A Thriller That Disappoints

How a Boy Falls – Northlight Theatre

It seems like mysteries and whodunits are playing in theatres all over the Windy City. At Northlight, under the tight direction of Halena Kays, prolific playwright Steven Dietz’s latest play is being given its World Premiere, right here in Chicago. Like his play, “On Clover Road,” a hit hair-raiser at American Blues Theater a season ago, this new play, although not nearly as filled with tension, is another thriller.

The play is filled with all kinds of twists and turns, like any good mystery, and we’re never completely sure of the real identity of each of the five characters. Who’s the villain of this play? Which character will turn out to be the hero? What exactly happened to the victim? Is there a victim? All these questions, and many more, will be neatly answered by the final curtain, which falls within a mere 85 minutes from when the drama begins. Entertaining and capable of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, the play jumps around chronologically and features five interesting characters, each with his or her own hidden agenda and backstory. 

The story revolves around an attractive, young, twenty-something woman named Chelle. At the outset of the play she’s interviewed for a position as nanny to a little boy named Alexander. The boy’s adoring parents, Paul and Miranda, are an affluent couple who live in a sleek, ultra-modern home overlooking the ocean. Without giving away too much, suffice it to say that one day, while Chelle’s watching Alex, the little boy mysteriously disappears while playing hide-and-seek in the house. Chelle’s been warned by Alex’s parents, particularly by Miranda, not to let the little boy play on the balcony that overlooks the rocky coastline. Miranda’s also not comfortable with the nanny moving into their house, although Paul has given his okay. And Paul is also less strict about allowing his son, whom he adores, to play on the precarious balcony.

As the lights come up, Chelle is discovered sipping coffee at an upscale cafe. She’s apparently waiting for someone to join her. Observing her from a distance, a young man named Sam is approached by another young man named Mitch. He coaxes Sam into actually taking a chance and introducing himself to Chelle. This could be a love connection just waiting to happen, Mitch suggests. What happens next is a series of events that make this thriller so captivating. The problem is that, while each scene is a case of cause and effect, the momentum is too fast. The audience is whisked through the story, given facts that continually change, but without a whole lot of suspense being created. The result is that by the time the story concludes, the audience leaves the theatre dizzy with all the plot turns, but without being emotionally attached to any of the characters.

The cast does a fine job with the what they’re given. Cassidy Slaughter-Mason, who’s been seen in “Significant Other,” by Theater Wit/About Face, and “Rapture Blister Burn,” at the Goodman, is competent as Chelle. Sean Parris, enjoyed in Northlight’s “Curve of Departure,” is fine as Sam. Travis A. Knight, who was so excellent in A Red Orchid’s “Small Mouth Sounds,” is properly mysterious as Mitch. Michelle Duffy’s Miranda and Tim Dekker’s Paul stand out as the play’s strongest characters, primarily because Steven Dietz has given them the most layers with which to play. They both do an excellent job of luring the audience down the suspenseful road of real  information and red herrings. If the playwright had provided more for every character, perhaps even extending the play to two acts, instead of trying to cram everything into just over an hour, each of these fine actors would’ve had much more to give the audience.

With so many excellent plays and musicals opening after the holidays, theatres are, as always, vying for every patron. This new offering by popular, prolific playwright, Steven Dietz, is captivating but somewhat unfulfilling. A good thriller should do just that: it should thrill. This script offers many twists and turns like you’d find in any good thriller. But, when all is said and done, the audience may be left with little to take home. Despite excellent actors, fine direction and a stunning scenic and sound design, by Lizzie Bracken and Rick Sims, respectively, this mystery play just isn’t as thrilling as audiences might be expecting.

Somewhat Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas       

Presented January 23-February 29 by Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 847-673-6300 or by going to www.northlight.org.

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