Goodman Theatre presents the World-Premiere production of HIGHWAY PATROL.
IRL!? What IS happening ‘in real life’? Is this a staged thriller or a cautionary Ted Talk for celebs?
HIGHWAY PATROL blurs ALL the lines between reality and fantasy. The story is the actual experience of Emmy Award-winning actor Dana Delany. In 2012, Delany befriended a terminally ill fan and his family online. The evolving relationships are based on a combination of tweets, direct messages and emails. The creative team of Delany, Mike Donahue (director), Dane Laffrey (designer), and Jen Silverman (playwright) manifest the online exchanges into physical existence. Their staged illusion is a behind-the-scenes look at a TV star juggling her exhausting schedule, palpable loneliness, a precocious kid and the accessibility and connectivity of the internet.
Act 1 revolves around Delany and Cam (played by Thomas Murphy Molony). Donahue stages it focused on Delany in-real-life. She is in her dressing room, kitchen or bedroom verbalizing what she’s typing onto her iPad. Her messages are received by a young boy in Costa Rica. His responses are spoken directly to the audience. The budding friendship captivates because of Molony’s adorability factor. He gushes and crushes on Delany. His sweet interactions begin timid, progress to vulnerable and grow into an all-consuming emotional entanglement.
It’s all about this unlikely relationship between star and fan.Their affection for each other is relayed with surprising humor. Delany’s witty deliveries feel organic. Their exclusive bonding is only interrupted by the formidable Dot-Marie Jones’ sporadic updates about her grandson’s health. Aided by Laffrey’s versatile set and Yee Eun Nam’s projection designs, the first act climaxes with an intriguing hospital scene.
(To honor the mystery for future audiences, I’m going to be intentionally vague).
Act 2 is less straight forward especially as a play. IRL takes a decidedly creepy turn. Delany is left to deal with the pieces. Jones, in particular, shows disconcerting range and depth in her online portrayal. Although the story is memorable, the transitions become clunky. At some point, the tone of the play drastically shifts into Delany’s monologue about life. Her direct address to the audience feels out-of-place. It’s not quite an epilogue. It’s more like a standalone Ted Talk introducing Delany’s personal new age philosophy. This conclusion is an odd choice.
The premise for HIGHWAY PATROL is fascinating. It’s like a magazine’s celebrities-are-just-like-you feature. Delany ‘tells all’ about getting pulled into the online relational vortex. Here’s where the play doesn’t quite live up to its ‘thriller hype’… If Delany’s in-real-life-online experience had been a crazy fiasco, we would have already read about it on the internet. Still, HIGHWAY PATROL is unique and insightful storytelling.
Running Time: Two hours and fifteen minutes with an intermission
Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn
Created by Dana Delany, Mike Donahue, Dane Laffrey, Jen Silverman
Playwright and text curator: Jen Silverman
Directed by Mike Donahue
Performances are:
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays at 7:30pm
Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays at 2pm
Thru February 18th
For more information or tickets
Production photos by Liz Lauren
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