Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of BUZZER.
What rightfully belongs to me because of my race, gender, education, or class? Playwright Tracey Scott Wilson asks this question again and again. Wilson pokes at personal embers to see what sparks flame. Her trio is a mesmerizing science experiment of complication. Two are white, one is black. Two are male, one is female. The high-paying attorney grew up poor. The struggling teacher grew up middle class. The unemployed addict comes from a prestigious family. They all live together in the same apartment in a gentrifying neighborhood. The household is an odd balance of love, jealousy and fear. Two are a couple, one is the outsider. The two against one dynamic modifies based on the situation.
“We could be a sitcom.” “We sound like we are on ‘General Hospital.’” The plucky dialogue is riddled with humor. Wilson’s characters are authentic. We know these people. We are these people. Under the masterful direction of Jessica Thebus, the racial, sexual, economic tensions smolder. Thebus reigns in her sublime trio, Eric Lynch (Jackson), Lee Stark (Suzy), Shane Kenyon (Don), keeping the drama subtle and relatable. Each character struggles with his/her own identity while trying to protect the other two. They each captivate the audience in their personal bittersweet crisis. Kenyon, in particular, is outstanding. Not only is he hilariously animated in his storytelling, he continually and unexpectedly displays heartbreaking moments of vulnerability.
BUZZER *IS* a sitcom I’d watch. It’s funny and dramatic. It playfully forces me to confront my own prejudices. The visually, thought-provoking ending put me in the entryway wondering what I would do. I definitely want to tune in next week to see this threesome. Maybe it is more like a soap opera than a sitcom because I’m totally meshed in what happened to a watch. I have my theory.
Running Time: Two hours and ten minutes includes an intermission
At Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn
Written by Tracey Scott Wilson
Directed by Jessica Thebus
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays at 7:30pm
Fridays, Saturdays at 8pm
Saturdays, Sundays at 2pm
Thru March 9th
Buy Tickets at www.goodmantheatre.org
Production photo by Liz Lauren