Steadstyle Chicago
	February 2010 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	The Analytical Engine In our fast paced, computerized world, how often do we think back to the time before cell phones, ipods, electronic games, fax machines, and computers?  A time when communication meant speaking or writing a letter and where instead of learning about things by "Googling," we did research.  Playwright Jon Steinhagen's "The Analytical Engine" takes us far back into time in his World Premiere now onstage at The Circle Theatre.  It is 1850 in a small town in Connecticut, where we meet the Powell family.  Three women live together but are far different in dreams, desires and ambitions.  Or are they? Marigold is the younger of the two daughters (a spirited performance by Catherine Ferraro) who is an author, who uses a man's name.  Hippolyta (the charming Patricia Austin) is the elder is the scientists.  She has taken the theory of one Charles Babbage of an Analytical Engine to help find mathematical answers to a different task, to find perfect matches for her and the other women of the area.  Their mother Virginia (a delightful character played by Mary Redmon) is a widow who only wants what is best for them and scene after scene, we see her babble and make statements that are unsuitable for what is happening.  It appears that she doesn't even come close to the knowledge of her two brilliant daughters, but in the end we find that she may be smarter than both of them put together.  In fact, one might add a subtitle "Mother Knows Best" to this production! There are two men in the play.  Eppa Morton is a shop keeper, who for years has been in love with Polly (the nickname for Hippolyta), but too shy and afraid of rejection to ever say anything.  The other man, Nathanial Swade is an attorney, young and handsome and as it turns out the Engine has chosen him to be the perfect match for Polly.  The role of Nathanial is smoothly played by Eric Lindahl, who fits the egomaniac that Steinhagen has created to be his competition as he plays the bumbling, less educated Eppa Morton. The friction between man and machine gets a little deeper when Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron and a scientist herself, arrives to see this engine at work.  The very statuesque Denita Linnertz deftly handles this important character.  What takes place in this perfectly timed two hour production is a fun look at love, man versus machine.  It is staged by Bob Knuth who also designed the wonderful and realistic set as well as the lighting.  Knuth is truly a jack of many trades.  Feelings versus statistics!  Can love between two people be assumed because they like the same things, or is love something that must be felt? Steinhagen takes us on a wonderful little journey into the matchmaking by a computer, something like the early Match.com or eHarmony that we see advertised on a regular basis.  They tell us that this is how to find the perfect match, even though we learn from this production the old way is still the best.  Something wonderful happens in the second act, that at the time seems as if Polly will be unable to handle.  I won't divulge the little secret so you can enjoy this for yourself, but as it turns out, someone took fate by the hand and changed the course from analytical mating to true love.  Bravo! If you have never attended a play at CircleTheatre, perhaps it is time to take the trip for Forest Park.  They are located at 7300 West Madison Street one block west of Harlem, making it an easy place to get to by highway, bus and even the Blue line is very nearby as is the Green.  There is street parking (old fashioned coin meters until 6 p.m.).  If you have been to Circle before, you know the way, so pick up the phone and call  708-771-0700 to reserve your seats.  Tickets are a mere $20, just a little more than a move for live theater.  Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.  The run will continue until March 28, 2010.  For more info visit www.circle-theatre.org.   About Alan Bresloff Alan Bresloff, once an actor himself, has been covering the Chicago Theater Scene since 1993, first as the Theater and Arts critic for LaRaza newspaper, then with Salsachicago.com and then onto Extra Newspaper and The Epoch Times.  He also writes for ElImparcial and TeleGuia.  His reviews can also be seen on www.theatreinchicago.com.  Alan does not call himself a "critic" but a "reviewer" as he tries to educate the reader about theater itself, what is a good value, what to look for in a play or musical and more.  "Exposure to theater is a very important part of a young person's life" he says. "Learning about the arts and culture is in fact learning about life" and he tries to explain more in his reviews than just if it is good or bad.  Even some of the poor productions have some value, he often says and he would love your feedback on shows that you have seen.  You can write him here or at albresloff@sbcglobal.net.