Batman Begins

The Mark of Kane – City Lit

Bob Kane is a struggling, but fervently focused artist. Driven to succeed, and inspired the popularity of Superman, this young guy is passionate and persistent about making his mark in the world of comic strips. Willing to do whatever it takes, Bob’s eye is definitely on the prize and his ultimate goal is to become rich and famous. Bob’s doting parents have always raved about his talent to the point that this young man is certain he’s going to succeed as an artist. Failure just isn’t an option.

Bill Finger is Bob’s closest friend. His creative talent lay in writing clever, involving stories. After Kane’s editor assigns him the task of creating a new comic spread in just three days, Bob meets up with his buddy to pitch some ideas and get Bill’s reaction. In an attempt to come up with an original, new crime-fighting combatant, a gallant champion in the style of Superman, Bob and Bill brainstorm ideas for a new Dark Knight superhero. And suddenly, voila! The character of Batman Begins!

Bob Kane’s road to success, however, becomes strewn with bodies, as he enlists the talents of other gifted friends and artists who will bring Batman to life. In addition to Bill Finger, they include the creators of the DC Comics universe Jerry Robinson (co-creator of the characters of Robin and the Joker), Shelly Moldoff (co-creator of Batgirl and villains Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze), and Jim Steranko (the artist who wrote and drew Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Kane’s sense of his importance begins to grow proportionately with the popularity of Batman. The audaciously enterprising young man who, despite being just one of several creative individuals behind the Caped Crusader, insists that his name alone always appears on every Batman comic strip, comic book, TV show and film. In other words, this cocky, brazen entrepreneur used the talent of his friends and associates but never gave them the credit they deserved. And while Bob Kane eventually became the wealthy celebrity he strived to be, once-close friends, like Bill Finger, died alone, anonymous and poor.

City Lit Theater’s fascinating 42nd season opens with an exciting world premiere. Mark Pracht’s two-act play is just the first installment of a proposed three-year project focusing on the comic book industry. The late American writer, Harlan Ellison, once called comics “one of the five Native American art forms.” He added that they shared that label with banjo music, jazz, musical theatre and the mystery story. Pracht intends to follow up “The Mark of Kane” with a look at horror comics in “The Innocence of Seduction,” slated for next year’s season; and for 2024, he plans to write “The House of Ideas,” depicting the strained relationship between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby of Marvel Entertainment.  

Mark Pracht’s current work opens in 2006 at Comic Con. When moderator Jim Steranko opens the floor to questions, fielded by fellow comic artists Arnold Drake (portrayed by the powerfully verbose Adam Bitterman), Jerry Robinson (a pleasant, mild-mannered Lee Kanne) and Shelly Moldoff (played with dash and dignity by David Valenta), all bets are off. For the next two hours, the truth is exposed about the creators of Batman: the sadly put-upon, unsung creator/writer, Bill Finger, and the pompous, uncaring impressario of the comic strip, Bob Kane.

The production is shaped and guided by artistic director Terry McCabe. He keeps the story interesting and the scenes moving. This is especially noteworthy since this biographical drama is multi-locational and staged on a basically bare stage. Scenes are delineated by the addition of some stage dressing and props are kept to a minimum. The details of each locale come from the color, lighting and magic of some intricate projection work, designed by technical artist G. “Max” Maxin IV. The upstage wall, which also contains two doors, is a projection screen that’s also meant to suggest the frames of a comic strip. The story flashes back and forth in time, from 2006 to 1939.

 We pay brief visits to a variety of locations: a swanky cocktail party where we initially discover the differences between Kane and Finger; the early home life of the two main characters, focusing on how they were raised as young boys; the newspaper office, where Kane is finally offered the opportunity to create his own brand new superhero comic strip; and eventually, in one very lengthy scene, that all-important moment when the creative spark was ignited and a collaboration between the two inventors of Batman took place. This crucial scene is when Pracht’s play truly comes alive.

 The opening scene, at a 21st century Comic Con, while of little real interest to most older audiences, does serve to establish the importance of comic books in today’s culture. Back in the mid-20th century, they were dismissed as mere unimpressive pulp fiction pass-times for teenagers. In this opening scene we also meet the other men who were a part of the evolution of Batman, and we’re given a hint of how despised and disrespected Bob Kane was by his coworkers.  

Both leading men are superb in their individual portrayals of these real life artists. Josh Zagoren is almost hypnotizing as Bob Kane. Portraying the effervescent wheeler-dealer behind the creation and marketing of Batman, Kane’s arrogance and unfettered moxie is brilliantly played by this talented Chicago actor/writer. At times reminding me of a young Nathan Lane, Mr. Zagoren creates a shameless, goal-driven, unethical man who knows no boundaries or limitations in his quest for fame and fortune. Bob Kane is definitely the antihero of this play, and in his swift, callous rise to power and prosperity, he steps on all his friends and associates, and then casually casts them aside.

As Bill Finger, Todd Wojcik is the beating heart of this play. Mr. Wojcik has an imposing, charismatic stage presence and an expressive, resonant voice that makes you hang on his every word. Todd doesn’t simply “play” this role; his skill as an accomplished actor enables him to “become” Bill Finger. An ensemble member with The Artistic Home company, Mr. Wojcik has an impressive resume of past work. I found Bill Finger’s story so touching and sympathetic, particularly as we witness early on how ill-treated he was by his abusive parents. The audience hopes that his sad childhood will be a low point in his life, and that he’ll be able to rise above it. But, sadly, that’s not the case.

Mark Pracht has written a fascinating biographical play about two friends, a pair of creative geniuses. One rose to the top of his game by using the artistry of those around him, men who believed he was their friend, and then leaving them in the cold. The other was a modest, shining star among the other artists, a  man whose light would eventually be dimmed and ultimately extinguished by a smug, self-entitled tyrant. But, despite the drama and the lessons learned through this true story, in the end what really matters is that Batman Begins.

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented October 21-December 4 by City Lit Theater Company, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the theater, by calling 773-293-3682 or by going to www.citylit.org.

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