Steadstyle Chicago
	January 2010 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	The Wedding Bertolt Brecht, who is known for works such as "Life of Galileo," "The Mother" and most notably "The Threepenny Opera" and "Mother Courage and Her Children," wrote a marvelous little Bavarian folk comedy with music entitled "The Wedding".  The adaptation/translation for this production was done by Martin and Rose Kastner and features original music by Jesse Terrill.  Tuta Theatre Chicago brings this sparkling little musical adventure to the lower level stage of The Chopin Theatre, a great little venue with an enchanting lower lobby filled with antiques and a warm atmosphere.  The Studio is cavernous and while I found the direction of this production to be marvelous and realistic, I think Director Zeljko Djukic needed to take into account the large pillars which support the rest of the building in his blocking.  As the setting is a Wedding party and people move about, there are some moments when the sight lines get lost from different angles, so some see everything and others miss some and those that missed get other scenes and those that had, lose it. I know that the previous line may have baffled you, but the truth is it was meant to be a tongue twister and to draw a laugh or at least a smile, just as this sparkling production is a mind twister and will surely make you laugh.  In fact, there were people in the audience that I see at many plays who never crack a glimmer of a smile who laughed out loud!  Why, so you may ask?  Because of the clever story, the translation, the direction and the actors understanding what it was that Brecht was saying.  Self importance and middle-class are wasted on the "middle class".  Those who live a life that is pretentious need to step back and look at others and then realize that the disdain they are feeling for those others is exactly what those others are feeling for them. Brecht attacks the moral and economic crisis of the times (1919), but much of what he was expressing is still valid today.  Think back to the events that you attend.  The wedding is the perfect place to recall the relatives you only see at such functions and how they try to impress you with their great successes.  You in turn have no choice to do the same.  The wedding couple in this comedy are played by Jennifer Byers and Trey Maclin who bring a certain amount of realism to the characters.  The Groom has built everything in his home himself.  He is very proud of his quality of workmanship and sticks it to all his friends and family every chance he gets.  They are the perfect couple.  Or are they? As we progress through this roughly 90 minutes we are treated to many characters who will remind us of long lost friends and relatives and some of the family events we have experienced.  Kirk Anderson handles the role of the Bride's father, a story teller who tells the same stories over and over.  The Groom's Mother is handled by Laurie Larson, who shows her love and devotion to her son and her feelings that the bride is "not good enough for her perfect son".  The bride's sister is deliciously played by the very sexy Jamielyn Gray and the Groom's friend, the Young Man is deftly handled by Ben Harris.  There are some wonderful scenes between him and the Bride's sister on and off stage.  Jaqueline Stone and Christopher Popio play the roles of The Wife and Her Husband (these are the names, my friends), a couple of either very close relatives or good friends of either the Bride or the Groom, or both.  They to have some relationship problems that come out as the play progresses. Ask yourself, isn't there always that special couple that end the evening hating each other or going to different places after a family wedding?  They are there!  The final character in this story is The Groom's Friend, played with a great comic touch by Andy Hager.  This is the loner/loser who always comes alone (couldn't he get a date or did he not want one?) and flirts with every woman in the room, even the Mother of the Groom.  He is under the table, rubbing legs, taking pictures and dancing with each woman that will allow him to do so.  Mr. Hager is a hoot in this role. When one attends a theatrical production, one expects and anticipates having a good experience.  Knowing they will laugh or cry is not the most important part of the experience.  It is enjoying the time spent in the theater, time spent not thinking about the affairs of state, the economy or what is happening in other parts of the world.  For those minutes sitting in the theater, one should be absorbed in a story that holds your attention and allows you to laugh and desire to applaud. This is a production that earns the laughter and applause.  Nothing fancy.  Just a solid production that will allow you to leave the theater with a smile on your face as well as a good feeling in your heart.  This is almost like a song that says "What a Wonderful Way To Start a Day," but in this case it is a wonderful way to end the day and know that when you wake in the morning, you should still have that smile allowing you to go out and face the world.  I would also like to make a mention of an unseen hero in the making of a play.  The props person is often neglected in mention anywhere in the production and it is often a tedious task to find some of the items that the script or director want.  So, Joel Lambie, Marvelous! "The Wedding" will have a somewhat short run, playing only through Valentines Day (what a perfect way to spend that holiday) at The Chopin Theatre located at 1543 W. Division Street (between Ashland and Milwaukee Avenues).  Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.  Tickets are $25, a bargain, and can be purchased by calling 847-217-0691 or online at www.tutato.com.  Parking is a little difficult, but can be found and the Blue Line is right there.   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.