The Fourth Walsh

Steppenwolf Theatre presents Chicago premiere CATCH AS CATCH CAN.

Roberta and Theresa worry about their kids. Roberta fears the divorced Robbie is canoodling with his ex and that Danielle and Sam will never get married. Meanwhile, Theresa is concerned she has only met Timmy’s elusive fiancé once. A Christmas party brings moms, sons, daughter and husband Lon all together under the same roof. The six rush to get the house ready for a relative invasion. It’s more chaotic and hilarious than expected since the work is being done by only three people.

   Playwright Mia Chung has penned a wickedly smart and deeply poignant play about family and friendship ties. Between conversations about Princess Diane and meatball tastings, character is revealed. During tea sipping gossip, nuggets of the past are dislodged. Over beers, doubts of the future are mused. Chung drops us into lives-in-progress and forces us to determine what’s what and who’s who. Three actors each play two roles, a female and male. The transition sometimes is within the same conversation. This isn’t a formulaic play of spoon-fed entertainment. It requires attention to decipher. Chung’s technique is catch-as-catch-can leading to its authenticity. Life is messy and we are all just trying to figure it out!   

Director Amy Morton orchestrates this noisy syncopation masterfully. Her ensemble is sublime. Gary Cole delivers a high-strung Roberta lovingly fussing over trouser hems while making racist remarks. In other conversations, Cole is Robbie stewing over his own and others’ life choices. Tim Hopper plays the put-upon Theresa. A petulant Hopper is bullied by Cole and ignored by Hopper -as Timmy. Meanwhile, a hapless Timmy (Hopper) looms on the fringes of life happenings. The versatile Audrey Francis plays Lon the curmudgeon husband/father and Danielle, sister to Robbie and friend to Timmy.     

These actors don’t require major wardrobe or makeup changes to alter personas. They deepen their voice, switch their gait and adapt their attitude. The transformation is seamless and distinct. With a word, a look or a gesture, they crack the audience up. And with the same simplicity -Cole opening a can, Hopper grabbing a hand, Francis walking across the stage-, they unexpectedly move the audience to all the feels. The play showcases acting. And this ensemble is the Triple Crown.  

CATCH AS CATCH CAN perfectly represents life’s imperfections. It’s a tangled frenzy of humanity. And just like in real life, I’d like to go back and see what I missed.

Running Time: 1 hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission

At Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted

Written by Mia Chung

Directed by Amy Morton

Performances are:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30pm

Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm

Thru July 12

For more information or tickets

Production photos by Michael Brosilow

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