"That's Not Funny" 1/2
Are there any subjects so offensive that they are off limits when it comes to comedy?
Stand-up comedians such as Louis C.K. have said no, and that sentiment is echoed by the sketch performers here, who tackle a list of potentially difficult topics — death threats and animal cruelty among them — in an effort to disprove the show's title.
The list of taboos, interestingly enough, also includes innocuous but apparently comedy-killing topics that lack in obvious humor. Hard drives. Grammar. Air. Local government.
It's an intriguing experiment, if one that occasionally falls flat on its face.
Considering that one of NBC's better sitcoms is based on the comedic idiosyncrasies of local government ("Parks and Recreation"), the challenge of that particular topic felt as pointless as the resulting sketch. I would also argue that a topic such as "Tom Cruise movies" is a bit of a cheat as well, but the sketch was clever and silly regardless, cramming the titles of Cruise's films into everyday conversation.
There's something happily subversive going on here (new sketches are performed each week) and if the show moved at a faster clip, it would be a must-see. Nothing kills comedy — not even taboo material — like a drearily-paced show.
It's also worth mentioning that the audience judges (picked at random and perhaps feeling put on the spot) seemed unwilling to call out some of the poorer sketches of the night, which defeats the purpose of the show. Pretending that every sketch is funny means these topics never posed a real challenge in the first place.
The creators of the show would be wise to take a cue from "Impress These Apes," and book a regular lineup of straight-talking comedic performers to serve as judges and commentators.
Through July 20 at the Pub Theater at Fizz, 3220 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $5 at 773-904-8777 or thepubtheater.com
'Lighthouse-keeping'
Even reviewers who liked Jeanette Winterson's 2004 novel "Lighthousekeeping" are quick to point out the book's faults, which neither adaptor Georgette Kelly nor director Jessica Hutchinson are able to overcome in this New Leaf Theatre production.
Winterson's hyper-lyrical, scattershot story revolves around a Scottish woman named Silver (Tien Doman), who is orphaned as a child and raised by a blind lighthouse keeper (Ron Butts), who tells the young girl a story of a 19th-century minister (Daniel McEvilly) who had a split personality. As Silver grows older and eventually leaves the lighthouse, she becomes adrift.
What the minister's story has to do with Silver's worldview isn't made clear. It feels shoehorned in as a way to underscore Silver's feelings of abandonment and loneliness. But the bigger issue is that Silver herself is a cipher. You form no attachment to this character, because she has no discernible purpose in the story. The production design only exacerbates the problems, and though Michelle Lilly's rustic set has a beautifully aged maritime look, it is thwarted by an awkward layout that keeps most of the action removed from the audience.
Through July 17 at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St.. Tickets are $25 at 312-742-8497 or dcatheater.org
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