A Red Orchid Theatre presents the World Premiere of TURRET.
Playwright and Director Levi Holloway debuts a new sci-fi mystery. In an isolated bunker, two survivors coexist on a regime of routine and whiskey. Holloway drops the audience in a day-in-the-life of Green (played by a commanding Michael Shannon) and Rabbit (played by a versatile Travis A. Knight). Rabbit is running on a treadmill. Green is asking him a series of questions. A silent Rabbit’s responses appear as computer-generated answers. The exercise is followed by Green telling Rabbit not to forget to have his nectar. Rabbit pours himself a cloudy liquid substance.This daily ritual is repeated multiple times. Same questions, varying responses. It’s like a dystopian “Ground Hog Day”.
Holloway captures attention immediately on Grant Sabin’s industrial refuge set with its catwalks and vaulted metal door. In the center, Knight is running in an oversized hamster-wheel wearing a helmet of wires. Shannon saunters into the area, gets his coffee, heads to ‘the office’ and logs onto the computer. Both are wearing some form of green fatigues and Shannon’s questions suggest military. But who, why, where, when, what? Holloway’s script is an enigma. Throughout the show, he will reveal snippets of information for the audience to imagine the bigger picture of what’s going on. In the second act, a plot twist exposes a major paradox. Still, all the pieces don’t quite fit together for a completely satisfying conclusion. I got stuck on the actual logistics. Even in an unknown futuristic world, some components don’t quite seem sequentially plausible.
Holloway orchestrates this like a thriller with blackouts and alarms. In many ways, it feels like a movie. Film clips are even utilized for backstory. The focus of the plot is Green and Rabbit’s relationship. And Shannon and Knight show incredible range from tender to caustic and playful to grave as they interact initially and repeatedly. The appearance of a quirky Lawrence Grimm (Birdy) adds more layers of mystery. Grimm regales his own wild tale while hinting at the true motives of the bunker inhabitants.
TURRET is interesting! It kept my attention despite my mind trying to make sense of a cat’s return, figuring out what is in the nectar concoction or the actual physics behind the evolution of life. (I’ve stayed vague intentionally for theatre goers to experience it in the moment.) Holloway’s movie-like construction is Robert Altman-esque where story elements are introduced, appear crucial and then go nowhere. Some of the intrigue is just puzzling on Holloway’s choices. Still, I would recommend experiencing TURRET for yourself.
Cast through June 16th: Michael Shannon (Green), Travis A. Knight (Rabbit), Lawrence Grimm (Birdy)
Cast June 19-22: Lawrence Grimm (Green), Travis A. Knight (Rabbit), Drew Vidal (Birdy)
Running Time: Two hours and thirty minutes includes an intermission
At Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division
Written and directed by Levi Holloway
Performances are:
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.
EXTENDED Thru June 22nd
For more information or tickets
Production photos by Fadeout Media and Jesus Santos
For more Chicago theatre information and reviews, please visit Theatre in Chicago