Steadstyle Chicago
	June 2009 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	Up We all have dreams.  We all want to have our moment of glory, to be someone special and to be remembered for being that someone special.  Most of us do not achieve our goal and go on with the day to day mundane life that our parents and grandparents lived.  In "Up,"  the current production at Steppenwolf Theatre written by Bridget Carpenter, we get to explore how this dream affects a typical American family.  Walter Griffin (a strong and powerful performance by Ian Barford) is an inventor of sorts.  Many years prior he built a flying machine using a lawn chair and balloons and made history reaching the clouds.  This was his moment and he yearns to recapture this by coming up with another way to reach the clouds.  His wife Helen (deftly handled by Lauren Katz) works hard in order to support their family while he attempts to make his dream come true, but just how long can one live in an unreal world?  Their son Mikey is a high school sophomore, with very few friends and no desire for anything but to see his family be a family.  Jake Cohen gives a brilliant performance and I am certain will be gracing many more stages in Chicago over the years to come. On the first day back at school after the summer break, he meets Maria, a 15-year-old pregnant transfer student and there is bonding of the souls as these two somewhat lonely people become special friends.  Rachel Brosnahan gives a marvelous portrayal and is delightful to look at but hard to hear.  She lives with her Aunt Chris, who convinces young Mikey to do some telephone sales work for her, selling office supplies by mail.  Martha Lavey as always is a powerhouse in this role and that of Helen's mother.  If you have never seen her on stage, you owe it to yourself to do so.  Mikey is better than what she expected ringing up larger than expected sales.  It seems that he has a talent and has found something that he is truly good at.  One of the statements his father makes to him is that most jobs are just jobs, "cleaning up someone else's garbage", but if one can find that "something special" in life, then they should reach for it. While Walter is living a sort of Walter Mitty life, his wife tells him that he must get a job and that she cannot do it alone.  He tells her that while he is waiting for his next opportunity, an idea to become his next "Moment," and all seems perfect.  Meanwhile, Mikey is falling in love with Maria and making thousands of dollars which he feels will help his family, but with the love of Maria, he decides that he will help her with the baby and gives her the check with the commissions he has earned.  Later we find that things are not what we thought they were and that each of the Griffins has lost something.  In order not to ruin the story, I will not divulge what happens, but will tell you that Carpenter is full of surprises.  The other character in the story is Philippe Petit, a tightrope walker who is on the news and has himself "stopped the world" while he did his feats.  This role and a few minor ones is expertly handled by Tony Hernandez, a regular at Lookingglass, who is in the imagination of Walter his idol, but young Mikey has an encounter as well.  He is a symbol that appears from time to time and each time has an impact on the story. Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, "Up" is a warm, often funny and very tender look at how our dreams and imaginations can influence our lives.  She uses the stage well but is somewhat hindered by the marvelous set by Dan Ostling.  Ostling has captured a basement work area to perfection and a wonderful kitchen, but because they are boxes, sound from the kitchen area gets lost and the audience on the left side of the stage has a little problem hearing.  This is a shame as Ms. Carpenter's words are strong.  The original music by David Singer is marvelous and Rachel Rockwell's choreography (mostly for Mr. Hernandez) is striking. "Up" ends with a bittersweet moment as Walter prepares to take flight with his new para sail idea and  Petit tells him that he can do anything if he truly wants it.  Despite all that has taken place we the audience are left with a very "Up" feeling in our hearts that the Griffin family will survive in spite of the events as we are taken back to that special day for Walter; the day Helen and her mother strapped him into his special chair and dropped the ballasts for his take-off.  As he soars to the clouds, and disappears from our sight, the lights go out and we feel the thrill of one man's dream becoming a reality.  This is a special production, with the perfect cast to make us realize that we are all special in some way. "Up" will continue  through August 23, 2009 at The Steppenwolf Theatre located at 1650 N. Halsted Street.  Performances are Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m., Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. on July 29 through August 19.  No performance on July 4.  Sunday evening performances at 7:30 p.m. through July 26.  Tickets range in price from $20-$70 and are available at the box office, by phone at 312-335-1650 or online at www.steppenwolf.org.  There are post show discussions after each performance.  The running time is 2 hours with intermission.   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.     Second Thoughts by Nicholas Ryan Lamb “Up” is a metaphorical story by Bridget Carpenter about a family with three completely opposite dreams.  Walter Griffin, an inventor, in his hay-day built a flying machine to help him reach the clouds and attain the inexplicable sense of freedom.  His wife counters this by dreaming of a husband who would keep his feet on the ground and live a more traditional life.  The polar opposite of these two is the son Mikey who dreams of getting rich and allowing this to make him free.  Mikey encounters a quirky girl, Maria, an unwed soon to be teenage mother who has taken refuge with her nomadic Aunt Chris.  The question in each of their minds is “what is really important?” A provocative backdrop of the most luminescent clouds ever imagined lies behind a typical unassuming worn olive green ranch style house.  This beautiful set melds together with the lives that unfold.  There was an inviting ease to the show that allowed the mind to relax and take in the characters.  Each actor brought something different to their characters based on their levels of experience.  Though the commitment was there to the characters, the younger actors who are still in their college minds of acting need to relax and let it happen.  Emotions are to be felt and not forced.  Countering this was their strongest attribute to the piece, which was their ability to listen.  There was so much to be heard and I commend the ease of hearing it.  What could have been strengthened were their reactions.  Overall I got a sense of holding back.  The intensity and impact that the actors tried to deliver during the moments of heightened emotion, was lackluster and unconnected.  I think back to one of my professors' words of wisdom: “relationships, relationships, relationships”.  Above the listening and the marvelous backdrop and the lights that cascaded and set a beautiful specific acting area were the innate connections to each other.  This is what life is.  They accepted who each other was and their titles and desires.  Their place in the play’s world fit perfectly.  This included the heartbeat of the show, Philippe Petite (Tony Hernandez).  From young actors to veteran actors it is important to believe that every part has a purpose no matter the size.  Find your purpose, find your Philippe Petite.  What puzzles me though is how a playwright can find a pulse, a relaxing nature, and write relationships, though fantastic, are very accurate, and yet miss the mark on the ending.  It was a weak choice to end with a statement from the firefighter.  Arguably the last moment is us seeing Walter fly away on “his day to remember”.  I can see the metaphor on the chair coming full circle and the metaphors on life and what is important.  I still feel the last bit of dialogue in the present needs working.  Set all of the moments that lacked aside and what you are left with was a story full of beauty, need, and dreams.  “Up” is performing till August 23, 2009 at Steppenwolf Theatre, located at 1650 N. Halsted.  I give it a 3 out of 4.  For tickets call 312-335-1650 or go to www.steppenwolf.org.  Tickets range from $20-$70.