Steadstyle Chicago
	February 2008 Theatre Review by Donna Goering
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com Skin in Flames Critical Evaluation: *** out of **** (Left) Gerrit O'Neill and Amber Starr Friendly; (Right) Susaan Jamshidi and Ben Veatch in "Skin in Flames" at Stage Left Theatre. Intense emotional interplays mark the performance of "Skin in Flames," which mold well to Stage Left's mission to develop and produce plays that raise debate and challenge perspectives on political and social issues.  Although billed as a search for forgiveness, this play presents the emotional depths of Frederick Salomon's inner life and struggle. Played by Gerrit O'Neill, Salomon's story begins with his return to the war-torn country where twenty years earlier he had captured on film an image, which catapulted his career and became a symbol for an entire generation in his first world home country. Upon return to this third world nation to receive a prestigious arts award being bestowed by the 'democratic' government, Salomon grants an interview to Hanna, a young female reporter from the country's only remaining newspaper. The interaction between Salomon and Hanna is the story told in the foreground, while we see the interaction between Dr. Brown, a United Nations medical professional and Ida, a woman whose daughter is in a coma at a local hospital in the background.  The interaction is reminiscent of theater from an earlier century with actions from two different subplots woven together.  In today's world of split screen television and multi-tasking, this play generates plenty of feelings and emotions to keep the audience actively engaged.  Dr. Brown, played by Ben Veatch, is extracting sexual factors from Ida, played by Susaan Jamshidi.  Both the interaction between Dr. Brown and Ida and the interaction between Salomon and Hanna point to the metaphor of power balances in the worlds each character represents.  One of the boldest metaphors in this drama was sex overlay for the power struggle.  In each part of the plot, a white man in authority holds the position of power, while a woman of color holds the position of submission.  This level deepens the metaphor of the first world, third-world power struggle in the countries that the men and women represent. The play runs 80 minutes and requires a constant building of intensity.  With action required at a very specific pacing for the action of both parts of the play to work effectively for the audience, there is a lot asked of the cast by playwright, Guillem Clua.  As one of Spain's most successful contemporary playwrights, it is clear the author sets high standards for the actors.  Throughout the production, each of the actors has strong moments within the characters portrayed.  Because the play asks the characters to interact on so many different levels, some of the requests require a stretch in acting abilities for the actors to meet their mark and not all of those stretches were successfully executed in this production. In the interaction between Salomon and Hanna, it is clear that forgiveness is sought and contemplated. Both Gerrit O'Neill as Salomon and Amber Starr Friendly as Hanna have some direct and pointed interaction, which causes the audience to take notice and ponder the situation presented. Thought provoking and demanding as it is, the motivations of the characters are never precisely clear. Definitely an engaging and challenging evening, this three-star production may take a second viewing to be thoroughly understood. "Skin in Flames" runs through March 29, 2008.  Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 3:00 PM. Every Sunday matinee is followed immediately by Sunday Symposium, a discussion with the artists about the issues in the play. The play's running time is approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 773.883.8830 or online at www.Stagelefttheatre.com. Stage Left Theatre, which is handicapped and CTA accessible, is located at 3408 N. Sheffield in Chicago.  About Donna Goering Donna was first introduced to live theater by parents devoted to the arts.  Currently theater and dancing are her consuming passions outside of the workday world.  She works in academia at Northeastern University instilling and refining knowledge in Communications, Media and Theater, among other pursuits.  Currently she is actively engaged volunteering with the Center for Progress in trying to obtain tax relief for the working poor.  Theater has always been an exciting way to view the world.  In the world of acting, there are opportunities to experience people's lives and loves, along with their passions.  Having the opportunity to engage with people and their emotions at the most visceral level is truly one of the finest gifts of living.  Serving as a theater critic allows for opening the access to theater for more patrons each year.