one of Shattered Globe’s most gifted ensemble members, Joseph Wiens. As Mike, this actor, whose impressive credits include “Five Mile Lake,” “Crime and Punishment” and “The Realistic Joneses,” is a study in fine acting. He’s totally in control of his character’s balance of feelings, showing empathy for his pet crow, while dealing with Bari’s histrionics with a level head. This couple is terrific.

Deanna Reed-Foster practically steals the show as Patty, Bari’s childhood friend and fellow employee. What a stroke of genius  to cast this gifted actor in this role. She makes every role she undertakes a joy. Here the astrology-obsessed, church-going matriarch of the business’ mailroom becomes, in Ms. Foster’s hands, a character everyone would love to know personally. Also seen at Shattered Globe in some of their finest productions, this actor was a standout in Northlight Theatre’s “Nina Simone: Four Women.” As Patty, Deanna is a pure joy. She’s remarkably funny and profoundly empathetic. Demetra Dee plays Luanne, one of Patty’s cousins, and whose lust for life is almost tangible. Recently enjoyed in Raven Theatre’s “Crumbs From the Table of Joy, she makes Luanne a recognizable young woman we all know and adore, a teenager who loves her menial job and everyone around her. Her only desire, besides finding a compatible boyfriend, is to see more of the world.

Angela Weber Miller’s scenic design for this production is wonderful. It’s so eclectically creative; and at first the audience puzzles at her motivation. Then, when it’s revealed that Mike collects junk and builds houses out of it, we come to understand Ms. Miller’s setting. It’s constructed from an assortment of items you might find in a garbage dump, all welded together behind a wall made out of assorted windows of various sizes. Shelley Strasser has beautifully lit the production, including highlighting the objects embedded in Ms. Miller’s set. Notice, too, how Ms. Strasser’s multicolored lighting perfectly reflects Bari’s mood-altering headaches.

Shattered Globe launches its new season with a play by Deborah Zoe Laufer that’s charming, thoughtful and life-affirming. It probes each of our journeys toward the pursuit of happiness. It’s a play that, seasoned with laughs and lots of “aha” moments, isn’t afraid to ask questions that urge the audience to think about what’s really important. Do we come into this world born with a certain point of view about life, or does that develop and evolve, based upon our environment and who we know? As the poet William Ernest Henley proclaimed in his poem Invictus, are we truly “the masters of our fate and the captains of our soul,” or do we need those around us to help us to Be Here Now?

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas   

Presented September 5-October 19 by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 773-975-8150 or by going to www.sgtheatre.org.

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